I watched John McCain's acceptance speech last night on Fox News. In my opinion, it was a good speech. The portions dealing with his personal challenges involving combat and imprisonment were effective and poignant, as many pundits had demanded they should be.
One area, however, continues to puzzle me.
McCain gave nearly literal voice to Boone Pickens' energy non-plan and contentions on the danger of Ricardian trade flows involving imported oil. Fair enough. McCain highlighted the political and security risks of the now-well-circulated figure of $700B/year bill for America's oil imports.
However, what McCain declined to explain, as have Al Gore, Boone Pickens, and the Illinois freshman Senator, is the inflationary economic effect some of this in-sourcing of energy production will have on Americans.
First, McCain's generous promises for subsidies to renewable energy sources will merely continue an ongoing mistake. How long must we pretend solar and wind can be economically-viable options, while subsidizing the hell out of their provision?
Either they make economic sense, or they don't. If they don't, then for heaven sakes, John- and Al, Boone, and Barack- admit that you are going to stoke American energy-based inflation fires big time with these massive energy subsidies.
Second, McCain then uttered the by-now familiar, sacred Pickensian domestic energy sources of wind, solar, natural gas, offshore (but not ANWR) drilling, and 'clean coal.' Fine.
Why aren't they online already? Is it because of environmental and other regulatory roadblocks? Or are they uncompetitive with oil at current prices?
If it's the latter, John, why not give Americans your famous 'straight talk' about the inflation they will be feeling when you and the rest of the Federal government machinery crank up the production of expensive domestic energy sources?
I'm very uneasy with this headlong rush into domestic energy, without a clear, trustworthy analysis of just how much of a Ricardian price we will pay for choosing more expensive domestic energy over cheaper, if insecure and potentially destabilizing foreign energy sources.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Sarah Palin's Acceptance Speech
Sarah Palin's acceptance speech of two evenings ago was a tremendous success. That's evident, and no news at all at this point.
What is news, though, is the reaction of the freshman Senator from Illinois.
After spending the bulk of the past 19 months campaigning on style, race and personality, the rookie Senator cum Democratic party Presidential candidate now criticizes Sarah Palin's speech as being lacking in substance.
Obama cried foul because she didn't mention his Illinois state legislature (ine)experience. He should be thankful she didn't focus more attention on his do-nothing career as a part-time legislator.
But it's far richer irony that the Presidential candidate who hides behind race, inexperience and an arrogant attitude, preaching merely 'change,' without admitting to the destructive consequences of his promised programmatic solutions to all of our nation's supposed ills, would complain that Palin didn't provide details of The McCain/Palin ticket's approach to governing the US.
One thing is very clear. Obama and his hapless running mate are now running scared.
Sarah Palin displayed a panache and appeal two nights ago that nobody expected. Her crowd appeal and magnetism is the equal of, if far different from, the Black Adder's own mesmerizing prose and delivery.
But you can bet that Obama's campaign didn't expect anything like the electrifying, enormously likable and telegenic personality that McCain picked as his running mate.
Obama knows that, secretly, quite a few Reagan Democrat and independent women are doing the math and realizing that the chances of Sarah Palin either succeeding McCain during his first term, or running for his job in 2012, are higher than average.
McCain's body took a tremendous amount of abuse in captivity. Whatever you may think of his skill and fortitude, the Presidency is a very weighty job. Everyone who has held the office looks far more aged on the way out.
Either way, Sarah Palin has a fairly high probability of running for President in 2012 if she and McCain win this election. And women everywhere know this.
Obama and Hillary both campaigned heavily on their minority status- one racial, the other politically-contexted gender. Now, of course, their party's pundits and the media which backs them decries the same sort of single-issue voter intent for Palin that they banked on for Hillary or Obama.
Yes, the left is now more scared than before of Sarah Palin. And John McCain's suddenly-brighter chances at gaining the Oval Office come January.
What is news, though, is the reaction of the freshman Senator from Illinois.
After spending the bulk of the past 19 months campaigning on style, race and personality, the rookie Senator cum Democratic party Presidential candidate now criticizes Sarah Palin's speech as being lacking in substance.
Obama cried foul because she didn't mention his Illinois state legislature (ine)experience. He should be thankful she didn't focus more attention on his do-nothing career as a part-time legislator.
But it's far richer irony that the Presidential candidate who hides behind race, inexperience and an arrogant attitude, preaching merely 'change,' without admitting to the destructive consequences of his promised programmatic solutions to all of our nation's supposed ills, would complain that Palin didn't provide details of The McCain/Palin ticket's approach to governing the US.
One thing is very clear. Obama and his hapless running mate are now running scared.
Sarah Palin displayed a panache and appeal two nights ago that nobody expected. Her crowd appeal and magnetism is the equal of, if far different from, the Black Adder's own mesmerizing prose and delivery.
But you can bet that Obama's campaign didn't expect anything like the electrifying, enormously likable and telegenic personality that McCain picked as his running mate.
Obama knows that, secretly, quite a few Reagan Democrat and independent women are doing the math and realizing that the chances of Sarah Palin either succeeding McCain during his first term, or running for his job in 2012, are higher than average.
McCain's body took a tremendous amount of abuse in captivity. Whatever you may think of his skill and fortitude, the Presidency is a very weighty job. Everyone who has held the office looks far more aged on the way out.
Either way, Sarah Palin has a fairly high probability of running for President in 2012 if she and McCain win this election. And women everywhere know this.
Obama and Hillary both campaigned heavily on their minority status- one racial, the other politically-contexted gender. Now, of course, their party's pundits and the media which backs them decries the same sort of single-issue voter intent for Palin that they banked on for Hillary or Obama.
