Among Will's astute observations:

For McCain, politics is always operatic, pitting people who agree with him against those who are "corrupt" or "betray the public's trust," two categories that seem to be exhaustive -- there are no other people.

George Will?
George Will?
Are you kidding me?
This guy studied epistemology, for Chirssakes.
Not only that, he graduated from Oxford and Princeton.
And he taught political philosophy.
And not only here, our world, but in freakin' Canada.
And let's not forget Haaaavad.
An effete liberal and a nattering nabob of pro-terrorissm.
Why not ask a conservative columnist what they think?
~Rightoids

Why not ask a conservative columnist what they think?
~Rightoids

#2 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis

I love George will. Always have. After William f Buckley died, he is the most intelligent person in national media. Of course the right is gonna say this about him, he's blasting their man.

I tell you McSame shit in his corn flakes when he attacked the media. Jimmy Carter tried that too when he first got elected and they ripped him a new one.

George Will is surely the last articulate mossback. And yes, the last intelligent one.

He even understands baseball. After George, the rigid right has nothing but Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Cal Thomas and Uncle Tom Sowells. herm

"Never play cards with a man named Doc.
Never eat at a place called Mom's.
Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own."
~Nelson Algren
A Walk on the Wild Side

To which one might add: And never, ever, ever pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.

George Will is a great guy. He never marches in goosestep with the conservative establishment.

The people of this country voted not once (well maybe) but twice for the current administration. It seems that Bushco wasn't well suited to be leaders but there they are. If people do as they done in the past, proper qualifications for public office don't mean shit. With the incredible complexity of governing this country, just what single person is qualified?

Washington Post
Reliable Source
9/23/08

"Ruling Class of '07: Congress's Richest Members

Hey, moneybags! Can't wait for the debate on that big Wall Street bailout, when Washington fat cats decide the fate of all those other rich folks. Members of Congress just released financial disclosure forms for 2007, and yesterday Roll Call ranked the 50 wealthiest based on minimum net worth -- while cautioning that the broad asset categories make this an inexact accounting.

Top of the list: Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) with nearly $231 million, a number no doubt boosted by billionaire wife Teresa Heinz Kerry. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is a close second with just under $226 million, followed by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) at more than $160 million, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) at $80 million and Rep. Robin Hayes (R-N.C.) with almost $79 million.

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass) is richer, at $47 million, than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), at nearly $19 million, and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), at $10 million. The only local Richie Rich is Sen. John Warner, ranked No. 45 with nearly $6 million. Forget all those stereotypes about wealthy Republicans: They barely inched out rich Democrats, 26-24.

And yes, the fundamentals of the economy were strong for John McCain (R-Ariz.). With more than $19 million, the presidential candidate came in at No. 13 -- thanks in part to Cindy McCain's huge beer fortune. Rival Barack Obama didn't make the list."

But, of course, Obama is the elite in the crowd!

"The people of this country voted not once (well maybe) but twice for the current administration."

Does that tell you anything about the candidates you and your little leftist-socialist friends nominate? Figure it out. Here's a little history:

the mccainites have been duped so much
they think maverick man will come save the day

they're betting america on this choice
and its a bet certain to lose

"Does that tell you anything about the candidates you and your little leftist-socialist friends nominate? "

no
it tells us how dumb people like you are

just what single person is qualified?

#7 | Posted by keith204

Could we at least require that someone have intelligence AND education? I seems that we want all other experts that surround us to have proper educational qualifications but as far as president is concerned, we take the guy that seems like he would be more like us. I want someone who is smarter and more educated than me not someone who got into and out of the Naval Academy only because his father and grandfather were admirals.

"leftist-socialist friends nominate? "

and this is just the creme de la stupidity

socialist is your boys bush/mccain

I think his bow tie is fey.

Does that tell you anything about the candidates you and your little leftist-socialist friends nominate?

#9 | Posted by jestgettinalong

You may want to re-read George Will's column to see who the real left wing socialists are.

Sorry Kliff, you got in a second before me.

geezer

:)

bush/mccain have successfully turned this into the united states of france

i'm sure that wasn't their intentions because they hate france.

but they are morons
so they should step aside and let the smart people take it over again

totally agree with geezer.

what's the point of electing puppet mccain, so that the same group of people, the elite supporting the Republicans, waisted the America's wealth for 4 more years?

