[durito]

http://www.economist.com/world/unite...ry_id=12470555

Lexington
The rise of the Obamacons

Oct 23rd 2008
From The Economist print edition
A striking number of conservatives are planning to vote for Obama


IN “W.”, his biopic about his Yale classmate, Oliver Stone details Colin Powell’s agonies during George Bush’s first term. Throughout the film Mr Powell repeatedly raises doubts about the invasion of Iraq—and is repeatedly overruled by the ghoulish trio of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Karl Rove. In one of the final scenes, with his direst warnings proving correct, Mr Powell turns to Mr Cheney and delivers a heartfelt “**** you”.

The real Colin Powell used more diplomatic language in endorsing Barack Obama on October 19th, but the impact was much the same. Mr Obama is a “transformational figure”, he mildly said, and his old friend John McCain had erred in choosing a neophyte as a running-mate. But you would have to be naive not to see the endorsement as a verdict on the Bush years.

Mr Powell is now a four-star general in America’s most surprising new army: the Obamacons. The army includes other big names such as Susan Eisenhower, Dwight’s granddaughter, who introduced Mr Obama at the Democratic National Convention and Christopher Buckley, the son of the conservative icon William Buckley, who complains that he has not left the Republican Party: the Republican Party has left him. Chuck Hagel, a Republican senator from Nebraska and one-time bosom buddy of Mr McCain has also flirted heavily with the movement, though he has refrained from issuing an official endorsement.

The biggest brigade in the Obamacon army consists of libertarians, furious with Mr Bush’s big-government conservatism, worried about his commitment to an open-ended “war on terror”, and disgusted by his cavalier way with civil rights. There are two competing “libertarians for Obama” web sites. CaféPress is even offering a “libertarian for Obama” lawn sign for $19.95. Larry Hunter, who helped to devise Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America in 1994, thinks that Mr Obama can free America from the grip of the “zombies” who now run the Republican Party.

But the army has many other brigades, too: repentant neocons such as Francis Fukuyama, legal scholars such as Douglas Kmiec, and conservative talk-show hosts such as Michael Smerconish. And it is picking up unexpected new recruits as the campaign approaches its denouement. Many disillusioned Republicans hoped that Mr McCain would provide a compass for a party that has lost its way, but now feel that the compass has gone haywire. Kenneth Adelman, who once described the invasion of Iraq as a “cakewalk”, decided this week to vote for Mr Obama mainly because he regards Sarah Palin as “not close to being acceptable in high office”.

The rise of the Obamacons is more than a reaction against Mr Bush’s remodelling of the Republican Party and Mr McCain’s desperation: there were plenty of disillusioned Republicans in 2004 who did not warm to John Kerry. It is also a positive verdict on Mr Obama. For many conservatives, Mr Obama embodies qualities that their party has abandoned: pragmatism, competence and respect for the head rather than the heart. Mr Obama’s calm and collected response to the turmoil on Wall Street contrasted sharply with Mr McCain’s grandstanding.

Much of Mr Obama’s rhetoric is strikingly conservative, even Reaganesque. He preaches the virtues of personal responsibility and family values, and practises them too. He talks in uplifting terms about the promise of American life. His story also appeals to conservatives: it holds the possibility of freeing America from its racial demons, proving that the country is a race-blind meritocracy and, in the process, bankrupting a race-grievance industry that has produced the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

How much do these Obamacons matter? More than Mr McCain would like to think. The Obamacons are manifestations of a deeper turmoil in the Republican rank-and-file, as the old coalition of small-government activists, social conservatives and business Republicans falls apart. They also influence opinion. This is obvious in the case of Mr Powell: Mr Obama is making liberal use of his endorsement to refute the latest Republican criticism that he is a “socialist”. But it is also true of lesser-known scribblers. At least 27 newspapers that backed Mr Bush in 2004 have endorsed Mr Obama.

Moreover, the revolt of the intellectuals is coinciding with a migration of culturally conservative voters—particularly white working-class voters—into Obamaland. Mr Obama is now level-pegging or leading among swing-groups such as Catholics and working-class whites. A recent Washington Post-ABC poll shows him winning 22% of self-described conservatives, a higher proportion than any Democratic nominee since 1980.
Don’t blame the rats

The more tantalising question is whether the rise of the Obamacons signals a lasting political realignment. In 1980 the rise of the neocons—liberal intellectuals who abandoned a spineless Democratic Party—was reinforced by the birth of working class “Reagan Democrats”. Is the Reagan revolution now going into reverse? There are reasons for scepticism. Will libertarians really stick with “Senator Government”, as Mr McCain labelled Mr Obama in the best slip of the tongue of the campaign? Will economic conservatives cleave to a president who believes in “spreading the wealth around”?

