The Other McCain

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

Fun Gerbils

Posted on | January 10, 2012 | 11 Comments

by Smitty

Roxanne gets me thinking with this one:

Now, I suspect that the retort is “That’s not what I meant by fungible,” but that leads us to the question: in what way are men fungible with each other but not with women? Can we really not take a male scientist and replace him with a talented female scientist, but he could be swapped out with another male scientist? In that situation, the premise of not being fungible is downright sexist – assuming that men can do things competently but women cannot.

Raaaaacism and sexism, I contend, are both DNA-based decision making. To say that any individuals are completely fungible is a joke: a Venn diagram will never have a complete overlap. I daresay that if you, the reader, could be cloned and never see your genetic copy for a decade, you wouldn’t even be fungible with yourself. For all the genetic makeup of you and otherYou, retroviruses notwithstanding, may be identical, a decade’s worth of neurological state changes are going to matter. Stacy’s clone, for example, might have made peace with Tabitha Hale.

However, I’m no longer convinced that feminists are even arguing in good faith. I suspect they understand that XX <> XY, in their heart of hearts, but will continue to argue, contra rationality that XX = XY simply because being contra rationality is more important that being correct. When people reject the possibility of Truth, all that remains is dishonesty. It’s who they are; it’s what they do.

None of the preceding should be taken as disagreeing with Roxanne’s post. She merely prompted.

On the same topic, Goldstien has some powerful words, emphasis mine:

That the term feminism has been corrupted — just as the terms “liberal” or “tolerance” or “fairness” have been corrupted — does not mean we as classical liberals / legal conservatives need give up the fight to take back ownership. In fact, ceding ownership over such terms has enabled the left to claim the mantle of being liberal, tolerant, and fair — to claim that it is they who are advocates of the equal rights of women, even as their corruption of feminism has rendered them particularly cynical special pleaders — which of necessity suggests of their political opponents the obverse: legal conservatives / classical liberals — now framed as racist, homophobic, misogynistic and patriarchal right-wingers — must be illiberal, intolerant, unfair, and resistant to allowing the “equal rights” of women.
It has been my argument here over the course of the last ten years that by rejecting and then countering the left’s attempts to usurp the language of individual liberty, we as conservatives are able to then forcefully and consistently make the case that the left’s entire political facade is based on the ideological perversion of what are fundamentally classical liberal principles.

Preach it, Jeff!

From the abstract pits of Postmodernism, to the vermin of the #Occupy movement, everything about the Left is an assault on the Enlightenment values that inform America. They hate you; they hate your face. For the end result of Progress is a vast mob of purely emotional, state-dependent rodents squeezed by iron fisted demagogues.

Our task as Americans and bloggers is to oppose the Left at every turn.

Category: Feminism, Protein Wisdom, Roxeanne de Luca

LIVE AT FIVE – 01.10.12

Posted on | January 10, 2012 | 4 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Romney Struggles With Contenders’ Attacks On His Corporate Past

Governor Romney talks to folks in Tilton, NH

Attacks painting Romney as corporate raider apparently drawing blood

Iran Court Sentences American To Death On Spy Charges
Former translator seized while visiting grandparents

WH Chief Of Staff Daley Resigns
A shift in strategy as re-election campaign heats up



POLITICS
Governor Asterisk Delivers His Closing Argument

Jon Huntsman addresses an impromptu crowd in a coffee shop

Is it momentum, or just wishful thinking?

Soldiers Remain On Lockdown As Expensive Optics Remain Missing

First Dude Endorses Newt: Is Sarah Next?


Gingrich Cancels Event After Infestation Of Protesters

Scott Brown Raises $3.2 Million In 4Q; Warchest Up To $12.8 Million

Former Soldier Charged With Trying To Aid Al-Shabaab Terrorists

USDA To Close 249 Offices



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Stocks Finish Higher; Alcoa Posts Loss
PRC Import Growth Slumps, Deepens Global Risks
India Told Turkey May Stop Routing Iranian Oil Shipment Payments
Wife’s Currency Trade Leads To Swiss Bank Chief’s Downfall
Steve Ballmer Talks Windows 8 At CES
AT&T, Sprint & Verizon Tout New Android Smartphones
Hyundai Puts Quality Improvement Ahead Of 2012 Sales Goals



SPORTS
Tide Shuts Out Tigers For BCS Title

Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw gets emotional during the second half

Alabama defense smothers Tigers as Tide rolls to 21-0 victory

Carmelo Anthony Rallies Knicks Past Bobcats

Reds Shortstop Barry Larkin Elected To Hall of Fame

Goc Leads Panthers Past Canucks, 2-1

Elway On Tebow: He’s Done A Tremendous Job

Lamb Leads #17 Huskies To Win Over West Virginia

Haddin: Indians Break Quicker Than Anyone In The World



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Snoop Busted For Weed In Texas

Snoop bummed out

Ironically enough, in same town where Willie Nelson was likewise busted in 2010; California prescription for marijuana no good in Texas

