Libertarian Leanings

No surrender

Today's New York Times editorial column by Paul Krugman promises No Surrender.  It's my opinion that Republicans are dreaming if they expect anything approaching bi-partisanship from the Democrats in the next four years, and here comes Krugman to confirm it. 

I don't hope for more and worse scandals and failures during Mr. Bush's second term, but I do expect them. The resurgence of Al Qaeda, the debacle in Iraq, the explosion of the budget deficit and the failure to create jobs...

Working for the Times as he does, he would be in a position to know.  Once again I lift an excerpt from yesterday's New York Post editorial, "John Kerry's Biggest Guns."

What of the Times? Some lowlights:

* It mispresented the 9/11 Commission's findings, claiming the report had uncovered no ties whatsoever between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. When Vice President Dick Cheney publicly blasted the paper's "outrageous" story, he was supported by the panel's Democratic vice-chairman, Lee Hamilton.

* Just two weeks ago, the Times Magazine published a hit-job profile of Bush — claiming the president had adopted "a writ of infallibility" and "an intolerance of doubters" based on his religious faith. The piece's author, Ron Suskind, is hardly objective: He co-wrote a strongly anti-Bush tome together with former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill.

* Besides its own dubious contribution to the missing explosives story — followed by its glee over having "roiled" the campaign at the last minute — the Times ran two pieces taking seriously the Internet conspiracy theory about that "suspicious bulge" under Bush's jacket during the debates.

If any Democrats spent more than five or ten minutes in introspection after their trouncing in the election, it's not evident.  No, it's those dumb Red Staters and other conservatives that are the the problem, not the Democrats.  According to Krugman:

But for the lingering aura of 9/11, they would have won.  What they need to do now is develop a political program aimed at maintaining and increasing the intensity.

9/11 is ancient history now, and it's time to move on from all that terrorism stuff.  So get ready for the intensity, because the Democrats are going to just show everybody.  They haven't gotten their pound of flesh for the Clinton impeachment yet, so expect things to get really ugly.  And expect Krugman and the Times to be in the forefront of the attack.

Update:  He sure has great timing with his crack about the failure to create jobs.  Right on the day the Labor Department announced 337,000 payroll jobs were added in October.  He's an economist don't you know.

Media noise

Today’s New York Post editorial focuses on the media bias against George Bush.

During October alone, Kerry coverage on the network news shows — Rather, Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings — ran 77 percent positive. Bush's coverage, meanwhile, ran just 34 percent positive. Throughout the entire campaign, a full 64 percent — two out of three — of network stories on the president were negative.

Americans aren't blind to this blatant bias. The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press's survey found that fully 50 percent of voters believe most reporters wanted Kerry to win.

The media offered plenty of ammunition to reinforce that conclusion. The Media Research Center has compiled lists of the worst campaign-season distortions by the news media in general and by The New York Times in particular.

Rather's Memogate fiasco heads the list, of course — and it will be interesting to see what, if any, repercussions fall on those who perpetrated that fiasco. Yet that was just one story in an endless yearlong media assault meant to prove that Bush had been AWOL from the National Guard — a charge that was never proven. (During just two weeks in February, CBS, NBC and ABC aired no less that 63 such stories on their morning and evening news shows.)

In sharp contrast, the media long ignored the disturbing questions raised about Kerry's Vietnam record by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. They finally addressed the issue only months later, when it was clear that the charges were causing Kerry political damage — and then only to declare them "demonstrably false."

Bloggers were crucial to the outcome of this election by providing a counterweight to that media bias described by the Post. Imagine if they hadn’t been around to unmask Dan Rather’s forgeries. But credit is due the American voting public. From years of subjection to countless inane TV commercials, Americans have developed an ability to cut through the nonsense, to ignore the noise, and to make an informed decision. This year we've reached the point where a majority of American voters, as evidenced by the outcome of this election, have come to recognize Rather, Brokaw, and Jennings for what they are - nonsense, noise.

Reaction from Iraq

From Alaa the Mesopotamian:

Al Salaam Alaykum,

Friends, tears came twice to these old eyes yesterday; once in sadness, and once in happiness. The first was because of a sad event. Sheikh Zayid Bin Sultan Al Nahayan the ruler and founder of the United Arab Emirates passed away...

The second time they were tears of emotion and happiness. As I saw the American people turn out in record numbers, to say their word. And it seems to be the word of defiance and courage. Despite all the propaganda and the feverish campaign, the American people have proved something very important, although the final conclusion still seems to be not official, but every indication is that this is only a matter of little time. This is a most significant and far reaching event. It was most gratifying to see the discomfiture and hardly disguised rancor of Al Jazeera commentators...

From Hammorabi Sam:

In Iraq we expect to crush and end all terrorists, get real democracy and freedom, reconstruct Iraq to a strong economy and be partner with the USA towards stable and safe region and world.

Quiet Determination

I think the disparity between the election day exit polls and the actual vote came about because of an attitude on the Bush side, which seemed to be, "It's time to shut up and vote." Yesterday I noticed the complete absence of Bush-Cheney signs anywhere near the approach to the Ward 2 polls, while at the same time there was a Kerry-Edwards sign about every five feet. On my way out of the polls (I voted the straight Republican ticket for about the first time in my life) I was asked by a young woman if I'd like to answer a survey that would be used by the TV networks. When I saw that she was asking me to fill out an exit poll, I said, "No thanks," and continued on my way. Apparently I was not the only Bush-Cheney voter to do that.

Also, the lack of Bush-Cheney signs didn't mean there was a lack of effort by the Republicans. In the days leading up to the election I received lots of recorded phone messages from George Bush, Laura Bush, Curt Schilling, and Rudy Giuliani, all urging me to get out and vote. I'm a pretty popular guy don't you know!

Election Morning

As I approached the Nashua Ward 2 polls on my way to cast my vote for George Bush, I noticed a forest of Kerry-Edwards signs but no Bush-Cheney signs. That was surprising but I don't consider it indicative of anything. Having cast their votes a minute after midnight, the good citizens of Dixville Notch and Harts Loacation came down for Bush by 14 votes. That's not indicative of anything either. Voter turnout appears to be heavy. That might bode well for Kerry. Of course, what bodes well for Kerry I expect won't bode well for the country. Kerry is clearly Osama's choice.

Published!

Today's New Hampshire Union Leader has one of my columns on its editorial page as part of their guest commentary series "Your Turn NH". Here it is. You can also find the original here. Appearing as it does on the eve of the election it might just have a positive impact on W's re-election chances. I hope so, and I hope my fellow Granite Staters are persuaded to get out and vote for George Bush. It's important.