This from George Will? WOW! I am glad to see some TRUE Conservative Republicans are finally removing the blinders and seeing exactly what 8 years of Shrub & Co has wrought to their party!

I just keep thinking about poor Barry Goldwater, who is surely orbiting Earth now, having spun violently out of his grave and into orbit.

Another moron unqualified liberal media blowhard trying to discredit McCain.

"Another moron unqualified liberal media blowhard trying to discredit McCain.

#20 | Posted by Dubmania"

Are you kidding me?

dubmania should be dumbmania

he and his ilk are paving the way for a stupider duller america

unless he's being sarcastic
then i appologize hahah

With the incredible complexity of governing this country, just what single person is qualified?

#7 | Posted by keith204

I trust Obama to select the better of the best as advisers.

Thank you George Will. Fired off a brief e-mail of thanks to him.

mccains advisors. aka the bailout boys. are going to need china to bail out the usa

but wait a minute yo...

when he talks shit about obama, he is a stupid conservative?

so he gets REAL smart when he dis's mccain and he is a lying lowlife rightwinger when he dis's obama?

typical

and on george last sunday he came down hard on mccan and said he didnt act presidential and he was probably right but DONT FOR ONE MINUTE take this as a support for the eruropean socialist named barry

"It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed?"

Dunno, BLT, sounds like he'd prefer Obama over McCrazy. As does any sane person.

"DONT FOR ONE MINUTE take this as a support for the eruropean socialist named barry"

once again
mccain and bush are teh socialists
closing yer eyes again.

It's heartwarming to see so many liberals linking to George Will now. It must be because he said something disparaging about McCain. And since he did so, it managed to make it onto the DR front page.

Here, then, are some George Will articles that never saw the light of day here in our corner of the blogosphere:

The fact that George Will threw McCain under the bus is newsworthy, RightIsRight.

a con. throwing a lib. under the bus
not news worthy
happens thousands of times a day.

but a con. throwing a con. under the bus.
now thats news

so what thats
george will, condi rice and carl rove
oh and even fox news?

no ng3........he made a specifice statement on george's show

do any of you REALLY believe that will isnt going to vote for mccan
it DID take me back a little when I heard him but he has a point
it wasnt the most "presidential" moment for mccain when he was talking about this "specific' issue

The fact that George Will threw McCain under the bus is newsworthy, RightIsRight.

#30 | Posted by rcade
* * * *

Chris Cox has been the architect of deregulating the credit markets, which is something McCain opposed. But in the perverse world of election year politics, where "the enemy of my enemy is my friendz", suddenly libs everywhere are championing Chris Cox. George Will--a thorn in the libs' side for 30 years--writes an article in support of Chris Cox, and against McCain, and suddenly the libs on the DR feel a kindred spirit with both Will AND Cox.

THAT'S newsworthy. Temporary, to be sure, but in a year in which Obama has opportunistically jettisoned lifelong friends and confidantes for political purposes, I should hardly be surprised when the Obamites on the DR act similarly.

i'm sure mccain will have lots of "un presidential" moments in the future.

I absolutely believe that George Will will not vote for McSame.

Like we've already established, he is a man with a brain, not some empty headed geriatric that get's their news from the PTL club.

At least a few Republicans in this country are starting to wake up anyway.

McCain is nothing but a loose cannon who says anything he feels like saying ( truth or lie is not important to him) hopeing somthing sticks to the wall. His campaign is the most pathetic I have ever seen in my 57 years.

If you notice closely now, he is reading more and more directly from cue cards written for him just like Dubya.

Libs = anyone that doesn't walk in lock-step with the neo-cons.

---RIR------

THAT'S newsworthy. Temporary, to be sure, but in a year in which Obama has opportunistically jettisoned lifelong friends and confidantes for political purposes, I should hardly be surprised when the Obamites on the DR act similarly.

#33 | Posted by rightisright at

BINGO BANGO BONGO

SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH

remember that all of his 'buds' and advisor are "OFF LIMITS"

whats wrong withchu???????????

he threw his OWN GRAMMY UNDER THE BUS.......

