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Nightly Ramble: The Tourist Trap Edition

The Welcome to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the ‘sphere… This is the BitsBlog Nightly Ramble

ramble-Touristrap [1] This is the Tourist Trap Edition

The picture is shamelessly stolen from the REAL “Tourist Trap” [2] on Hwy 7, Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia (and modified a bit for the purpose. ) Nope, never been there, but did drive by it once. Charming place, as is the whole area, there.  One day, I’ll go back there. No, I’m not getting money for the mention, just thought I’d be a good soul by way of thanking them for use of the pic… and for the memory of the area.

  • IS THE GOP WINNING THE HEALTHCARE DEBATE?

    “Just look at how President Barack Obama’s standing has fallen as he has pushed for reform. According to Fox News surveys, the number of independents who oppose health-care reform hit 57% at the end of September, up from 33% in July. Independents are generally a quarter of the vote in off-year congressional elections.

    Among college graduates, opposition to health-care reform is now 50%, while only 33% support it, according to Gallup’s Sept. 24 poll. College graduates are slightly more than a quarter of the off-year electorate.

    Karl Rove [3]

    Karl Rove

    Among seniors, opposition to ObamaCare hit 63% in last month’s Economist/YouGov Poll. But the number from that poll that should spook Democrats is this: 47% of seniors said they “strongly” oppose health-care reform, just 27% “strongly” support it. Seniors are the biggest consumers of health care, and their family members will probably take their concerns seriously. Seniors will likely cast about 20% of the votes next year.

    The trend behind these numbers is that voters are turning away from Democrats”

    I’d say your conclusion is about half right, Karl. It’s true that the Democrats are losing this fight, but I’d say the situation is more due to the Democrats losing, then the Republicans winning. You see, there is a major difference between winning on the virtues of your battle strategy, on the values of your arguments, and winning because the other side is busy destroying themselves.

    Rove goes on to suggest that the numbers are going to get worse for the Democrats if they pass a Healthcare bill. One presumes Rove means ANY healthcare bill.  In my opinion,  quite correct, there. The tax hikes, the cutbacks in services under Medicaid and Medicare, are going to cause even more bloodletting among the Democrats. Says Rove:

    “This battle is far from over. But what Democrats have to keep in mind is that there are two fights going on here—one over health care and another over which party will control Congress after next year’s elections. By waging the first, they may be setting themselves up to lose the second.”

    Maybe. Frankly, though, I’m not quite sure that it matters quite so much to the Democrats going forward. Let’s remember that we are dealing with a President who has stated [4] he would be happy to be a one term president, if he manages to get socialized Healthcare through. He considers it a good trade.  I suspect Democrats as a whole look at things that way, as well.

    Remember….Socialists tend to take the long view on policy matters such as this. What we have here is on the left hand a group of people fighting over the long term for their values, and on the right, a group of people who haven’t figured out what their values are, as yet. The values of the first group are so bad, so destructive to America, that once those values start being implemented, the American voters tend to like the second group better, but not by much. Yes, it’s true, according tot he latest PEW polling, 47% Oppose ObamaCare, 34% Favor Obamacare. [5] Quinnipiac polling which usually favors the left a bit more, shows it as 48% against 47%  for [6]. Thing is, if I’m the GOP, I’m not taking any solace in the recent gains in the polling data.

    As a datapoint, in support of these thoughts, let me offer you former Senator Bob Dole, who has recently come out in support of the government takeover euphemistically referred to as “reform”. [7] The history books tell us that bob Dole lost in his presidential aspirations, and I suggest that’s due in no small part to his utter lack of true conservative principles. The voters.. particularly conservative voters… took one look at him, realized that “Liberal Lite” was just as damaging as Bill and Hillary Clinton, and voted accordingly.

    I would dare to suggest to you that the Republicans would be doing far better if they were actually driven by conservative ideology as the Democrats are liberal ideology.  That means at times working in a hopelessly outnumbered fight. That means instead of offering “improvements” to the Democrat driven Government takeover of healthcare, opposing government interference in the healthcare process outright. Let’s remember what it is we’re supposedly compromising with, all right?

    If we saw Republicans in the long-term strategy mode, working toward conservative American foundational principles, as Democrats are working toward leftist and socialist foundational principles, the Republicans would be in power right now… 2008 would not have been a victory for the Democrats. I suggest that it is time those in the GOP leadership roles were reminded just what conservative American foundational principles are, and were forced to work for them, regardless of what happens in the most immediate election, next.

  • THERE IS A POINT AT WHICH CRAZY NO LONGER COMES UP TO THE LEVEL OF WHAT YOU’RE DESCRIBING: And this story [8] would seem to be such a case.
  • BOOBIE-THON: Need I say more [9]. A fun deal and a good cause. My favorite subject in High School, come to think of it.
  • TROOP MORALE? WHAT TROOP MORALE?: I predicted this the moment the election returns were in. ANd yes, McCain, I think the comparisons to Vietnam quite valid.
  • OH, AND DOLLARS TOO: The dollar has dropped to it’s lowest level in [10] 14 months. Hope and Change in action. [11]