Much depends on how Mr Obama governs if he wins, and how the Republicans behave if they lose. Mr Obama talks about creating an administration of all the talents. He promises to take the cultural anxieties of Reagan Democrats seriously. For their part, hard-core Republicans are handling their party’s travails abysmally, retreating into elite-bashing populism and denouncing the Obamacons as “rats” who are deserting a sinking ship. If the Republican Party continues to think that the problem lies with the rats, rather than the seaworthiness of the ship, then the Obamacons are here to stay.

[durito]

I think Buckley said it best "who complains that he has not left the Republican Party: the Republican Party has left him."

The nut jobs have driven the educated class out of the Republican party. All that's left are the racists, ignorant, and morons.

[Deuce]

http://www.democratsformccain.com/

http://www.dems4mccain.info/

More Democrats Switching To John McCain



While the Obama campaign has seen a few Republicans switching to Barack Obama, word is coming down that more and more Democrats are publicly coming out for John McCain.

The Obama campaign touts Republicans like Rep. Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland, former Iowa Rep. Jim Leach and former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee.

Recently a high profile Clinton supporter and DNC member, Lynn Forester de Rothschild also known as a "Hillraiser" (someone that helped collect over $100,000 for the Clinton campaign) made a public announcement that she was endorsing John McCain and would be campaigning on his behalf until election day.

Yesterday we reported that real estate magnate Donald Trump had announced his endorsement of John McCain and he did so on CNN's Larry King. Trump has previously donated to Hillary Clinton until May when he made contributions to the McCain campaign

Today we see more previous Clinton supporters coming out in favor of McCain, such as lifelong Democrat Miguel D. Lausell who is a leading Latino backer of Hillary Clinton.

Lausell is a Puerto Rican businessman and longtime Democratic activist and fund-raiser and he says that while he doesn't agree with McCain on every policy issue, he finds "McCain to be a sound person and a man with a track record." He continues on to say "I know where he is coming from."

Mr. Lausell said he feels Sen. Obama "doesn't really regard the Hispanic community as important." Sen. Clinton won a large majority of the Hispanic vote in most primaries, and Latino voters are an important bloc in swing states such as Florida, Nevada and New Mexico. Most polls show Sen. Obama leads Sen. McCain among Latinos.

Mr. Lausell said that as a "lifelong Democrat," this is the first time he has supported a Republican presidential candidate. A Harvard Law School graduate, Mr. Lausell's business career has included a stint as chief executive of the Puerto Rico Telephone Co. and chairman of PonceBank, a large Puerto Rican financial institution. Mr. Lausell once had a position with the Democratic National Committee and served on a national finance board for Al Gore's unsuccessful 2000 presidential run. In 2004, he helped start a nonprofit aimed at boosting Latino turnout for Democrats.

Lausell gives his reason for opposing Obama as president by saying, "The U.S. is in a very difficult situation these days and I don't want someone without experience at the helm."


Other registered Democrats, every day voters, are going to see McCain/Palin's campaign stops and rallies and saying they too will be voting for McCain in November.

Kathy Riordan of Wausau is a registered Democrat who planned to vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Now she intends to cast a ballot for Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska.

“I think Sarah Palin is an excellent choice, and not just because she’s a woman,” Riordan said before Thursday’s McCain-Palin rally at the Resch Center. “It’s good to have a governor on one of the tickets. … I think she brings a different set of skills.”

While the latest Rasmussen poll shows McCain and Obama still tied, people are starting to pay attention to the choices before them and more and more former Clinton supporters that had previously not made up their minds are finding themselves drawn to the McCain/Palin ticket.

Riordan says her decision has nothing to do with gender, but is instead based on politics. Her problem with Obama she says is that he is too far to the left for her liking.

Now that prominent Clinton supporters are going public with their support for John McCain, it will not be surprising if many more follow their lead.

[durito]

Word is coming down

Can you link an article in a reputable news source, like the conservative Economist magazine I linked. As opposed to a republican blog.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by durito

Can you link an article in a reputable news source, like the conservative Economist magazine I linked. As opposed to a republican blog.

Magazine is the same thing as a blog. Give me some better material than a magazine and I will be glad to find something similar.

[durito]

So The Economist is the same thing as some random idiots blog.

And Colin Powell endorsing Obama is the same thing as

Kathy Riordan of Wausau is a registered Democrat who planned to vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton.

.



Will you be leaving the country when Obama wins?

[ms61853]

Originally Posted by durito

I think Buckley said it best "who complains that he has not left the Republican Party: the Republican Party has left him."

The nut jobs have driven the educated class out of the Republican party. All that's left are the racists, ignorant, and morons.

It was actually Pat Buchanan that said that.


But who are the GOP nutjobs?