Libs = anyone that doesn't walk in lock-step with the neo-cons.

---RIR------

#37 | Posted by Lipzoidial
* * * *

I don't know what a neocon is, so it wouldn't occur to me to use it in an operational definition.

I don't know what a neocon is

#39 | Posted by rightisright at 2008-09-23 12:08 PM | Reply | Flag:

So in addition to your other flaws, you're an uneducated idiot? Thank you for the confirmation.

"I don't know what a neocon is"

but in a year in which Obama has opportunistically jettisoned lifelong friends and confidantes for political purposes

Actually, you can tell a lot about an individual by the way he reacts to pressure and in the case of Obama response to political pressure to jettison folks Spud thinks he did a good job. Despite continual catcalls from lunatics on the right about some mythical bus Obama is throwing folk under he managd to keep the prpoper distance and perspective an dnobody got thrown under nothing.

Speaking of "opportunistic jettisoning" are you gonna talk about the way McCain ditched his long suffering first wife after serially cheating on her in order to marry a Beer Heiress and get into politics?

Yeah, Spud didn't think so.

On Topic?

George Will is correct that McCain is not suited for the presidency. Spud's been saying it a while now.

Let's run down that list again shall we?

He's too old.
He's too angry.
He's too wrong.
He's too corrupt.
He's too uninformed.
He's too unbelievable.
He's too much of a liar.
He's too much of a loose cannon.
He's too connected to the failures of BushCo.

He's also amoral scum, which aint really wot you should be looking fer when picking a POTUS.

Be Well.

With the incredible complexity of governing this country, just what single person is qualified?
#7 | Posted by keith204

I trust Obama to select the better of the best as advisers.

I agree. Obama is a pragmatist. If you listened to him at the Saddleback forum, you got to see how he approached an issue from both sides to reach a fair decision. It doesn't make for tidy soundbites, but it makes for good sound policy.

McCain is impulsive and will do the first thing that pops into his head.

I would say the first qualification for the President would be to look before you leap, to make informed decisions. That's Obama, not McCain.

"Why not ask a conservative columnist what they think?"

No time - I'm too busy asking conservative columnists if they think.

...TRUE Conservative Republicans...

Are, like Goldwater, dead and gone. Everybody is a freakin' Socialist.

Militarily and financially.

George Will and David Brooks are a couple of honest real conservatives.

The so called 'smart people' are the ones who brought you the crap we're currently in! This can't be laid at this president's feet, this shit takes to long to imbed itself into the economy! If you persist in blaming it on Bush, you've only shown your ignorance of financial affairs!

This begs Congressional blame for failing to do their job, but it is on both parties equally, not just one! We'll get rid of Bush, replace him with someone else, have the same problems facing us in four years, get rid of whomever we just elected, try Hillary, fail again and then we might, just might look for the true cause of the problem. Our Congressional membership!

To long a time with to little action when needed! It will take care of itself, yes that's a fact, but it will take care of all of us too!

We point and yell, stomp our feet and say the next President will do better, HOW, WHY him, when? All asinine questions, leading to partial answers! If we had aall of those answers we would be in congress resolving the problems, not here bitching about them!

If you watched the Oversight Senate committee sessions this morning, you should have real reason to be afraid! They no not of what they speak! We're in deep trouble, and don't fully understand why!

"I agree. Obama is a pragmatist. If you listened to him at the Saddleback forum, you got to see how he approached an issue from both sides to reach a fair decision. It doesn't make for tidy soundbites, but it makes for good sound policy."

Obama's a damn attorney and he talks like one... doesn't want to get cornered so he dances around the issues. I guess libs would call that a "pragmatist"

My bet is next season he'll be on "Dancing with the Stars"....

he dances around the issues

Compared directly to Yawn "Captain Pancakes" McLame?

Barack Obama is the real straight shooter there.

Obama is thoughtful and truthful and that mean his sound bites are less neat but more real and valuable than the pro forma rhetoric that rolls offa McNasty's foul tongue.

