The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Ground Zero Mosque As An Election Issue

Posted on | August 15, 2010 | 49 Comments

by Smitty (h/t Libertarian Republican)

John Gomez floats the obvious question:

He has Sarah Palin’s endorsement.

I’m all for seeing ecumenical centers at all sorts of hallowed sites, like Mecca, Medina, and Ground Zero. Because if ‘tolerance’ and ‘sensitivity’ are not omni-directional, then they may just be cheap talking points proffered by the nefarious.

On the other hand, it’s a shame to see this issue eat up so much mindshare. One wonders if that outcome isn’t somewhat deliberate.

Update: Ace has the psychoanalytic breakdown of the POTUS motives

. . .my belief is that these people take a psychological comfort, a psychological delight, in taking positions that the majority of their fellow countrymen find repugnant, because this affords them what they really want: A method of differentiating themselves from the common and thereby elevating themselves to ranks of elite.

And note this is quite necessary: The “elite” are not made up of the rich. Sure, there are many rich in the elite, but that’s not what makes them elite. There are many poor “elite” who claim to be elite not due to their salary or position but due to thinking what the other elites think only.

RTWT. It’s a nice variation on the Codevilla theme, and the Shatner “Common People” chaser is a hoot.

Update II: Some further thoughts from the purveyor of Rhiel politik:

In that case, a member of the ruling class might even be considered somewhat Center Right; however, money, education and position matter a great deal. And that presents a real challenge for both conservatives and libertarians. Having such individuals in the ruling class, like Bush and others, compassionate conservatives in that instance, makes it extremely difficult for an honest small government mindset to prevail.

Gosh, Dan: are you implying that a Senator might be more beholden to the plutocrat who buys the Senate seat with campaign contributions than (s)he is to that annoying Oath of Office?

We gave King George a thumping. We wrote a Constitution. We allowed it to be honored in the breach. We’re now taking it in the breaches, but we can still rise against our contemporary King George.

Update III: The mighty Victor Davis Hanson surveys the GZM madness, contrasts it to the AZ border, and concludes:

In short, the great enigma of our postmodern age is how American society grew so wealthy and free to create so many residents that became so angry at the conditions that have made them so privileged—and how so millions abroad fled the intolerance and poverty of their country and yet on arrival almost magically romanticize the very conditions in the abstract that they would never live under again in the concrete.

This November, far from being a repudiation of the Constitution, promises to be the greatest test yet of the notion of the House coming up for re-election every two years. It’s almost like those dead Presidents kinda knew what they were doing, in their pre-transistor wisdom.

Category: Ace of Spades, New York

Comments

49 Responses to “Ground Zero Mosque As An Election Issue”

  1. Ric Locke
    August 15th, 2010 @ 11:38 pm

    Shameless blogwhoring, as recommended.

    Criticism avidly sought, especially as regards any points I didn’t touch on.

    Regards,
    Ric

  2. Ric Locke
    August 15th, 2010 @ 7:38 pm

    Shameless blogwhoring, as recommended.

    Criticism avidly sought, especially as regards any points I didn’t touch on.

    Regards,
    Ric

  3. smitty
    August 15th, 2010 @ 11:58 pm

    @Ric
    That is as fine and dispassionate summary of the issue as I’ve seen. Great work!

  4. smitty
    August 15th, 2010 @ 7:58 pm

    @Ric
    That is as fine and dispassionate summary of the issue as I’ve seen. Great work!

  5. Wesley M.
    August 16th, 2010 @ 3:08 am

    As long as we’re breaking down the POTUS’ motives, I’m kind of curious why in that Ramadan iftar speech, when he called on us to remember “who we are fighting against,” he only mentioned Al-Qaeda and left out the Taliban. Hard to credit that to an oversight, given how carefully prepared and worded those remarks were — and the fact that he’s ordered tens of thousands of additional troops into the Afghanistan War.

    Oh, well, maybe the Afghanis and the Pakistanis (and the Taliban) won’t notice…

  6. Wesley M.
    August 15th, 2010 @ 11:08 pm

    As long as we’re breaking down the POTUS’ motives, I’m kind of curious why in that Ramadan iftar speech, when he called on us to remember “who we are fighting against,” he only mentioned Al-Qaeda and left out the Taliban. Hard to credit that to an oversight, given how carefully prepared and worded those remarks were — and the fact that he’s ordered tens of thousands of additional troops into the Afghanistan War.

