I face a crisis of conscience this year. As an old and not very successful fart, I ought to vote Democrat out of self-interest. I will need Social Security. The more, the better.
But then I have to ask myself, do I wish upon my three Democrat daughters the country they will undoubtedly vote for?
OK, Andrew, so what would be your excuse if Osama were dead? Because let's face it, nothing could convince you to vote Republican. You're too holier-than-thou for that.
So, because Bin Laden is not yet dead, the Republicans have forgotten 9/11? Most of his underlings are dead or captured. AQ is fragmented and ineffectual. And he's in hiding somewhere, reportedly dying of kidney disease. If this is what the Republicans can accomplish in a forgetful stupor then imagine how much they accomplish if they really tried. :)
Is there any evidence that OBL is actually planning anything these days? Because all I've seen are grainy videos filled with generic rants.
I certainly would like to see Bin Laden dead. That wouldn't be the end of the problem however, and Bin Laden dead, at the cost of the fall of the Musharref government is probably a poor bargain at this time, and that is probably what it would take.
there are a lot of reasons why I am voting Democrat - straight party ticket, in fact, for the first time in my life - this November. I'm not even going to pretend that there was any point after January 2001, except for a brief window from September 11th 2001 to about October or so, that I have really considered supporting Republicans. Its simply because I disagree profoundly with every single policy and philosophy that the GOP has espoused.
Im not a Democrat but I am aligned with them until the GOP expels the crazies in charge. Since grownups like Jim Webb and Brian Schweitzer are only on one side of the fence at present, its clear which party to vote for if you want competent government, and enlightened self-interested foreign policy. The GOP has made us poorer and less safe, and has eroded the foundations of our Republic with their attitudes towards execcutive privelege, due process, the role of the judiciary, and ethics.
Maybe I am grotesquely wrong but I read RedState and Instapundit daily and they've had four years to convince me otherwise. Instead they actually lost Andrerw Sullivan and John Cole!
Andrew, Andrew, Andrew...I wonder how you get out of bed and dress yourself each morning. Interestingly enough, I want bin Laden dead also and that's why I'm voting Republican. Have we inadvertenly found the only common ground between Republicans and Democrats????
Vic, you have a tendency to mistake the repetition of slogans and one-liners for argument. For a writer, it's an odd tendency. You'd think you actually have trouble defending Andrew's argument here, but then that would not be odd. It's a stupid argument.
OBL is dead, by the way. That's why Andrew's got it exactly wrong: There are no videos, and you can be damned straight there would be if he were alive. We've been down that road.
But the real point is it doesn't matter. Five years, no follow up attack in the U.S. Let him live if that's the outcome. Don't liberals always tell us not to make martyrs? This is a win-win. He's dead but no one will admit it; hence no martyr.
Yes. the Democrats will deliver. By nuclear cratering Pakistan. If people like that, then be my guest, go get Osama.
Classical liberals at least have a consideration of proportion, ala Truman and Sherman, over what should be done to win a war. People voting Democrat seem to just want their toys NOW. Forget anything else. Rage on!
Everyone wants to get Bin Laden. But if you really really want Bin Laden, you are going to have to invade Pakistan and lay waste to about 50% of the country side, not excepting replacing Mushrarref with a military police state, via martial law either US, Coalition, Pakistani, or Afghanistani origin.
After 2 years of that, the "get Bin Laden" crowd might get tired of it as with Iraq, and start double talking. Jeez, if you can't take casualties in Iraq when we have LOCAl support there, how are you going to deal with Pakistani children blowing up your barracks?
There is no easy fix, no easy solution. If you want easy, commit hara kiri.
Putting all the emphasis on one man, is equivical to missing the forest for one tree. Yes, we should do what we can to get OBL, but that cannot be all that we focus on in the war on terror. Besides, its a war on terror, not a war on osama bin ladden.
Take one man. Hide him someplace on earth. The earth is pretty big place. How hard do you think it would be to find one man? Most people who run, get caught because they get sloppy, or get cocky. I dont think he hasnt been found for lack of trying. Of course, we could use a hammer in this surgery, instead of a scalpal. But what good would that do for our relations with the countries he might be hiding in??
Oh, and its not like we never had a chance to get him when democrats were in control. OBL had given us plenty of reason to take him out. Hmmm. Doesnt leave me with much of a reason to believe that Democrats would be anymore effective at taking out OBL, than Republicans.
They found Saddam cause the boots on the ground controled his country. Without sending US troops into Pakistan and inciting a war of annihilation, you aren't going to "get Bin Laden". Cause he's in Pakistan, and Mushareff ain't got the power to get through the tribal areas.
Voting Democrat because we still haven't "got" OBL doesn't even work as an excuse any more.
If you want a single issue that actually makes sense, say you're concerned about the makeup of the Supreme Court -- and you know you should be -- and with many pending retirements, control of the Senate is going to be very, very important, for whichever side you prefer.
I'm voting Democrat because I haven't won the lottery this year.
