Now the Austin American-Statesman has run Wick’s endorsement of Barack Obama. Between this and the play it has gotten on the Huffington Post, the New Republic, Andrew Sullivan, the Daily Kos, etc., Wick’s little ditty has brought more eyeballs to our online outpost than did the snaps of Jessica Simpson with blue frosting smeared all over her face. Curious.
27 comments
Stephanie Miller read Wick’s endorsement on her nationally-syndicated show on 1360 AM this morning, too.
She read the entire thing? Why does that feel like a copyright violation?
Not the entire thing, but a big chunk of it. As you can imagine, they were highly complimentary of Wick afterwards.
You were listening to 1360 AM this morning? Really?
Wick’s article is getting the play it is solely because of his prior status as the publisher of National Review. The article is, of course, well-written, but it doesn’t stand up to repeated readings. There are many things to admire about Obama, but not the supposed virtues that Wick cites in his piece.
If you can sift through the unnecessary name-calling and normal partisan nonsense, there is a better discussion of the Obama hype and reality in the comments to this post: Wick’s Obama Endorsement Continues to Reverberate Through Intertubes (http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2008/09/19/wicks-obama-endorsement-continues-to-reverberate-through-intertubes/#comments)
Gotta know what the enemy is talking about. Plus, the shows on KLIF are so effing boring they make me sleepy on the commute in.
As the former vice chair of a county Conservative Party in a northern state, Wick is not now nor has ever been a real Conservative. If he was or had been it would understand the socialist nature of Obama’s economic platform.
That’s right, Obama’s socialist economic platform advocates taking over two of the country’s largest mortgage companies, its largest insurer, and setting aside a trillion to bail out any other company that might have be in trouble due to greed and poor decisions.
Wait a sec, er …
Elephant in the room.
Poyzer, are you loving the Bush economic plan? If so, you must be freaking rich.
Anybody watching the news?
“Nobody can read Obama’s books (which, it is worth noting, he wrote himself) or listen to him speak without realizing that this is a thoughtful, pragmatic and prudent man”…….who mellifluously serves a potent, specious, enticing blend of Kool-Aid that I swig until drunk with liberal euphoria. In this state, I actually believe that this face man for a quasi-socialist agenda is the right man for these times, regardless of the fact that he is arguably the most inexperienced candidate of our lifetimes, and is the most liberal of liberals in the Senate with a platform to socialize healthcare, champion unions, raise taxes in the middle of an economic crisis, advance the welfare state, increase government, and treat our enemies with kid gloves. Congrats, Wick, on making friends with Arianna, Daily Kos, Andy Sullivan and the other mendacious, left wing pundits who grease the propaganda machine and further polarize our society. What’s next, an op-ed in the NYT? A recitation of your article on Al Jazeera? A live interview on Hamas TV? Your job is to sell rags, even if it means sacrificing credibility with anecdotal, fluffy, opinion pieces. Kudos.
KRM:
Your post is no different than Wick’s piece, except that it’s more hyperbolic. If you’re trying to be persuasive, you’re failing. I think that you would be more effective laying out your theses and then citing facts supporting them — and leaving out the bomb-throwing stuff altogether.
Yeah, because that whole “free market” thing worked out SO well for us all…
Adam Smith’s Magic Hand must’ve been busy doing something else the last 8 years…..
The truth, and we all know it, is that the best way for the US is right down the middle…a free market with plenty of competent, restrained regulation.
The Clinton years weren’t the heyday of our economy for nothing….
I wonder if Obama’s kool aid cost 700 billion bucks? How much has this war cost us? What have we got out of it other than becoming the laughing stock of the planet?
“Magic Hand?”
Right now, Hank Paulson is the only Magic Hand we have. Let us all say a prayer for his continued health.
Again, “Magic Hand?”
Trey:
Of course, Julie was referring to the “invisible hand” of the market — but she’s clearly of the liberal mindset, so economic theory is not her strong suit.
I thought “Magic Hand” was a wonderful mistake — and applied perfectly to the recent exertions of our Holy Head of Treasury (may God continue to smile upon him).
Well played, sir.
Magic Hand: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Magic%20Hand
Ok, Wick Fan, fair enough, but much less fun. Thesis: Wick’s piece is a fluffy, anecdotal opinion. Defense: there is little in the way of facts or supporting data that he incorporates to prove his argument. Rather, his opinion relies on fluff, anecdotes, sarcasm, selective reasoning, red herring fallacies and hyperbole. How’s that? Bomb free enough? Everyone is entitled to their own opinions; however, as a subscriber, I am disillusioned by Wick’s unsubstantiated sermon delivered from the D soapbox.
Bethany:
The analogy worked better than I thought, considering the awful mess we’re, er, sitting on. Thanks!
KRM:
Agreed on the no-fun part, but are you trying to persuade or trying to show off your Thesaurus skills?
Suggestion: you’re good until sentence three, and then you go off the rails. (Can’t help yourself, I know.) But if you started again with the first three sentences, and then disputed Wick’s anecdotal opinions with contrary facts (and left out the ad hominem stuff), you might win some converts (which, you may discover, is more lasting fun).
Good points, Wick Fan. Is pursuing a change of hearts and minds on a city gossip blog really even plausible? Or does the spirited debate provide the recreational entertainment value I seek, along with the very infrequent insightful fact or tidbit that I gain, and hopefully reciprocate? Let me sleep on that one, and thanks for your sound advice.
For Corwin, SRP, Julie and others, might I remind you that the President only approves and executes laws, but the Congress actually makes laws as a part of the legislative branch. Bush made a proposal to reform Fannie and Freddie in 2003. McCain co-sponsored a bill for reform in 2006. Fannie and Freddie are the cause of this financial crisis, and many in Congress have seen it coming for years. Why has legislative reform been unsuccessful? Dems have blocked reform, as they sought to continue the surge of affordable housing to low income families. As we know now, this affordable housing wasn’t so affordable. And, among whom are Fannie and Freddie’s largest donations to: Obama, Dodd, Schumer, Pelosi, Clinton, Frank. Here’s a 2003 quote from Frank regarding reform:
”These two entities — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — are not facing any kind of financial crisis,” said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. ”The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.”
With a bi-partisan sentiment, I will concede that Congress, Dems and GOP, is corrupt with lobbyists and gridlock. I hope you will consider voting for the only true independent maverick in the race with a proven track record of bi-partisan leadership.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aSKSoiNbnQY0
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN00190:@@@P
If most people on this blog are conservatives and you disagre with KRM, does that make him an ultra neo con? Seriously, what it the proper term for someone that is
Glenn Beckish
Don’t mean to interrupt the otherwise brilliant conversation, but it is “invisible hand.” I believe that “Magic Hand” is the name of a wonderful car wash conglomerate.
I thought magic hands were illegal in Texas, at least if they have to be plugged in to operate.
Well done, KRM!
Adam Smith:
It’s generally protocol on blog comments to read what’s been written before. I’ll pause here while you do so. . . No, sir, no apology necessary, but thanks.