    Oh, well, maybe the Afghanis and the Pakistanis (and the Taliban) won’t notice…

  7. Kojocaro
    August 15th, 2010 @ 11:09 pm

    ric your so astute and have a keen eye in regards to what ills face us today

  8. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 3:09 am

    ric your so astute and have a keen eye in regards to what ills face us today

  9. Thrasymachus
    August 16th, 2010 @ 3:24 am

    Have we heard from John McCain on the GZM yet? I’ll bet he’s for it.

  10. Thrasymachus
    August 15th, 2010 @ 11:24 pm

    Have we heard from John McCain on the GZM yet? I’ll bet he’s for it.

  11. young4eyes
    August 16th, 2010 @ 3:44 am

    “I’m all for seeing ecumenical centers at all sorts of hallowed sites, like Mecca, Medina, and Ground Zero. Because if ‘tolerance’ and ’sensitivity’ are not omni-directional, then they may just be cheap talking points proffered by the nefarious.”
    Your point is moot.
    It’s not a matter of any tolerance or sensitivity being omni-directional or not; I’ve heard this argument before and it strikes me as sadly devoid of any reason.
    Our principles are not theirs. Dare I say that our standards are better? Of course.
    Therefore any excuse making that seeks to equate their ways with ours is pathetic. WE abide by principles that distinguish us from their Sharia standards.
    You fools, unwittingly of course, are playing along into Sharias intolerance by letting your emotions get the best of you.Your arguments state: well Sharia laws wouldn’t allow for religious freedom, so why should ours?
    Because we are America.
    Anything else reeks of the phony Conservatism you folks espouse.

  12. young4eyes
    August 15th, 2010 @ 11:44 pm

    “I’m all for seeing ecumenical centers at all sorts of hallowed sites, like Mecca, Medina, and Ground Zero. Because if ‘tolerance’ and ’sensitivity’ are not omni-directional, then they may just be cheap talking points proffered by the nefarious.”
    Your point is moot.
    It’s not a matter of any tolerance or sensitivity being omni-directional or not; I’ve heard this argument before and it strikes me as sadly devoid of any reason.
    Our principles are not theirs. Dare I say that our standards are better? Of course.
    Therefore any excuse making that seeks to equate their ways with ours is pathetic. WE abide by principles that distinguish us from their Sharia standards.
    You fools, unwittingly of course, are playing along into Sharias intolerance by letting your emotions get the best of you.Your arguments state: well Sharia laws wouldn’t allow for religious freedom, so why should ours?
    Because we are America.
    Anything else reeks of the phony Conservatism you folks espouse.

  13. Irish Cicero
    August 16th, 2010 @ 3:47 am

    Raze it.

    http://washingtonrebel.typepad.com/washington_rebel/2010/08/razing-the-mosque.html

  14. Irish Cicero
    August 15th, 2010 @ 11:47 pm

    Raze it.

    http://washingtonrebel.typepad.com/washington_rebel/2010/08/razing-the-mosque.html

  15. Randy Rager
    August 16th, 2010 @ 3:55 am

    Ann Coulter had it right. We should have invaded their countries, killed their leaders and converted the survivors to Christianity.

  16. Randy Rager
    August 15th, 2010 @ 11:55 pm

    Ann Coulter had it right. We should have invaded their countries, killed their leaders and converted the survivors to Christianity.

  17. Randy Rager
    August 16th, 2010 @ 4:18 am

    This thing is only opposed by a FREAKING SUPERMAJORITY of Americans.

    So much for Democrats being remotely about Democracy. They are about grabbing and exercising power, nothing more.

    They never have been about anything else. From 1792 until today, the Democrat Party in all it’s various guises has existed solely to enslave one segment of the American people or another.

    Being an elected Democrat is a crime against humanity.

  18. Randy Rager
    August 16th, 2010 @ 12:18 am

    This thing is only opposed by a FREAKING SUPERMAJORITY of Americans.

    So much for Democrats being remotely about Democracy. They are about grabbing and exercising power, nothing more.

    They never have been about anything else. From 1792 until today, the Democrat Party in all it’s various guises has existed solely to enslave one segment of the American people or another.

    Being an elected Democrat is a crime against humanity.

