The Other McCain

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

Remember: The Left Banks On At Least Two Things

Posted on | September 4, 2011 | 22 Comments

by Smitty

Those two things being:

  1. The public has no recollection of history before the previous news cycle, and
  2. The public has no patience.

I, for one, see a great deal of wisdom in Sarah’s non-approach to toying with the notion of a Presidential campaign. She’s basically doing a Second Mover play. What is striking, ironic, and disheartening is that, for all of the dismay about politics as usual, there is nothing but contempt poured upon someone doing the unusual.

Fricking relax, people: Governor Palin will either declare, or not. You know who wants her to declare right now, so he can giver her the Full Alinsky? BHO, that’s who. The threat of her candidacy, itself, is something which conservatives should relax and enjoy fully, until such time as she declares that phase concluded.

Should the potential candidacy materialize, waiting as long as possible shall have minimized the exposure to the Ruling Class money sources, and maximize pressure on We The People to put up or shut up. If we fail to support a relatively independent candidate, then we deserve the Romney/Huntsman tool who will be picked by the Ruling Class to run a mediocre campaign, culminating in a gracious concession speech.

For my part, none of the candidates are talking about the kind of scaling back that is truly needed. Spending varies, typically increasing. So talking about spending cuts, or tax cuts may as well be hope and change, for all I care. Tell me about regulatory cuts, about structural reductions in the federal government, and you have a chance of sounding serious. That’s what needs to occur. Yet all of the candidates are concerned about focus-group testing every utterance, about ensuring they don’t scare the moderates. OK. Got it. We have to start where we can, and keep the pressure on to reduce the government. Three parts to bureaucratic struggle:

  • 48% showing up. Can you be peeled off of ESPN long enough to care?
  • 48% stamina. Do you outlast the opponent?
  • 2 4% the ideas you’re putting forth.

Keep that in mind.

Update: props to Anamika for helping my typing of ‘independent’.
Update II: woe unto the blogger who doesn’t make a separate math check after the spell check, especially when named ‘Smith’.

Comments

22 Responses to “Remember: The Left Banks On At Least Two Things”

  1. Rose
    September 4th, 2011 @ 3:19 pm

    Bless you! Well said!

  2. Anamika
    September 4th, 2011 @ 3:23 pm

    Is this the best defense for Sarah Palin’s (in)actions? LMAO!

    PS. English, being my third language, I feel really embarrassed to notice that Smitty misspelled the word “independent.”

     

  3. Kitty Myers
    September 4th, 2011 @ 3:28 pm

    The Repub elites, plus Romney and Perry, are also trying to push Sarah Palin to announce ASAP, as well.

    Don’r forget: Bill Clinton declared his candidacy on October 3, 1991, and Ronald Reagan declared his on November 13, 1979. This is only September.

  4. Garym
    September 4th, 2011 @ 3:37 pm

    Couldn’t have said it better myself. Palin will not get any corporate donors in the primary, so she is actually saving any donation money she might receive with free publicity from events like this. If she runs, I’ll support her. If she doesn’t, I’ll find someone else. Simple as that.

  5. JeffS
    September 4th, 2011 @ 3:40 pm

    Tsk tsk, Anamika, tsk tsk!

    It’s better form to simply point out the error in a neutral fashion, such as “Hey, Smitty, sorry to point this out, but you misspelled ‘independent’!”  Or some such.

    That’s because when people complain or gloat about spelling or grammar mistakes in a blog post, it’s because they are an incurable pedant, they can’t find any other mistakes or errors, or some combination of both.

    Tsk tsk, Anamika, tsk tsk!

  6. postaldog
    September 4th, 2011 @ 3:41 pm

    Define (in)action.  She has stated from the outset that she is watching to see how the field plays out, if no one sufficiently conservative rises, then she will look to enter the race.  The only people carping about her non-entry into the  race are the pundits she has spurned and the news people who despise her. They are the ones insisting she must do things “their” way on “their” schedule.

  7. Garym
    September 4th, 2011 @ 3:44 pm

    Blah blabitty blah blah blah. We get it, you HATE her. Your jealousy is fun to watch though.

  8. Daily Pundit » The Stupefying Ignorance of the Irrational American People
    September 4th, 2011 @ 12:09 pm

    […] Remember: The Left Banks On At Least Two Things : The Other McCain Those two things being: […]

  9. Charles
    September 4th, 2011 @ 4:22 pm

    Two issues with your math and strategy:

    You can double the 2% going into the ideas being put forward (48% + 48% + 2% = 98%).