Kim Richards Leaves Rehab


Beyonce Baby Drama: Breastfeeding Moms Plotting To Sue Hospital

Evan Rachel Wood Engaged To Jamie Bell

Katherine Heigl: It’s Difficult To Have It All



FOREIGNERS
Syria’s Embattled Assad To Make Speech On “Internal Issue”
Norks Hold Military Rally To Vow Obedience To Great Successor
Egyptian Women Confront Patriarchy
Polish Military Prosecutor Shoots Himself After Press Conference
Al Qaeda Affiliate Claims Responsibility For 37 Baghdad Bombings
Japan To Release Detained Anti-Whaling Activists
Rush To Scottish Independence Puts Wind Up Kilts



BLOGS & STUFF
Weasel Zippers: NH Crowd Boos Mention Of McCain’s Name At Santorum Event
Jay Nordlinger: Conservatives Against Capitalism
Michelle Malkin: The Abysmal Incompetence Of The Non-Romneys
Hot Air: William Daley Packs His Bags For Chicago
The Volokh Conspiracy: Sackett Oral Argument
Early score: Sackett 9, not out; EPA no-ball
Powerline: Americans Fear Obama Re-Election
PJ Tatler: Slate Feminist Accuses Chris Christie Of Making “Oral Sex Joke” In Response To Hecklers
Legal Insurrection: Mia B. Love – A Conservative Political Star Rises In Utah


SOTD: Up Periscope

Category: Live at Five

Can Rule 5 Help Give Mitt Romney’s Campaign Some Swagger?

Posted on | January 9, 2012 | 10 Comments

by Smitty

I’ll say that it couldn’t hurt. . .

But the real question is, can Mitt borrow enough personality from Stacy McCain to pull off something like that in non-laboratory conditions?

Category: humor, Mitt Romney, Rule 5

Scott Ott Refuses To Cry Over Spilled Milk

Posted on | January 9, 2012 | 1 Comment

by Smitty

Not the powdered milk in the ship, not the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tough man.

Bonus PJTV, with Stephen Green bringing Dare of the Hog:

Epiphany: Bob Schieffer if Jane Curtin’s fraternal twin.

Category: humor, PJTV

Palin Endorses Newt. Todd Palin

Posted on | January 9, 2012 | 17 Comments

by Smitty

What an interesting twist, via O.P. Ditch on Facebook, and ABC:

But Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and John McCain’s 2008 Republican running mate, has yet to decide “who is best able to go up against Barack Obama,” Todd Palin said.
Palin said he has not spoken to Gingrich or anyone from the former House speaker’s campaign. But he said he respects Gingrich for what he went through in the 1990s and compared that scrutiny in public life to what Sarah Palin went through during her run for the vice presidency.
Todd Palin said he believes that being in the political trenches and experiencing the highs and lows help prepare a candidate for the future and the job of president.

One is sorely tempted to read an entire library or two into this. Which is probably why face value is the wiser course. Nevertheless, some form of a Palin/Gingrich alliance could prove quite formidable, and lead to incontinence in certain corners of the White House. . .

Category: Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin

Among the Paulistas in New Hampshire

Posted on | January 9, 2012 | 57 Comments

HOLLIS, N.H.
The Only Man Who Can Save American Liberty™ — as he is regarded by his famously fanatical supporters — appeared today at the Lawrence Barn here, and I was pleased to discover that one of Lisa Graas‘s Twitter friends, “TradiCatholic,” was among the Paulistas in attendance. And I explained to her that, unlike some other conservatives in the blogosphere, I have sought to avoid the “urge to purge” attitude toward Ron Paul’s supporters.

We ought to distinguish, I believe, between the sincere, serious and well-meaning Paulistas, who will gladly close ranks with conservatives in opposition to Obama’s liberal agenda, and the relatively small number of insane hate-filled monsters who infest the dark corners of the Internet.

The scene inside the Lawrence Barn. This was an “invitation only” event that was originally planned for someone’s living room, but which outgrew the venue and had to be moved to a public facility. Among those on hand to support Ron Paul was this homeschooling family:

One of the highlights of the event for me was the performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” by these home-schooled girls:

Let those who wish to banish the Paulistas from the “Big Tent” explain: How is it in the interests of the conservative movement and/or the Republican Party to tell young people like this that their support and influence — their commitment, their energy, their enthusiasm — are unwelcome within our ranks? Here is Ron Paul being introduced at the Lawrence Barn:

Here is Paul answering a supporter’s question about the American “empire” during his appearance in Hollis:

Now, you may disagree with the congressman about these matters, and that’s OK. And certainly the vast majority of Republican voters (more than 80 percent, according to the Iowa caucus results) do not support Ron Paul as a presidential candidate. But why do so many conservatives go beyond mere opposition to Paul, and engage in demonization of him and his supporters?

