It’s rather poignant to watch the media love-fest over Obama’s ‘honymoon’ period – the fawning over Michelle’s pricey fashions, the breathless announcements of how wonderful everything will be as hope soars on clouds of euphoria – and wonder how the Bush presidency would have started if we’d been given a beginning like this, rather than the corrosive and unrelenting assault that consumed his presidency from Election Day 2000 onward. I don’t think there’s a better metaphor than the NY Daily News running front-page headlines about the Obamas bringing a dog to the White House while Bush’s dog Barney bites a Reuters reporter. Victor Davis Hanson: “When I hear a partisan insider like Paul Begala urging at the 11th hour that we now rally around lame-duck Bush in his last few days, I detect a sense of apprehension that no Democrats would wish conservatives to treat Obama as they did Bush for eight years.” H/T. Indeed, they expect that we won’t; they count on it. Ace, unsurprisingly, is having none of the pleas for unilateral unity:
Sorry, folks. No frakkin’ sale. We remember “Jesusland.” And stuff like this. And if you have a few hours, scroll through Malkin’s “Bush Derangement Syndrome” archive. We remember everything – being called racist warmongers, Christianist nutbags, racists, and all the rest of the vitriol you folks threw at us in your “AAAHHH CHIMPY MCBUSHITLER HALLIBURTON IS THE EVILEST” stage of political development.
You spent the last eight years engaged in a disgusting orgy of divisive political hatred and now you want to play nice and pretend we’re all united now? I for one am not going to treat President Obama the way you treated President Bush. That doesn’t mean, though, I’m going to just forgive and forget the fact that you’ve polluted the political landscape with your bile and patchouli-stanking spittle.
I’ve already said my own bit on how the Right should respond. We certainly should not have any illusions that a good deed today will ever be repaid. And we can all enjoy a laugh at the whiplash on the other side. Goldberg: “Alas, that [dissent is patriotic] standard only works for liberals. When conservatives dissent it’s called being ‘divisive.’” Lileks: “I’m off to the Mall to sell razor blades so people can scrape off their ‘Question Authority’ bumper stickers.”
Daniel Horowitz
Neil Stevens
Steve Maley
Jake Walker
Poland, Israel and the Worse Two Day Market Decline Ever
Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 1:32PM EST (link)Obama catches no breaks. He will get no honeymoon here.
Advice from someone outside the fold.
birdmojo (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 1:36PM EST (link)Make your criticisms funny.
That’s the number one thing that you have to do. Not funny because they’re sooooo cruel. Make them cruel because they’re sooooo funny.
Be outraged all you want… but tamp that down into a little ball and put it aside for the 2-3 extra minutes it will take to make your criticism FUNNY.
This is the weapon that Obama will have no defense against whatsoever. If it’s an outrage-fest, the winner will be up in the air… but funny is funny is funny.
Q: How many Obama supporters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: Man, that’s racist.
Make It Funny.
Otherwise it won’t work.
Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. –Voltaire
I'm Sorry to Hear that Ace is Going to Go Soft.
tsquare (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 1:40PM EST (link)I have said this on these pages before and I say it now: I will give this man and his party and his minions exactly what they spent 8 years giving Bush.
No quarter given then, none now. If I must do it alone, I will declare the Obama Administration DOA… now. If he is for it I’m against it. No matter what he does I hereby declare it to be wrong. Every trouble in the world I lay at his feet. The best he can hope for is the back of my hand.
I will only rest once the the taste of victory has turned to ashes in his mouth.
I Promise
Hera Friday, November 7th at 1:44PM EST (link)I promise from this day forward to treat President Elect Obama with the same respect and fairness that was shown to President Bush.You have my word.
Sigh
Nickoftheenglish Friday, November 7th at 1:54PM EST (link)It is like this in England. All the papers have a front cover story or a large double page spread on ‘Obama has done this’ or ‘Obama has done that’.
After the 1997 election defeat (or electoral wipeout if you prefer) Margaret Thatcher declared that the ‘Conservative fightback begins here!’ Although it took around a decade before the UK Cons have gotten anywhere close to Downing Street, I haven’t heard anything similar in the US. This could be down though to media preoccupation with Obama but regardless what are the GOP going to do?
I don’t know much about American politics but certainly I think that the GOP need to follow the lead that Cameron and Harper have made in the UK and Canada to revive their party’s fortunes. This includes a strong approach on the economy but also healthcare, education and social issues.
