Friday, November 05, 2010

Hither and thither 11/5/10

What a week! The more I thought about Tuesday, the gladder I was for the general results. It's like watching every neighboring farmer getting rain on his land, while yours lies dry and parched. But it was good for the country, and interesting days lie ahead.

Speaking of "interesting" (remember: unmarked updates likely until noon)....
  • !!! BREAKING NEWS !!! Der Spiegel is reporting that Obama comes across ""cold, arrogant, and elitist." Stop the presses!
  • One major disappointment, however, was the victory of Reid over Angle. However, there is reason to suspect that his campaign broke the law.
  • Gee, a Democrat scofflaw? Imagine that.
  • Reader David authored what is sure to become a perennial favorite in some households each November 1.
  •  This Brazilian court ruling raises questions. Like, "So, it's official that nobody is responsible for anything, anymore?" And, "So how did they arrive at that exact amount?"
  • Look out LOOK OUT LOOK OUT --

  • Chris Carney found it, and he says he's going to buy it: Jones' Bacon Soda. I'm not so sure... the taste-testers didn't even love it. Maybe... the cheeseburger water instead?
  • Chris also noted a happy ending (for now) to the story of the woman in Michigan who had HUD coming down on her for advertising, in church, for a Christian roommate.
  • You know... this actually makes sense to me:

  • How bad is it? Though they get everything else wrong, even Obama's fanboys at the Washington Post recognize that Tuesday was a sharp rebuke to what Obama's been doing and how he's been doing it.
  • Again I ask: how bad was it for the Dems? In case you're overloaded with words, here's a visual representation:

  • ...and, as to how President Obama felt about it:

  • Conservatives, on the other hand:

  • Victor Davis Hanson offers a pretty brilliant and dead-on "twofer."  First, a stinging analysis of just how profoundly Obama does not get what just happened. Second, a sharp assessment of the sad trajectory of California. Money-quotes from the latter (emphases added): "Now California’s state government will have to deal with the reality that if the highest-tax state in the union raises taxes still higher, it will lose even more high earners than the current 3,000 who leave each week"; "The state will continue to descend into a pyramidal society. On top there is the wealthy, leftist coastal elite from Napa to Hollywood, which is seemingly immune from the effects of high taxes and regulation (and wants more green laws, gay marriage, abortion, and therapeutic bromides). The top of the pyramid is in league with a growing underclass in part dependent upon a huge entitlement industry; this coalition thus favors more taxes, entitlements, unionized public employees, open borders, etc. Meanwhile, a squeezed middle-class private sector is slowly being strangled, shutting down, and leaving."
  • As you might expect, Mark Steyn sums up California best: "I think we're seeing in California the limits of the democratic process in a Big Government state. The statist workforce and the dependency class can outvote the productive class. And, given the number of Californian small businesses who'll be ordering the U-Haul in the morning, that electoral gap will only widen in 2012 and beyond."
  • One more bitter note on idiot California voters: they returned Rep. Loretta Sanchez to office. Sanchez is a glittering example of the double-standard under which racist, anti-immigrant liberals live while decrying racism and opposition to illegal immigrants.
  • California needs to learn: most portable item in the world is money.
  • Fred Siegel notes that, on the national scene, California and New York remain indebted and unrepentant. He traces the cause in part to those who are wealthy off of the global economy, and suggests that the rest of the nation may press those states to cut spending.
  • Relatedly: here is a headline that tells you everything you need to know about California voters: California Elects a Dead Woman. Guess the party. Yep; being a Dem is more important than having brain waves.
  • There's a joke there. Be my guest.
  • One really terrific fruit of Tuesday's election: The brilliant Paul Ryan will surely be head of the House Ways and Means Committee, where all tax bills originate, who absolutely cleaned Obama's clock on the issue and destroyed Obama's "all they do is say noooooo" whine.
  • Internationally patriotic pizzas:
  • From fruit to crabs — in a vending machine. Thanks to a tip from John.
  • Another good: razor-sharp Elaine Donnelly notes that hiding behind uniforms didn't help advocates of  forcing the military to embrace a particular sexual perversion against its will.
  • Could be that 2012 will bring the Senate corrective that last Tuesday should have brought.
  • John brings us an Important Safety Tip:

  • And another, thanks to reader RWT:

  • Unlike California, Iowa showed some sanity. Judges there shoved "gay" "marriage" down citizens' throats. Three of them were up for confirmation in the vote. Iowans rejected all three. (Thanks for the tip, Sonja.)
  • Contextualization comes to South Africa, thanks to a Charismatic pastor. To say the least, it isn't pretty. (Thanks, Paula.)
  • Some pastors might recognize attenders amid these, ahem, phony sheep.