Here is a brief interview with Dr. Lee Button of the National Heritage Center for Constitutional Studies, a New Hampshire home-schooling leader:

Perhaps I am exceptionally sensitive to the need for conservatives to include Paulistas in their ranks because I am an ex-Democrat. Unlike so many of my peers in conservative New Media, I was born and raised a Democrat and did not wise up to that inherited folly until I was in my 30s. Whatever errors of ideology or rhetoric you may attribute to Ron Paul’s supporters, I doubt many of them were ever so foolish as I was in 1984, when I voted for Walter Mondale.

Mea culpa. Mea magna culpa.

Therefore, my conservative friends, let us be civil and reasonable, and seek common ground with those of Ron Paul’s supporters who are also civil and reasonable, striving together to form a common front among those patriotic Americans who seek an end to the dreadful misrule of the Obama administration. And really, how can you not love this kind of enthusiasm for liberty?

This Paulista apparently drove all the way from Pennsylvania.


Category: Election 2012, Fear and Loathing in New Hampshire, New Hampshire, Ron Paul

Ron Paul Campaign Flyer Emphasizes Opposition to Gay Marriage, Abortion

Posted on | January 9, 2012 | 25 Comments

HOLLIS, N.H.
Ron Paul has won many converts in New Hampshire with his libertarian-influenced anti-war message, but a flyer circulated by the Texas congressman’s campaign here emphasizes Paul’s Christian faith, pro-life position and opposition to same-sex marriage.

“I believe marriage is between one man and one woman,” the flyer quotes Paul as saying, expressing his support for the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that would “ensure that no state would be forced to recognize a ‘same sex’ marriage license issued in another state.” The flyer also reminds voters that Paul “was an original co-sponsor of the Marriage Protection Act, HR 3313, that removes challenges to [DOMA] from federal courts’ jurisdiction.”

The Paul flyer (full image below) describes him as having “worked tirelessly to defend and restore” pro-life protections: “The right of an innocent, unborn child to life is at the heart of the American ideal of liberty.” Evidently aimed at wooing social conservative support for the congressman’s campaign, the flyer also includes these quotes from Paul:

  • “I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, and I endeavor every day to follow Him in all I do and in every position I advocate.”
  • “We must recognize that true national defense means defending our own borders and coastlines. … Borders should be the number one national priority, plain and simple.”

You can click on the image below to see it full-size:

UPDATE: What struck me about this flyer is that so many of Paul’s young supporters I’ve spoken with are in favor of gay marriage and they seem to assume that Paul is as well. Yet the Paul campaign is distributing this flyer to emphasize the candidate’s social conservatism. Meanwhile, another candidate has a slightly different problem here:

Mitt Romney Campaign Disavows
Pro-Gay Rights Flyer From 2002
— Huffington Post

On this issue, as on so many issues, Romney goes both ways. NTTAWWT.

Category: Abortion, Election 2012, Fear and Loathing in New Hampshire, Gays, Immigration, Ron Paul

Media Mayhem in the Granite State

Posted on | January 9, 2012 | 15 Comments

HOLLIS, N.H.
Saturday night in Manchester was a total media schmoozefest, and I had the opportunity to talk to Mickey Kaus, whose re-Tweet by Alyssa Milano inspired my own long quest for a similar honor. (“They Said It Couldn’t Be Done …”)

Just returned from a Ron Paul event here, the start of a long day of campaign coverage in the final day before Tuesday’s primary. Paul’s media coverage got out of control this morning in Manchester, a circus I heard about at breakfast from an Associated Press writer at the local diner in Hollis. Not much time to chat, but here’s my latest column at The American Spectator:

J.D.’s Tavern at the Radisson Inn in Manchester was crowded Saturday night with the elite of America’s political media. Famous faces from TV news mingled with less-famous but nevertheless influential writers from major publications. Waiters brought food and beverages — and still more beverages — as midnight passed in the hours after yet another nationally televised Republican presidential debate. One of the more famous bylines among the journalistic throng delivered a harshly negative verdict on the proceedings that had just aired on ABC.
“They were weak,” said the writer. “They didn’t bring it.”
By “they,” he meant the various challengers to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The pre-game forecast for Saturday night’s debate was that the non-Romney conservatives would rush to attack the man who is the overwhelming favorite to win Tuesday’s primary here in New Hampshire. But the promised assault on Romney — in a debate that had been hyped up like a professional wrestling match — never materialized, much to the disappointment of the journalist in J.D.’s Tavern.
“Look, I’m a reporter,” he said. “You know I’d love this thing to go all the way to the convention, but… C’mon.” …

Read the rest at The American Spectator. You’ll notice that I never name the reporter who said that. If people ever started quoting all the stuff I said in after-hours conversations . . . Well, it would be a horrible precedent.

UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers! I’m rather depressed tonight. Some young Romney supporters just invited me to attend his victory party Tuesday night at Southern Hew Hampshire University. I’ll probably go, and hate myself for it Wednesday morning.

The walk of shame: Date-raped by RINOs.

Category: American Spectator, Celebrities, Election 2012, Fear and Loathing in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney, New Hampshire
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