What does anyone else think?
contrarian
Alberta (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 1:54PM EST (link)Im probably in the minority here on this, but Im always for the engagement (and destruction) of whatever the Persians are calling themselves now. Those suckers have been at war with us for a 1000 years.
That Israel wouldnt think about it while Bush was President, but are clearly itching to do it with an Obama, I think speaks volumes.
Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.
Abraham Lincoln
AMEN!
tsquare (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 1:55PM EST (link)n/t
That would be a good question for Rahmbo...
CSUFBomb (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 1:57PM EST (link)…”Do you believe that President Obama should be treated with the same respect as President Bush?”
–
“We want great men who, when fortune frowns, will not be discouraged.” – Colonel Henry Knox
Not My President
MCPO_Airdale Friday, November 7th at 1:58PM EST (link)Barack Hussein Obama is not my president!
I will fight every leftist agenda item he brings up!
I will fight every terrorist-supporting whacko he nominates!
I will fight to destroy him at every turn!
“Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool! and since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!”
- Moby Dick, Herman Melville
just out of curiosity
streiff (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 2:00PM EST (link)what progress have they made? Why would we want to replicate what has happened to conservatism in either Canada or the UK (where your conservatives are probably to the left of our Democrats)
“What keeps me here is the reek of beer, the ladies and the craic”
If it weren't for Lileks and Iowahawk...
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 2:02PM EST (link)I’d have a hard time laughing at all this. I’ve done a blackout on all media except blogs because I cannot stomach the love orgy going on.
While I don’t see myself slipping into ODS, I will be diligent to holding all the Dems accountable where I can. I also believe in divine justice–Bill and Hillary suffered their retribution, and so will team Obama. My hope is that it’s sooner, rather than later.
Jennifer Oliver O’Connell
Barney
Greg (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 2:06PM EST (link)If that Reuters reporter had gotten close to me, I would have bit him too.
“The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected.” — Chesterton
for what he stands for
Michael DeWeese (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 2:09PM EST (link)Obama can be given no quarter, none. For what he stands for, for what he is, for what he can do to destroy this country. Every cabinet post, every ambassador, and especially every supreme court nominee.
Brain Dead Republican
I Would Have Yelled at Barney!
tsquare (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 2:18PM EST (link)‘Spit that out! You don’t know where that reported has been!’
Then have him de-wormed…
Yep
richterm Friday, November 7th at 2:40PM EST (link)Barney has no doubt spent the day licking his ass, to get the taste of reporter out.
That being said, my daughter Maggie was able to pet him a few years ago when we went to DC for the Whitehouse Christmas tour and he was a lovely little dog. Watch the video, a-hole does the worst thing you can do with a dog…approach his face with an open hand. I would have bit him too.
In response
Nickoftheenglish Friday, November 7th at 3:41PM EST (link)Well I am talking more about electoral success rather than in Government. The Canadian Conservatives have at least been able to form minority Governments after having only 2 seats in 1992. The Conservatives in the UK have become the largest force in local Government.
However in your reference to the left of the Democrats that may be true but nevertheless they are updating the messages of Margaret Thatcher of individualism, smaller Government and free markets. They have successfully applied these Thatcherite or Reagonomic (is that spelled right) to public services on schools and hospitals (although less on hospitals which is a bit disappointing) to drive up standards and deliver value for money.
The important thing is that they have taken over key Labour issue strongholds and this is contributing to their lead in the polls. I was just suggesting that the efforts to take key natural Democratic strongholds such as education and healthcare would be essential to the GOP comeback. I also made comparisons to the Can and UK Cons because they have done this especially well.
I am not suggesting blantant popularism but fitting conservative beliefs into these spheres and making a convincing narrative.
Just watched his "news" conference
jonreagan (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 3:43PM EST (link)Not that there was any news…what a joke. If things are really as dire as Barry and his groupies (like Paul Krugman) are wailing about, wouldn’t he want to see some action taken quickly?
Cutting the Capital Gains Tax to 7.5% would have an immediate impact of bringing capital back into the markets, and would lift the economy. It would be something he and Bush could jointly back, if Obama was truly serious about reviving the economy. But that would entail risk to his political prospects.
Bottom line, he is content to let any further deterioration in the economy between now and January 20th happen on President Bush’s watch. So much for the Democrat concern for “average working people”. The Obama non-response today is to let them eat cake.
It's going to fall to RedState and other
RJD (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 4:10PM EST (link)Conservative blogs to inform however many people as possible. I expect the MSM to continue it’s lovefest. Obama will not be scrutinized or criticized; Biden will probably disappear and only be seen at big events, less he say something to embarrass his master; there will be no accountability for this administration, unless we provide it.