  19. Estragon
    August 16th, 2010 @ 4:42 am

    It is almost as if Obama WANTS Democrats to lose the House and Senate, so he can run against an “obstructionist Republican Congress” and blame them for blocking all his brilliant nine-point spending plans that would surely usher in a new Era of Plenty for All Americans Except Remnants of the White Male Patriarchy.

    ~~~~~~~

    I don’t understand the tendency of leftists to defend the mosque with the claim it is their “right” to build there. First of all, when else have leftists been so protective about property rights? And surely they have not forgotten the ancient wisdom:

    “It is one thing to HAVE the right to do something; to BE right in doing it is another matter entirely.”

  20. Estragon
    August 16th, 2010 @ 12:42 am

    It is almost as if Obama WANTS Democrats to lose the House and Senate, so he can run against an “obstructionist Republican Congress” and blame them for blocking all his brilliant nine-point spending plans that would surely usher in a new Era of Plenty for All Americans Except Remnants of the White Male Patriarchy.

    ~~~~~~~

    I don’t understand the tendency of leftists to defend the mosque with the claim it is their “right” to build there. First of all, when else have leftists been so protective about property rights? And surely they have not forgotten the ancient wisdom:

    “It is one thing to HAVE the right to do something; to BE right in doing it is another matter entirely.”

  21. Ric Locke
    August 16th, 2010 @ 5:03 am

    young4eyes, that’s not just elitist drivel, it’s suicidal elitist drivel. We have every right to require that newcomers play our game by our rules, and saying that our rules are better misses the point. They are, but much more importantly, they’re our rules — the basis of our society — and we have to insist that they be followed, or our society shatters.

    Your formulation amounts to “give in to the bully ’cause you’re better than he is.” That not only gains the bully the lunch money, it gives him the satisfaction of having extorted it — and that was his primary aim, otherwise he wouldn’t be a “bully”. Having succeeded, he’ll be back for another round.

    Regards,
    Ric

  22. Ric Locke
    August 16th, 2010 @ 1:03 am

    young4eyes, that’s not just elitist drivel, it’s suicidal elitist drivel. We have every right to require that newcomers play our game by our rules, and saying that our rules are better misses the point. They are, but much more importantly, they’re our rules — the basis of our society — and we have to insist that they be followed, or our society shatters.

    Your formulation amounts to “give in to the bully ’cause you’re better than he is.” That not only gains the bully the lunch money, it gives him the satisfaction of having extorted it — and that was his primary aim, otherwise he wouldn’t be a “bully”. Having succeeded, he’ll be back for another round.

    Regards,
    Ric

  23. Rob
    August 16th, 2010 @ 5:26 am

    All I have to say is that I found a prairie meadow mouse at the Ground Zero mosque construction site and that an environmental impact report should be done. What kind of impact would a mosque have on an endanger species of mice?

  24. Rob
    August 16th, 2010 @ 1:26 am

    All I have to say is that I found a prairie meadow mouse at the Ground Zero mosque construction site and that an environmental impact report should be done. What kind of impact would a mosque have on an endanger species of mice?

  25. Thomas L. Knapp
    August 16th, 2010 @ 7:46 am

    Estragon,

    You write:

    “It is almost as if Obama WANTS Democrats to lose the House and Senate, so he can run against an ‘obstructionist Republican Congress'”

    What do you mean “It is almost as if?”

    Nobody who’s not on crack thinks that the Democrats are going to gain seats in either the House or Senate this November.

    The Dems’ Senate majority is already slim enough that he’s hard-pressed to get anything passed.

    A slim majority is the worst of all possible political worlds — not enough to get what he wants, but enough that his own base can blame him and his party for not getting what THEY want.

    Of course he’d rather his party be visibly in the minority and thus more credible when laying blame on the Republicans for everything.

  26. Thomas L. Knapp
    August 16th, 2010 @ 3:46 am

    Estragon,

    You write:

    “It is almost as if Obama WANTS Democrats to lose the House and Senate, so he can run against an ‘obstructionist Republican Congress'”

    What do you mean “It is almost as if?”

    Nobody who’s not on crack thinks that the Democrats are going to gain seats in either the House or Senate this November.

    The Dems’ Senate majority is already slim enough that he’s hard-pressed to get anything passed.

    A slim majority is the worst of all possible political worlds — not enough to get what he wants, but enough that his own base can blame him and his party for not getting what THEY want.

    Of course he’d rather his party be visibly in the minority and thus more credible when laying blame on the Republicans for everything.