I'm voting Democrat because Abraham Lincoln is dead.
I'm voting Democrat because, umm, because I have to make up some absurd reason that no one will buy.
Andrew, I at least appreciated your honesty in the comments when you mentioned that you philosophically opposed everything that the Repulicans were doing. Couldn't you said that in the first place instead of giving us the bin Laden non-argument? Here's the future in bizarro world:
1) Democrats win the House and/or the Senate on November 7
2) On November 8, bin Laden will turn himself into US forces, sobbing that he couldn't face the fury of Speaker-elect Pelosi.
3) Immediately after bin Laden's surrender, all terrorists around the globe renounce their ways and take up farming
You want to vote Democrat? Great, have at it. Just pretending that the bin Laden thing is the reason. The Democrats had ample chance as well to nab him, but I'm going to bet that you didn't vote for Bush in 2000.
I feel so bad about your disease. I have always enjoyed you here in Dean's World. I will pray for you. I'm so sorry. My thoughts are with you and your family.
I am voting both parties here and there. And I am writing in people I want.
And what, exactly, is the cost to you and me of OBL making videos, if there is some video out there I've missed?
And, uh, what is the Democrat plan to stop this?
But then I have to ask myself, do I wish upon my three Democrat daughters the country they will undoubtedly vote for?
No.
"And what, exactly, is the cost to you and me of OBL making videos, if there is some video out there I've missed?"
Lol. From braying for his blood to "heck, I like his videos, they're funny!" Quite a fascinating journey of political rationalizations.
/sarcasm
Bin Laden is really only important symbolically. Not that symbols aren't important, but his death (or lack thereof) is not the main issue.
Is there any evidence that OBL is actually planning anything these days? Because all I've seen are grainy videos filled with generic rants.
Im not a Democrat but I am aligned with them until the GOP expels the crazies in charge. Since grownups like Jim Webb and Brian Schweitzer are only on one side of the fence at present, its clear which party to vote for if you want competent government, and enlightened self-interested foreign policy. The GOP has made us poorer and less safe, and has eroded the foundations of our Republic with their attitudes towards execcutive privelege, due process, the role of the judiciary, and ethics.
Maybe I am grotesquely wrong but I read RedState and Instapundit daily and they've had four years to convince me otherwise. Instead they actually lost Andrerw Sullivan and John Cole!
OBL is dead, by the way. That's why Andrew's got it exactly wrong: There are no videos, and you can be damned straight there would be if he were alive. We've been down that road.
But the real point is it doesn't matter. Five years, no follow up attack in the U.S. Let him live if that's the outcome. Don't liberals always tell us not to make martyrs? This is a win-win. He's dead but no one will admit it; hence no martyr.
Classical liberals at least have a consideration of proportion, ala Truman and Sherman, over what should be done to win a war. People voting Democrat seem to just want their toys NOW. Forget anything else. Rage on!
Everyone wants to get Bin Laden. But if you really really want Bin Laden, you are going to have to invade Pakistan and lay waste to about 50% of the country side, not excepting replacing Mushrarref with a military police state, via martial law either US, Coalition, Pakistani, or Afghanistani origin.
After 2 years of that, the "get Bin Laden" crowd might get tired of it as with Iraq, and start double talking. Jeez, if you can't take casualties in Iraq when we have LOCAl support there, how are you going to deal with Pakistani children blowing up your barracks?
There is no easy fix, no easy solution. If you want easy, commit hara kiri.
Take one man. Hide him someplace on earth. The earth is pretty big place. How hard do you think it would be to find one man? Most people who run, get caught because they get sloppy, or get cocky. I dont think he hasnt been found for lack of trying. Of course, we could use a hammer in this surgery, instead of a scalpal. But what good would that do for our relations with the countries he might be hiding in??
If you want a single issue that actually makes sense, say you're concerned about the makeup of the Supreme Court -- and you know you should be -- and with many pending retirements, control of the Senate is going to be very, very important, for whichever side you prefer.
I'm voting Democrat because Abraham Lincoln is dead.
I'm voting Democrat because, umm, because I have to make up some absurd reason that no one will buy.
Andrew, I at least appreciated your honesty in the comments when you mentioned that you philosophically opposed everything that the Repulicans were doing. Couldn't you said that in the first place instead of giving us the bin Laden non-argument? Here's the future in bizarro world:
1) Democrats win the House and/or the Senate on November 7
2) On November 8, bin Laden will turn himself into US forces, sobbing that he couldn't face the fury of Speaker-elect Pelosi.
3) Immediately after bin Laden's surrender, all terrorists around the globe renounce their ways and take up farming
You want to vote Democrat? Great, have at it. Just pretending that the bin Laden thing is the reason. The Democrats had ample chance as well to nab him, but I'm going to bet that you didn't vote for Bush in 2000.
I feel so bad about your disease. I have always enjoyed you here in Dean's World. I will pray for you. I'm so sorry. My thoughts are with you and your family.
I am voting both parties here and there. And I am writing in people I want.