Yes, the left is now more scared than before of Sarah Palin. And John McCain's suddenly-brighter chances at gaining the Oval Office come January.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The Liberal Media Attempts To Crucify Sarah Palin
In the scant few days since Sarah Palin was announced as John McCain's VP choice for the Republican party Presidential ticket, the liberal media has exploded in an orgy of outrage that conservatives would dare to nominate a woman to the GOP ticket.
Rather than celebrate Palin's multi-tasking accomplishments as wife, mother and governor of Alaska, as they unquestionably would, the liberal media is now questioning whether the mother of a Down's syndrome infant can effectively serve as VP.
Rather than focus on Palin's accomplishments in moving up the governing ladder in Alaska, while unseating corrupt Republican politicians and elected office-holders, they castigate her for being so, well, normal.
Maybe what the left meant when they celebrated Hillary Clinton's candidacy was that only elitist women from prominent East Coast colleges, with law degrees and Washington pedigrees, are acceptable female candidates for our nation's highest offices.
Working her way up as mayor of her hometown, then governor of her home state, as Sarah Palin has, is not acceptable in the liberal Democratic playbook. It simply doesn't count.
Like the rookie Illinois Senator, style and form are infinitely more important than the fact that you haven't actually accomplished anything while in the public sector. Neither Obama nor Hillary have actually made a difference to Americans with their work in the Senate. The freshman from Illinois didn't do much for his state's citizens, either. Nor for his constituents in the manner of protecting them from the graft and corruption of the Chicago machine which he tolerated and accommodated.
Seeing an actual example of a successful woman in government, the liberal media is simply enraged that she is Republican, a reformer, and possessing a fairly normal life and family.
It's as if, though they won't actually print or say this, the liberal and their media lapdogs mean,
"How can a non-elitist woman from a state outside the lower 48, i.e., a bumpkin from the hinterlands, possibly be a serious candidate for VP, and, if necessary, ready to be President?
As Dick Armey said on CNBC this morning, I'd take a two-year sitting governor and former town mayor over a windbage Senator- or two- any day.
It takes a lot of skill to successfully operate a city as mayor. Governors have to make things work. They can't get away with merely punching in on the Senate floor, making a few speeches for the cameras, and ducking off to fundraisers. And maybe, occasionally, even showing up to vote on typically dead-end legislation.
In my opinion, the outraged squawking you hear from the liberal Democrats and their media allies are evidence of just how good Sarah Palin is as McCain's choice for VP. I think the liberals are running scared. Very scared.
That women might vote for another women, regardless of party. When it was Hillary, that was okay. Now, with Palin, it's not.
That independent and swing Democrat voters might vote for a proven reformer with a track record of accomplishments in real governing jobs, rather than a freshman windbag Senator.
Yes, the noise you hear in the media is of anguish and fear. They rightly worry that McCain has outmaneuvered Obama in selecting a much more competent, experienced and capable running mate than "Lying Joe" Biden.
One that will actually attract more voters to his ticket in November.
Rather than celebrate Palin's multi-tasking accomplishments as wife, mother and governor of Alaska, as they unquestionably would, the liberal media is now questioning whether the mother of a Down's syndrome infant can effectively serve as VP.
Rather than focus on Palin's accomplishments in moving up the governing ladder in Alaska, while unseating corrupt Republican politicians and elected office-holders, they castigate her for being so, well, normal.
Maybe what the left meant when they celebrated Hillary Clinton's candidacy was that only elitist women from prominent East Coast colleges, with law degrees and Washington pedigrees, are acceptable female candidates for our nation's highest offices.
Working her way up as mayor of her hometown, then governor of her home state, as Sarah Palin has, is not acceptable in the liberal Democratic playbook. It simply doesn't count.
Like the rookie Illinois Senator, style and form are infinitely more important than the fact that you haven't actually accomplished anything while in the public sector. Neither Obama nor Hillary have actually made a difference to Americans with their work in the Senate. The freshman from Illinois didn't do much for his state's citizens, either. Nor for his constituents in the manner of protecting them from the graft and corruption of the Chicago machine which he tolerated and accommodated.
Seeing an actual example of a successful woman in government, the liberal media is simply enraged that she is Republican, a reformer, and possessing a fairly normal life and family.
It's as if, though they won't actually print or say this, the liberal and their media lapdogs mean,
"How can a non-elitist woman from a state outside the lower 48, i.e., a bumpkin from the hinterlands, possibly be a serious candidate for VP, and, if necessary, ready to be President?
As Dick Armey said on CNBC this morning, I'd take a two-year sitting governor and former town mayor over a windbage Senator- or two- any day.
It takes a lot of skill to successfully operate a city as mayor. Governors have to make things work. They can't get away with merely punching in on the Senate floor, making a few speeches for the cameras, and ducking off to fundraisers. And maybe, occasionally, even showing up to vote on typically dead-end legislation.
In my opinion, the outraged squawking you hear from the liberal Democrats and their media allies are evidence of just how good Sarah Palin is as McCain's choice for VP. I think the liberals are running scared. Very scared.
That women might vote for another women, regardless of party. When it was Hillary, that was okay. Now, with Palin, it's not.
That independent and swing Democrat voters might vote for a proven reformer with a track record of accomplishments in real governing jobs, rather than a freshman windbag Senator.
Yes, the noise you hear in the media is of anguish and fear. They rightly worry that McCain has outmaneuvered Obama in selecting a much more competent, experienced and capable running mate than "Lying Joe" Biden.
One that will actually attract more voters to his ticket in November.
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