  • Then there's all this:













26 comments:

Al said...

How hard was it NOT to make a Nancy Pelosi joke under that witch/texting picture?

seriously

al sends

Robert said...

So do you think the rest of the country will learn from California's example? I don't think so because things have been going downhill there for a long time and nobody uses that as an example of what will happen to the rest of the country if we follow in their footsteps.

And if the economy picks up before the 2012 election will people forget about all of the angst they had going into this election? I certainly hope not.

Si Hollett said...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11697483

Quasi-communist China, and European financial controllers Germany condemn the stimulus plans, saying it won't solve the problems and will create problems with the world economy. Obama's plan isn't 'European', isn't even 'Communist' - it's beyond that!

Fred Butler said...

I think it was Hugh Hewitt who said he felt like the Jewish kid on Christmas this past Tuesday. Everyone was getting presents but him.

As one of my more politically astute friends noted to me while we watched our kids run around the AWANA game circle this past Wednesday evening, we will see two political models at work and we will see which one improves the quality of life for its citizens.

Two years from now, when CA is even deeper in debt, people leaving the state for those tax free zones being set up on those sensible mid-western states, there could be another recall brewing.

Robert said...

Fred,

The only problem is that they will at best elect only a moderate (the governator), and not a conservative. How long before it becomes a banana republic out there?

Fred Butler said...

What do you mean how long before it becomes a banana republic? What do you think is happening right now?

David Regier said...

Looks like the Rally to Restore Sanity worked.

Just not the way they thought.

And not in California.

Scot said...

There are some deep questions raised here:

- How does oneeat a live crab?
- Furthermore, shouldn't there be a warning label that says, "Consume immediately"? It can't take long for little Sebastian to go from "Sleeeepy" to "Time for some appendage pruning. This will only hurt a little..."

DJP said...

Good point. I wondered that as well.

Aaron said...

When I read this post this morning, I was thinking of Carlo's post from the other day abotu CA Christians who voted Democrat to save their jobs. It's like a man unwilling to leave his comfortable suite on a sinking ship. Most public employees fit into the middle class definition and will see the largest increase in taxes (not to mention furloughs). And rich people don't pay high taxes. They can reside elsewhere on paper or pay CPAs to come up with various questionably legal schemes to pay less taxes.

It's kinda amusing, really. People want to take money from the wealthy thinking they are evil people who take from the poor. But at the same time they think the wealthy are just going to hand over their money.

Texas has a constitutional requirement to balance its budget. Texas has to cut about $11 billion in spending this year. I can tell you that Texans will be POed if we have to bail out CA.

Aaron said...

It's like watching every neighboring farmer getting rain on his land, while yours lies dry and parched.

Dan, that's how Sacramento always looks.

Truth Unites... and Divides said...

"I can tell you that Texans will be POed if we have to bail out CA."

I heard that they were POed when the San Francisco Giants beat the favored Texas Rangers in the World Series this year.

Aaron said...

maybe. The Rangers are a Dallas team.

Christopher said...

How do I send you a .gif? JUst found an amazing Star Wars one.

DJP said...

Send me the URL of the page it's on, or probably you could right-click and pick something like "copy link address" and send that.

SolaMommy said...

Maybe that bacon-on-the-Bible trick will work for my dad.

Christopher said...

I'm sorry, I meant email address...or do you want to just have me post it on the site in a comment?

Casey said...

"It's like watching every neighboring farmer getting rain on his land, while yours lies dry and parched."

Except for your neighbor to the immediate north--here in Oregon, we also elected a retread Democrat governor and brought back all of our incumbent Democrat congressmen and senators. We didn't pass a tax hike this time, but only because we already passed a significant one back in a special election last winter. Ugh.