The volumes of which it speaks ..
Prodigals Friday, November 7th at 5:09PM EST (link).. are a story of Israel not wanting to pay for a strike on Iran, and
hoping that the US would do it for them, as a freebie.
I'm with you
drmonroe Friday, November 7th at 5:27PM EST (link)Hit him and hit him hard on everything we possibly can. This is what the left did to Bush, continually, and it worked. It eroded whatever confidence the American people had in him. They never let up, to the point where even a large amount of Bush supporters will be happy to see him go just so we don’t have to hear the constant moaning of the left anymore and the constant blaming Bush for everything that happens (even weather).
I mean I know Bush isn’t the greatest president ever but the vile treatment he received from the left should not be forgotten. We will get nowhere by playing nice. Being nice is a large part of what destroyed Bush and McCain (blessing in disguise that last one).
The one thing we need is some way to get our message out. The left has the media which played defense quite successfully for Obama all election cycle. Maybe we could have some kind of newsletter, like an Obama-Watch, that can be sent to Americans all over the country. I mean, I get tons of junk fliers every Friday, and I’m sure plenty of people would throw them out, but for the few that would read them it could have a slow effect on Obama’s support, just like the constant berating of Bush had an effect on his support over time. Just brainstorming with this but it is something we need to work on. Talk-radio and the internet have their limits and we need to find a way around that.
And yes I know we need to work on our message, but I also believe we can learn from the Democrats and their treatment of Bush. Let’s face it, they know how to play Politics. The fact that a party largely responsibile for the financial crisis, with a socialist ideaology that NEVER works and has, over time, made our country worse in so many obvious ways, can still win elections proves that point.
Good points, Nick
Hermes (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 5:37PM EST (link)British and Canadian Conservatives are still socialists, but at least they aren’t the raving reds that British and Canadian Lefties are. You made an excellent point about retaking local electioins and that is, I feel, the real key to the Republican party regaining momentum. State legislatures and governorships provide a lot of local power and can significantly influence how a state votes in national elections. Republicans need to take about 28-30 governoships and legislatures to have a solid chance of reclaiming Washington one day.
Regarding the Conservative Party: I am not now, and have not been a fan of “Don’t Call Me Dave” Cameron, who has touted himself as the “Heir to Blair.” On the other hand, Boris Johnson is the most amusing politician that I’ve seen in years. His personality is larger than London and the fact that a Conservative could take London from Labour should be encouragement to US conservatives that we can adopt a Howard Dean-sytle 50 state strategy and win, even in lefty strongholds.
I completely misunderstood this comment
Grim (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 5:59PM EST (link)When I was doing a quick glance over this thread, I thought you were referring to Barney Frank. Eeewww.
Grim
disagree
Alberta (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 6:58PM EST (link)I dont think that the Israelis ever expected the US to bomb Iran for them. This logic doesnt fly because Israel didnt cry and whine about the US bombing Iraqs facilities. They got the OK and did it.
The volume it speaks is that Israel was afraid of Americas reaction to the bombing of Iran after the Bush Administration said it was a no go. The fact that with Obama in the White House Israel doesnt seem to be that concerned with Americas reaction shows that they dont think an Obama Administration would have a reaction worth being afraid of.
Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.
Abraham Lincoln
Bravo, Barney!
JustLeaveMeAlone (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 8:43PM EST (link)I just hopes he bites a few more of ‘em before he comes home to Texas.
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” Thomas Jefferson
I'm sure you are right
Wing Zero (Diary) Friday, November 7th at 10:13PM EST (link)I don’t see the media turning on him at all, unless there is a complete collaps of the economy…
1-21-09 – We are so screwed… Wait… maybe not just yet.
One of these days Alice...
JLenardDetroit (Diary) Saturday, November 8th at 12:56AM EST (link)…. to the Moon
Regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)
“Liberals, looking to do for? America what they’ve done for? Detroit! which is DESTROY IT!”
“I think, therefore I am Conservative”
“Conservative by choice, Republican by necessity”
“You can lead a Liberal to the Truth/Facts, but you cannot make them THINK!”
“Romney [No, not my first choice] does NOT have a MORMON problem. He has a, far too many Americans; these days; are MORONS problem!”
Follow @JLenardDetroit
(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (message) (Warning: Children Will Die!!)
Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” – a Rush caller (other Quotes)
He is so cute! nt
mom2oneson (Diary) Saturday, November 8th at 1:20AM EST (link)nt