Are church going folk Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are those who believe abortion is wrong Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are low income people who vote Republican because they believe in personal responsibility Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are business owners who believe that punitive taxation is wrong Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are Rush Limbaugh’s 15 million listeners Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are FOX viewers Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are women who give birth Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are people who attend state school as opposed to Harvard or Princeton Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are Wal-Mart shoppers Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are people who get married Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are people who work overtime to have enough money for their kid’s band camp Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are people who read the Wall Street Journal as opposed the New York Times Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are people who join the military Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Are people who work hard, go home to their families, and drink a beer with their burger Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Exactly, who, I’d like to know, are the knuckle-dragging weirdos who have thrown the conservative movement into anti-intellectual oblivion?

[Mudcat]

I feel sure there must be intelligent, thoughtful Republicans out there - but the public face is certainly dominated by the tweaking extremists.

The scary part (to the rest of the world) is that despite how glaringly loony those extremists are to any sane, unbiased outside observer, they are by no means a tiny fringe element within American borders.

Fear-based extremism is a major player in national policy.

Which would be okay if we were talking about Andorra - but this is the country with the most firepower.

Hopefully sanity will prevail and things will gradually settle down and people will start talking to each other.

[ms61853]

Originally Posted by Mudcat

I feel sure there must be intelligent, thoughtful Republicans out there - but the public face is certainly dominated by the tweaking extremists.

Oh yes, we all know the Democratic Party is the Party of thoughtful, intelligent discourse:

http://brianalysis.blogspot.com/2008...hurricane.html

Left wing Nutjobs Celebrate Hurricane

[durito]

Originally Posted by ms61853

It was actually Pat Buchanan that said that.


But who are the GOP nutjobs?

Are church going folk Right Wing Nut Jobs? no

Are those who believe abortion is wrong Right Wing Nut Jobs? some of them

Are low income people who vote Republican because they believe in personal responsibility Right Wing Nut Jobs? no they are just stupid

Are business owners who believe that punitive taxation is wrong Right Wing Nut Jobs? of course not.

Are Rush Limbaugh’s 15 million listeners Right Wing Nut Jobs? a lot of them surely are

Are FOX viewers Right Wing Nut Jobs? some of them

Are women who give birth Right Wing Nut Jobs? ah no

Are people who attend state school as opposed to Harvard or Princeton Right Wing Nut Jobs? ah no, i went to 2 state schools

Are Wal-Mart shoppers Right Wing Nut Jobs? no

Are people who get married Right Wing Nut Jobs? no, way to slip in an attack on alternate lifestyles here

Are people who work overtime to have enough money for their kid’s band camp Right Wing Nut Jobs? of course not, if they vote republican though they've been duped

Are people who read the Wall Street Journal as opposed the New York Times Right Wing Nut Jobs? i read the Wall Street Journal

Are people who join the military Right Wing Nut Jobs? no

Are people who work hard, go home to their families, and drink a beer with their burger Right Wing Nut Jobs? no

Exactly, who, I’d like to know, are the knuckle-dragging weirdos who have thrown the conservative movement into anti-intellectual oblivion? people exactly like yourself who appeal to the lowest common denominator by making false attacks "obama is a terrorst" "vote for us for die" "liberals hate america" It's people exactly like you that made me start voting democrat

.

[losturmarbles]

editorials are just blogs in print

[ms61853]

people exactly like yourself who appeal to the lowest common denominator by making false attacks "obama is a terrorst"

What I've said was he consorts with them.


"vote for us for die"

It wasn't me but Joe Biden who said that an Obama Presidency would "generate a crisis," and that Obama's reaction to it would make him appear incompetent but that we should stand by him anyway.


"liberals hate america"

“The government wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, God damn America"

[ms61853]

Are low income people who vote Republican because they believe in personal responsibility Right Wing Nut Jobs? no they are just stupid

Why? Because they believe it is immoral to accept handouts?

[durito]

Well, there you go.

When you are drowning in sorrows for the next 8 years under Obama's presidency, just remember you can always gamble on sports to make yourself feel better. Sign up at the books on top of the page.

[Deuce]

We're doomed either way. We need another Reagan.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by durito

Well, there you go.

When you are drowning in sorrows for the next 8 years under Obama's presidency, just remember you can always gamble on sports to make yourself feel better. Sign up at the books on top of the page.

If sports gambling sways your vote then you have some issues.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by losturmarbles

editorials are just blogs in print

At least someone gets it.

[ryanXL977]

yeah
we need another reagan
growing government, made up wars

just what we need
morons

[ms61853]

Originally Posted by ryanXL977

yeah

just what we need
morons

I know you think we need morons. That's why you are a Democrat.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by ryanXL977

yeah
we need another reagan
growing government, made up wars

just what we need
morons

Made up wars? Which ones?

The day he became president the hostages were let go. He didn't plead with them and beg and ask them if he gave them a cookie would you let them go like Carter. He said free them or you're done. Simple yet accomplished what was needed to be done.