  27. Virginia Right! News Hound for 8/16/2010 | Virginia Right!
    August 16th, 2010 @ 6:08 am

    […] Ground Zero Mosque As An Election Issue […]

  28. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 11:55 am

    why do people blame bush for the iraq war when the bush hating progressives said saddam had weapons of mass destruction agreeing with bush and i think he had weapons of mass destruction but moved them iran btw youngforeskin you either call out saudi arabia or stfu

  29. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 7:55 am

    why do people blame bush for the iraq war when the bush hating progressives said saddam had weapons of mass destruction agreeing with bush and i think he had weapons of mass destruction but moved them iran btw youngforeskin you either call out saudi arabia or stfu

  30. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 12:01 pm

    into*

    yes mary tillmann bush ordered your son to be murdered because he opposed the war………….jeesh i swear this woman is the jessie ventura of the afghani war

  31. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 8:01 am

    into*

    yes mary tillmann bush ordered your son to be murdered because he opposed the war………….jeesh i swear this woman is the jessie ventura of the afghani war

  32. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 12:21 pm

    btw will the lefties throw pat tillmanns mom under the bus she beieves clinton is 5x worse as bush on military coverups

  33. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 8:21 am

    btw will the lefties throw pat tillmanns mom under the bus she beieves clinton is 5x worse as bush on military coverups

  34. Adobe Walls
    August 16th, 2010 @ 1:36 pm

    Ah, young4eyes so you are in favor of La-Raza building a pyramid in place of Gutfeld’s club so they could re-institute Aztec religious practices. While probably compatible I don’t believe the Aztec facility can actually be inside the “Cordoba Center” (something about the Sun shinning on the alter).

  35. Adobe Walls
    August 16th, 2010 @ 9:36 am

    Ah, young4eyes so you are in favor of La-Raza building a pyramid in place of Gutfeld’s club so they could re-institute Aztec religious practices. While probably compatible I don’t believe the Aztec facility can actually be inside the “Cordoba Center” (something about the Sun shinning on the alter).

  36. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 2:32 pm

    believes*

    btw Youngforeskin supports la raza putting uo a religious center for killing the tyrannical zionist honkey gringos

  37. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 10:32 am

    believes*

    btw Youngforeskin supports la raza putting uo a religious center for killing the tyrannical zionist honkey gringos

  38. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 2:38 pm

    up*

  39. Kojocaro
    August 16th, 2010 @ 10:38 am

    up*

  40. Quote of the Day « Obi’s Sister
    August 16th, 2010 @ 10:55 am

    […] 16, 2010 at 9:54 am (America 101) Smitty: We gave King George a thumping. We wrote a Constitution. We allowed it to be honored in the breach. […]

  41. keyboard jockey
    August 16th, 2010 @ 11:14 am

    Is it psychological?

    It’s too much over thinking “The Left” or as Robert Gibb’s refers to them “The Professional Left” Hate this country, it’s as simple as that. Of course they are going to side with any of “We the People’s Adversaries”

    It’s HATE plain and Simple. If you let HATE into your heart it will make a home there….and apparently a home just blocks from the worse terrorist attack in our nation’s history.

  42. keyboard jockey
    August 16th, 2010 @ 3:14 pm

    Is it psychological?

    It’s too much over thinking “The Left” or as Robert Gibb’s refers to them “The Professional Left” Hate this country, it’s as simple as that. Of course they are going to side with any of “We the People’s Adversaries”

    It’s HATE plain and Simple. If you let HATE into your heart it will make a home there….and apparently a home just blocks from the worse terrorist attack in our nation’s history.

  43. keyboard jockey
    August 16th, 2010 @ 3:26 pm

    1st Amendment? Religious Freedom? Religious Freedom to promote what exactly?

    Sharia is not U.S. Constitutionally Compliant.

    http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?s=sharia

  44. keyboard jockey
    August 16th, 2010 @ 11:26 am

    1st Amendment? Religious Freedom? Religious Freedom to promote what exactly?

    Sharia is not U.S. Constitutionally Compliant.

    http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?s=sharia

  45. Adobe Walls
    August 16th, 2010 @ 3:38 pm

    At it’s most elemental Sharia is merely another foreign legal system having no standing or relevance of any kind in this country.

  46. Adobe Walls
    August 16th, 2010 @ 11:38 am

    At it’s most elemental Sharia is merely another foreign legal system having no standing or relevance of any kind in this country.

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