Obama is not merely a "damn attorney" he's also a Professor of Constitutional Law. Sommat the country really needs after 8 years of the traitorous anti-American Cheney/BushCo perversions of democracy.

Be Well.

As many of you know, I am a dedicated independent these days. That does not mean I am a liberal, but i will vote liberal to hurt the neo-cons.

Also, being a true conservative does not mean you are a neo-con.

If there was a true conservative movement in this country I would be the first member.

All they would have to do is;

get the talibaptists out of the party
go back to a 'get gov't out of my life' mode
go back to a free market
stop deficit spending
stop bailing out bad businesses
stop conspiring with oil titans and get innovation going again.

since they are too embedded in corruption, these things will never happen and i will vote against them, even to the point of voting for mickey mouse, until they demonstrate responsibility.

Well, I get all my education from you lefties on the DR. And if I understand it, a "neocon" is someone who believes in an aggressive foreign policy, to the point of invading other countries based upon lies and fabrications. And to prosecute the so-called war at home, they enact legislation such as FISA revisions and the Patriot Act, which authorizes illegal wiretaps and expanded executive branch powers.

And if that's what a neocon is, then Joe Lieberman, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton--and countless other Dems are also neocons.

Which means that if everyone is a neocon, then nobody is. Hence my confusion, and my reluctance to brand people "liberal" who aren't "neocons", given the fact that so many are firmly in both camps.

BTW: I saw that the Great Obama also voted for extension of the wiretapping law. Does that make him a neocon? Or just partly one?

"Well, I get all my education from you lefties on the DR" ... "Hence my confusion ..."

And yet you have no trouble identifying "lefties" and "libs". No, wait, you haven't. You merely post to dump on "lefties" and "libs", who cares who they are.

BTW, you could read what Jonah Goldberg said about who "neocons" are. But then you couldn't rely on vaguaries. Bummer.

"get the talibaptists out of the party
go back to a 'get gov't out of my life' mode
go back to a free market
stop deficit spending
stop bailing out bad businesses
stop conspiring with oil titans and get innovation going again."

Sure ain't gonna happen under McThusaleh and the Half-Baked Alaskan.

I read the Goldberg piece, and it sounds like Hillary and Obama and Bill and Joe (both Joe's) and John Kerry and everyone else who voted for Iraq, continued Iraq funding, the FISA bill, the Patriot Act--are neocons. I know who the lefties and the libs are, and it sounds like most of them are neocons. So instead of linking to what some editorialist says about neocons, why not telling me yourself? What is a neocon, and why shouldn't half the Democratic Party in Washington be included in the definition?

BTW: I don't know what "vaguaries" are either. Is that an attempt at a pun?

RIR,

You do have a slippery point there.

While it's true, you can't really tell the difference between some demos and some repubs these days, the actual term neo-con is intended to mean a false conservative, or as i call them liberal conservative. I don't know what you call a conservative liberal. or even if either designation even exists. I know Raygun was pretty conservative and GWB is pretty liberal. Billary on the other hand was pretty conservative.

I only know this, I do not want my religious beliefs or the lack of them to be part of political debates or issues, so I will not vote for anyone that invokes them.

Obama will be disappointed.

"What is a neocon" - RiR

Read the Wikipedia article on "neocons". Not totally accurate but a good summary.

To start, "Neocon", is exactly what Goldberg claims are "myths". It is a political philosohy centered on the "use" of the pre-eminance of the U.S. to reshape the world for the "better". The use of force, war, to achieve this objective and to bring "democracy" to those countries who do not have it. The "whatever Israel needs" perspective. The belief that the political philosophy should be followed regardless of the political/geopolitical reality.

The fact that someone supports a particular aspect of the philosophy does not make them a "neocon". One must be a _believer_ in the "neocon" _philosophy_ regardless of the situation. Thus, Hilary et al supported a position as presented to them. They did not espouse changing the world, etc.

So, how do you define "lefties" and "libs"?

Re "vagueries", are not clearly expressed, indefinite or indistinct statements. Like blowing smoke.

BTW, the pre-eminent leaders of the "Neocon" movement were ex-libs, mostly Jewish, who were disillusioned by the Democrats refusal to espouse their cause. Whether or not Goldberg claims this was a "myth". Like Kristol, papa and son, N.Podhoretz, R.Perle, D.Feith, the Kagan boys, etc.