    You can’t outlast the bureaucracy. You will lose a war of attrition with the bureaucracy every time. So that 48% is wasted.

  10. McGehee
    September 4th, 2011 @ 4:55 pm

    I’ve never seen much point to fighting wars of attrition. That would be like invading Japan instead of dropping the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

  11. Anamika
    September 4th, 2011 @ 4:57 pm

    I guess that’s why Smitty got stuck in Iraq Afghanistan.

  12. Anamika
    September 4th, 2011 @ 5:20 pm

    I think you are right, though, about someone picking on a very trivial point as indicative of  A) being keen on opposing the other party B) having very little ammunition to fuel such opposition.

  13. JeffS
    September 4th, 2011 @ 5:30 pm

    Tsk tsk, Anamika, tsk tsk!

    Once upon a time, the left supported the war in Afghanistan, while noting that the Iraq war was a distractionfrom The ‘Stan.

    One would hope that you and your peers would at least be consistent in your policies.  I suspect that the Afghans — less the Taliban and would be warlords — would appreciate it.

    Tsk tsk, Anamika, tsk tsk!

  14. Anonymous
    September 4th, 2011 @ 5:46 pm

    Thanks Smitty for balancing out Robert.

    Morning NRO poll…Palin 78%, Perry 22%.

    Gov Palin is running of course. Just think of what will happen to her if she doesn’t…spurned is great hate.

    The historic mean of elections have been shattered in less then 10 years. Ink no longer is the biggest effect. Money for publicity has been checked by publicity by appearance. regional promises are negated by national exposure.

    Yeah, shes gonna run…and win!

  15. Quartermaster
    September 4th, 2011 @ 5:52 pm

    Very wise words, Smitty. Well said.

  16. Adjoran
    September 4th, 2011 @ 6:37 pm

    Palin is the one claiming something needs to be in the conversation, then not supplying it.  Palin is the one showing up on the days of Romney’s and Perry’s announcements, on the day of Ames, in Iowa and NH, hyping her appearances and delivering vague general stump material.  Are these the antics of someone mature enough to lead?  Or high school pranking?

    If she is so special, let her demonstrate it.  Her psychotic cyber-stalkers will be hanging on forever, the rest of us are moving on to listen to the serious candidates, the ones who put it on the line.

    Like many others, I was very favorably disposed to Palin even six months ago.  Between her conduct and the behavior of her fan base, my disposition has soured.  Run or don’t run, it doesn’t matter anymore to many of us.

    ~~~~~

    Few will be surprised that you can’t add, Smitty – your gold standard advocacy demonstrated that already.

  17. Anonymous
    September 4th, 2011 @ 7:23 pm

    A stellar moment in the march of civilization.

  18. Anonymous
    September 4th, 2011 @ 7:23 pm

    Dungbat.

  19. I’ll Drink to That! « Temple of Mut
    September 4th, 2011 @ 7:58 pm

    […] also highlighted the statist attitude of both major parties. Additionally, I thoroughly agree with Smitty of the Other McCain, in response to those upset Sarah did not declare — Fricking relax, people: Governor Palin […]

  20. postaldog
    September 5th, 2011 @ 2:48 am

    What exactly is she not supplying?  Have you actually listened to her speeches or read anything she has written on the current state of affairs in this country?  She has offered plans as concrete and detailed as any of the candidates so far, more than most.  Even lefty publications have said she’s been ahead of the curve on topics such as energy and the economy.  She is under no obligation to formally enter the race until November. 

    antics…psychotic cyber-stalkers…soured by the conduct of her fan base…lashing out at Smitty…and you think Sarah’s acting like a high schooler? 

  21. Anonymous
    September 5th, 2011 @ 5:29 am

    Add in all the commentary on Fox and Facebook, and she’s had the best presence of all the current batch of candidates.  And she’s brought in concepts that stick, criticism of Obama that sticks, and always with great timing.  So she’s supplied more than anyone that doesn’t have a slavish media in their pocket this season.

  22. Anonymous
    September 5th, 2011 @ 5:32 am

    Absolutely correct, Smitty.

    The anxiety is silly.  Besides, our silly season is far too long already.