by Smitty
Jason Kenney at Bearing Drift reports that canvassing is done in Spotsylvania for the 17th Senatorial District, with a 226 vote margin for the GOP hopeful. This is good news, and will hopefully lead to results substantial enough to reach the misguided voters in Ohio.
Speaking of misguided, voters in my VA Senatorial District love the Democrat incumbent, and also hate bow ties as much as Paco. Somebody needs to tell Paco that bow ties are as traditional, masculine, conservative, squared-away and action-ready as the fedora.
For me, the neck tie is all about conformity. One calls a meeting at the office. Even when tarted up with a knot from Matrix Reloaded, one is still encumbered with the fact that the bulk of the chaps in the room are wearing, *yawn* neck ties.
And so you step out. You acquire a fetching bit of silk from Carrot & Gibbs or Beau Ties, master the art of doing at the neck what you’ve been doing on the shoe your whole life (for truly, anyone wearing a cheater is worthy of as much disdain as Paco has poured upon the humble bow tie) and wear it to the meeting.
Now, you have made a statement! Yes, you say, I understand this is business, and we have to comport ourselves to a certain standard. If you’re not as rich as Richard Branson, you cannot flit about wearing a cravat and walking into the meeting like you’re walking onto a yacht. Yet you have not been so quotidian as to wear Yet Another Necktie.
People notice. “How do you tie one of those?” they ask. To which you gently reply, “The word ‘bow’ is an indicator.” Quite a few lads are bow-tie curious. It is not an occasion to condescend if they indicate the desire to man-up and have a go at the bow. Rather, encourage.
The bow tie, like sound conservative principles, may yet help save these United States.
For some good follow-on wonkery, do watch Michael Barone on Instavision. Toward the end, Insty throws out the Palin bait. Barone gives the notion of Sarah pulling a Reagan a solid ‘Meh’. Too late for the early state primaries. Intellectually, I’m in full agreement. In some emotional dimension, it would be momentarily cool, but remember this: Barack was elected with a lot of irrational exuberant rah-rah, as well. Repeat after me: There Is No Political Savior. If you want the U.S. to turn around, it starts with you, not candidate X, Y, or Z.
Although, pot-stirrer that I am, note this: I can’t help but think that if X, Y, or Z persuaded Sarah to join the ticket as VP, it would be an astounding win-win. That candidate would gather her phenomenal grass-roots support, and she would garner the executive résumé bullets. Furthermore, after eight years of X, Y, or Z, Sarah steps up to President (the way St. Albert of Gore did not). If you actually want to make course alterations for the ship of state away from the current European-style Welfare State Debacle heading, having Sarah on board would be an awesome way to go.
But who listens to me?
Update: Quigley at The Hill, emphasis mine:
Newt Gingrich rises, in opposition to MSM. He appears the best option now to face Romney. But is his appeal broad enough, and can the professor appeal to plain folk? That is the question and that is the question that Sarah Palin should be asking this morning. Possibly she created “the vacuum on the right” when she got off the bus and took it back to Alaska. As per last night it is safe to say there is still time to get in simply because nothing else is working. And the failure of the other contenders works positively in her favor.
I don’t know that it’s a bad thing for conservatives to get past the ‘quest for a rock star’. Nor do I blame Sarah Palin for looking at the banal nature of politics and opting for a role with a lower ‘ick’ factor.
Sarah will, I trust, prayerfully carry out the Divine will for her life as best she can, which is about all that can be asked of anyone.