The fact that someone supports a particular aspect of the philosophy does not make them a "neocon". One must be a _believer_ in the "neocon" _philosophy_ regardless of the situation. Thus, Hilary et al supported a position as presented to them. They did not espouse changing the world, etc.

* * * *

I think I understand. So it's okay to invade a sovereign country provided you're doing so out of revenge, or out of concern that they might be building a weapon that one day might be used against you. But the idea of doing so to replace a tyrranical regime with a Democratic one makes someone a neocon.

I get it now. So we've just thrown in Scoop Jackson, FDR, Truman, LBJ, JFK.

You're right. Sounds like we need to stay away from neocons.

RiR, if you understand that there is a difference between reacting to situations/realities and following a political philosophy, then you do understand it. Which is why FDR, Truman, LBJ, JFK, etc. _might_ be described a neocons in the 50s/60s sense, but not in the 90s/2000s. None of the aforementioned presidents invaded other countries with the intent of establishing democracy. None followed a philosophy of reshaping the world. None were interested in Israel's concerns. Certainly not FDR, he was merely fighting Germany and Japan. Truman? - he reacted to the invasion of SoKorea by NoKorea. JFK? - he got into Nam because of the geopolitic situation, not to create a democratic Vietnam. Note he only went forward with the Bay of Pigs invasion because it was really too late to stop it. And that he didn't put more U.S. support behind it. LBJ? - tried to find "victory" in Nam, left office because he couldn't.

So, yep, we do need to stay away from neocons. And to be realists.

RiR, so what is your definition of "lefties" and "libs"?

Btw, I don't really care, especially since I don't think you do. I realize you use those terms to indicate those who don't agree with you, that you are using them as a focal point to blow off steam, to have someone you can call "idiots". And this is a good place to do that. Continue having fun.

Neocons--

1) Exalt the positive social aspects of warfare.

2) Believe in hegemony or empire.

3) Believe in an executive with few or any checks to power.

That's what a neocon is and was, though they'll try to argue differently.

A curious thing about some of the more extreme right wingers. On his thread (#7) I made a simple and short statement. I was called a leftest/socialist. On several other threads some similar titles.

Some time ago one of the DR posters made up a list of right wingers that are dominating this sit. I was on that rightie tightie list as #67.

It does seem a little contradictory to be ultra liberal and at the same time one of the far left.

This can make one wonder if some of our posters have the slightest idea what the hell they are saying.

****** I don't know what a neocon is........
.... Posted by rightisright *******

Neocon: [ pronoun ] modern American English - "soon to be convicted" - ie. a person of wealth who values his pecuniary interests ahead of the well-being of his nation: a traitor: a scumbag:
-secondary useage- .. poverty stricken, but religious "simpletons" who are duped by the "persons of wealth" into voting against their own best interest by the very millionaires who will rob them by manipulating the politicians and laws..i.e. - suckers, rubes, marks

"DONT FOR ONE MINUTE take this as a support for the eruropean socialist named barry"

GWB Is The Fucking Socialist !!!!

-Sarge

Will hates Mccain--always has since the Campaign Finance bill was passed.

He is entitled to his opinion.

He is shocked --shocked that McCain picked Sarah for VP.

ho hum...

"Ho-hum...."

God, the Right hates intellectuals. It hates Right-wing intellectuals worst of all.

People tell you who they are. George W. Bush broadcast to the world he needed a muzzle and collar. With a 19% approval rate today people finally see the man as the dog they'd wished they'd kicked.

People tell you who they are. George W. Bush broadcast to the world he needed a muzzle and collar. With a 19% approval rate today people finally see the man as the dog they'd wished they'd kicked.

#68 | Posted by Zed

Are we really seeing the true GWB? Or are we seeing a man that just isn't smart eough to tie his own shoes?

Is it possible that the real power that guides this countries this country is in fact the Neo-con? This group, lead by Dick Cheney may in fact be the "power" behind the throne.

All Hail "Shrubbie" the Sad and "The Dick" Cheney.