[CrazyLou]

Originally Posted by durito

Sign up at the books on top of the page.

[ryanXL977]

yes its that simple
the hostages got released bc iran loves reagan
is it that easy for you

are you this dense

reagan is the worst president ever, aside from bush
he grew the military industrial complex and made the world infinitely more dangerous
he increased the deficit by truckloads, engaged in illegal wars and arms trading

he is not jesus, he is a liar. like all your heroes

[durito]

Originally Posted by Deuce

If sports gambling sways your vote then you have some issues.

6 figures of them yearly


the point was to encourage people like you and MS to keep playing. i appreciate the donations. just remember i've funneled your loses directly to the Obama campaign. (after buying my self a few nice things of course)

[ms61853]

Originally Posted by durito

the point was to encourage people like you and MS to keep playing.

Ever since duplicate poker closed shop and stole several hundred dollars from me, I've been reluctant to post up anywhere.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by ryanXL977

yes its that simple
the hostages got released bc iran loves reagan
is it that easy for you

are you this dense

reagan is the worst president ever, aside from bush
he grew the military industrial complex and made the world infinitely more dangerous
he increased the deficit by truckloads, engaged in illegal wars and arms trading

he is not jesus, he is a liar. like all your heroes

Because of this post and this post entirely I realize you have no clue what you're talking about. Reagan was by far one of the best Presidents ever in foreign policy, economics, law enforcement, in US history. He left office with a 65% approval rating one of the highest ever in American history. The highest dating back to WW2. Clinton also had the same when he left office.

[durito]

try A+ rated books. they have a habit of not stealing from people.

[durito]

Originally Posted by Deuce

Because of this post and this post entirely I realize you have no clue what you're talking about. Reagan was by far one of the best Presidents ever in foreign policy, economics, law enforcement, in US history. He left office with a 65% approval rating one of the highest ever in American history. The highest dating back to WW2. Clinton also had the same when he left office.

Reagan's policies killed hundreds of thousands of people in Latin America.

[HeeeHAWWWW]

Originally Posted by ms61853

Are church going folk Right Wing Nut Jobs?

No. Merely fantasists.

Are Rush Limbaugh’s 15 million listeners Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Limbaugh is a raving nut. Makes sense that his listerens would be as well.

Are FOX viewers Right Wing Nut Jobs?

Yes.

[ryanXL977]

reagan is arguably the worst president ever
clinton wasnt good either
but reagan was awful. bc he tricked oyu and 65% of the people means jack shit to me

read a book limpdick

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by ryanXL977

reagan is arguably the worst president ever
clinton wasnt good either
but reagan was awful. bc he tricked oyu and 65% of the people means jack shit to me

read a book limpdick

You sound bitter. Are you always pissed off? I could pick apart every single administration dating back to Washington and make each and every single one of them out to be the worst. I take the positives usually over the negatives and when the positives heavily outweigh the negatives usually that is a good sign they accomplished something. Pay Venditto his 105.

[ms61853]

Originally Posted by durito

Reagan's policies killed hundreds of thousands of people in Latin America.

And the Sandanistas were just lovely people...

[durito]

Originally Posted by ms61853

And the Sandanistas were just lovely people...

I'm sure you are an authority on the subject.

[WestsidePete]

Yes...Rush's 15 million listeners are nut jobs....has he ever had anything positive to say about the Democratic party or negative about the Republican party?? He is a stubborn man and his followers are stupidly weak ....if he jumped off a bridge claiming God is at the bottom of the Ocean his listeners would jump with him...

[Dazzez]

I wonder what fraction of frequent contributors to the Think Tank would more aptly classify themselves as liberal versus conservative?

I'm sure it's less than 100%, but I'd bet it's a statistically significant fraction greater than that of the general population.

[ms61853]

Originally Posted by durito

Reagan's policies killed hundreds of thousands of people in Latin America.

A Democratic Nicaragua Honors Reagan

Nicaraguans stand in long lines to sign a book of condolences for former President Ronald Reagan during a mass in his honor at Catedral Metropolitana in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua.



Filomena Lopez, the mother of a former Nicaraguan Democratic Resistance "Contra" fighter, walks past a sign the reads "Ronald Reagan , the Nicaraguan Resistence Movement thanks you and will always remember you" outside of Catedral Metropolitana in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua.



"When the Sandinistas finally agreed, under pressure from the Contras, to hold elections in 1990, American liberals were sure the Reagan Doctrine would be discredited once and for all. Instead, the candidate of the democratic opposition, Violeta Chamorro, won in a landslide -- and another outpost of the Evil Empire gave way to freedom."

-- Boston Herald, November 13, 2003



A photograph of former President Ronald Reagan is displayed during a mass in his honor at Catedral Metropolitana in Managua.