Ron (aka RealityCheck) said...

“we will see two political models at work and we will see which one improves the quality of life for its citizens”

I don’t think so. I don’t think the Republicans are in a position to give their model a real try. The only way the Republicans can actually put any of their model into action would have to require some kind of agreement with the Senate and Obama. This only makes the dems and Obama look good and helps to get him re-elected. I think the Republicans need to let it be known (difficult with the MSM I realize) that “yes” they have a better model, but for right now they are limited to what they can do. They need to let the American people (excluding California apparently) know that while they appreciate the power to try and stop Obama, that if the country really wants things fixed, the Republicans need the Senate and the White House.

If I were them I would have one goal for now and one goal only… stopping Obama. If the Republicans can’t repeal Obamacare then starve it of funding. If Obama says he’s willing to compromise on the Bush tax cuts tell him to stuff his compromise. If Obama says let’s at least get rid of “don’t ask don’t tell” tell him, “sorry but we’re not going to help you succeed with your liberal buddies”.

And when the MSM plays the old, “Republicans are just obstructionists” song and dance, the Republicans should yell loud and clear, you’re damn right… thanks for noticing… now give us some real power and see what we can do. Then you’ll begin to see two models contrasted with one another.

Sonja said...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/04/muslim-sues-oklahoma-anti-shariah-ballot-measure/print

This almost sounds like an article in The Onion.

Oklahoma overwhelming passes a law banning its courts from considering Sharia law in any case, a Muslim from CAIR sues the state on the grounds that it violates the 1st Amendment by singling out Islam.

Honor killings are just practicing one's religious beliefs. Thankfully, Oklahoma is not under the jurisdiction of the 9th Circuit.

Thanks again for H&T Dan!

Aaron said...

@Realitycheck:

The comparison is between states that have put Republicans in office to those who kept Dems. I think Texas and CA offer a stark contrast.

Solameanie said...

I have a bit of a different take on Obama "not getting it." He gets it. He just doesn't care. As befitting a true ideologue, he is Gehenna-bent on his objective of turning this nation into the People's Republic of America, and he really doesn't care whether anyone else likes it or not. He wants to collapse the system in order to build one more to the left's liking. He might possibly change his rhetoric a little, but he will not relent in his leftward drive. What he can't do by legislation he will do by executive order or through bureaucratic maneuver unless there is aggressive oversight by Congress.

Pessimistic of me, but I think I'm pretty spot on.

Ron (aka RealityCheck) said...

Sorry Sir Aaron, but I don’t see a comparison between CA and Texas being mentioned in (or before) the quote of Fred’s that I quoted. I see you mentioning Texas, after what I quoted but that isn’t what I was referring to.

I do agree, BTW, that comparisons can be made of different models on a state level… if people bother to think that deep. Based on Brown and Boxer getting back in, it would be pretty hard to make a case that the majority of voting Californians do any thinking at all.

IMO, what will happen in two years will be decided, not by how one state did vs. another (although that will play some part… look at the interest in Haley Barbour) but mostly will be decided by Republicans not compromising with Obama in any way, shape or form… and for that matter… Obama continuing to be the arrogant #$% that he’s been so far.

As I mentioned in a previous thread, let’s hope that Obama doesn’t pull a Clinton and move to the right. I don’t think he will. Clinton wanted to be President more than anything else. Obama has a much more deeply rooted and devious agenda IMO. One that he is not so willing to give up.

Halcyon said...

I'm sorry. I just can't get past that Brazilian-McDonald's thing.

Some real gems:

"The 32-year-old man said he felt forced to sample the food each day to ensure quality standards remained high." I think I've heard that excuse before; I think I've used that excuse before.

"McDonald's...said in an e-mailed statement Thursday it was weighing its legal options." You can't tell me that their legal department doesn't have a sense of humor. "Weighing" its options? Absolutely brilliant.

Unknown said...

How robotic do you have to be for the Germans to call you cold? Now we know, it's the Robama.

Moon said...

that mcdonalds case is simply ridiculous...I think mcdonalds should sue that ex-employee or his/her parents or even the state for not educating people enough for them to know that eating ANYTHING, even diet anything, in excess will make anyone overweight, unless you have really fast metabolism...