DNC Night III – Obama Speechifies Again

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I don’t know about you but if I gotta listen to him talk I gotta be drunk. Tune in early if you want to catch Hairplug Joe – they bumped the Vice Preezy from primetime. Lurch is supposed to audition for Hillary’s job too.

Thank (insert deity name here) this shit is almost over.

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Life isn’t fair

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Erika Johnson at Hot Air discusses Elizabeth Warren’s speech last night:

There is so much material here, I don’t even know where to begin, so I’ll just pick out a few key lines and go from there.

“We fought to level the playing field before.  About a century ago when corrosive greed threatened our economy and our way of life…” Greed. Oh, greed. You call it greed, I call it rational self-interest; but whatever you want to call it, one thing is certain: The profit motive, which all human beings share, by the way, is the driving force behind everything we have. Individuals trying to provide for themselves and for their families are what continually creates prosperity, a.k.a., economic growth, and an individual’s personal wealth is an indicator of how successful they’ve been in providing a good or service upon which other people voluntarily place a lot of value. How do corporations become corporations, Ms. Warren? I might patronize the hair salon or the car wash once a month or so, and these small businesses are important, to be sure. But “oil companies” and “investment banks” have so much money because I use their services every single day. I drive to work and accrue interest in my savings account all time time, just like most Americans do — and these are all voluntary, mutually beneficial transactions. And what’s more, these large corporations also provide huge numbers of jobs as well as government revenue. Please get off your high horse and quit acting like the life choices of the CEO of the oil company are somehow ignoble compared to those of the hair stylist.

“The Republican vision is clear — ‘I got mine.  The rest of you are on your own.’ Republicans say they don’t believe in government. Sure, they do. They believe in government to help themselves and their powerful friends.” Uhm, why yes actually, I am just on my way to play poker with the corporate emperors of the universe, along with the rest of Republican party. …What the what? Who are these ‘powerful friends’ I’m supposed to have, exactly, and why am I unable to divorce my motives from their oh-so-greedy wishes? News flash: I do not have powerful friends. I vote Republican because I want to lessen the impregnable power of the federal bureaucracy and create more opportunities for myself and my fellow Americans. That is all.

“People feel like the system is rigged against them, and here is the painful part, they’re right.  The system is rigged. …Wall Street CEOs, the same ones the direct our economy and destroyed millions of jobs still strut around Congress, no shame, demanding favors, and acting like we should thank them.” Blergh. This is a perfect manifestation of my precise problem with Elizabeth Warren and her “consumer financial protectin’” ilk. Yes, I grant you, the system is kind of rigged. But why are we blaming Wall Street for rent-seeking, when the metastasized federal government is what’s affording them the opportunity to rent-seek? People will always look for a way to beat out their competition, and if that includes courting favors from the government and crony capitalism, they will. This isn’t rocket science. Federal busybodies trying to incentivize the financial sector into doing things they wanted to see happen based on their political agenda was what caused the financial crisis. Everybody has an agenda — but only the government can enforce theirs through fiat without fighting the natural regulator of free-market competition. Elizabeth Warren was a big supporter of the Occupy Movement, and I made this point right when the Occupy protests first broke out — stop directing your ire at the symptoms and instead direct it at the disease.

And finally, as to the Elizabeth Warren’s claim that the Romney/Ryan ticket doesn’t care about the middle class — doesn’t anybody at that convention realize that Barack Obama’s proposal to hike taxes on America’s wealthiest earners is an absolute farce that cannot hope to pay for the level of government he wants to keep going? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!

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So much of modern leftist ideology is based upon the idea of fairness. There is nothing inherently wrong with that because fairness is a worthy ideal. The problem comes from trying to define “fair.”

Life is not fair. If it was then we would all be identical. While (ideally) we may all be equal under the law, we are not all equal. Some of use are bigger, faster, smarter and/or stronger than others. Some are better looking. A lucky few choose the right parents and are born wealthy.

Government cannot create equality. In can, however, prohibit the more egregious forms of discrimination. Government cannot guarantee equality of opportunity but it can do something about providing opportunity to everyone.

In some places your entire life is basically predetermined at birth. If you are born poor you will always be poor. Your tribe, race or caste controls the choices available to you.

Here in this country your options may be limited by who your parents are but they do not control your life. An Ivy League education was not really an option for me, but that didn’t prevent me from getting an education. I didn’t inherit anything but my genes but just because I couldn’t rise to the top doesn’t mean I couldn’t rise above my parents.

Government cannot legislate prosperity. All it can do is maintain a physical, legal and economic infrastructure that allows prosperity to take place. That includes penalizing cheaters and preventing unfair competition.

But referees are there to enforce the rules, not choose the winners.

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Sandra Fluke at the DNC

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Sandra Fluke’s DNC Speech Paints Stark Picture of Romney Presidency

The Georgetown law student shut out of a Congressional hearing on contraception earlier this year is basking in the glow of the Democratic National Convention‘s prime time stage.

Speaking before a fired up crowd at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., tonight, Sandra Fluke painted a stark picture of what a country led by Republican Mitt Romney could be, calling it “an America in which access to birth control is controlled by people who will never use it, in which politicians redefine rape so survivors are victimized all over again,” she said to huge cheers from the audience.

Fluke also singled out Romney’s running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., who worked on legislation that would have redefined rape, banned abortion in all cases, and cut off funding for abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.

“It would be an America in which you have a new vice president who co-sponsored a bill that would allow pregnant women to die preventable deaths in our emergency rooms,” she said.

The young law student then gave a hearty endorsement for a country headed by President Obama.

“An America in which our president, when he hears a young woman has been verbally attacked, thinks of his daughters — not his delegates or donors — and stands with all women,” said Fluke. “And strangers come together, reach out and lift her up. And then, instead of trying to silence her, you invite me here, and give me a microphone, to amplify our voice.”

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Submitted without comment.

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DNC Night II Open Thread

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Another night of speechifying, starring the Big Dawg. Between the NFL opener and the Giants/D-Backs game I’ll catch a few bits and pieces. Tomorrow night I promise to watch the whole thing. Maybe.

If you’re gonna watch it tonight here’s the place to discuss it.

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Miss me yet?

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Democracy in action

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Jerusalem change made to party platform, over loud objections

Democratic delegates narrowly reinstated to their party platform Wednesday the position that Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing an omission that had angered some Jewish organizations and drew criticism from Republicans that President Obama was distancing the United States from Israel.

The amendment to the platform, which essentially returns to the platform language in the 2008 version, was introduced by former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. It was put to a voice vote by Antonio R. Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles, who had to call for it three times before determining that the amendment had two-thirds majority.

The vote far from clear, however, and left many delegates on the floor angry over the outcome – some booing and shaking their fingers at Villaraigosa.

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That sure didn’t sound like 2/3 of the delegates to me. They must be using Obama rules.

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Call the Wahhhmbulance!

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Last night was a goldmine of stuff to talk about.

Ed Morrissey:

Conventions produce a lot of oddball claims and weird arguments, but last night’s speech by Deval Patrick had one of the strangest I’ve yet heard made. In fact, I had to double-check the transcript and the video this morning to be sure I’d heard it correctly. According to the current elected governor of Massachusetts, contesting Barack Obama’s record and opposing his bid for a second term amounts to bullying:

The list of accomplishments is long, impressive and barely told—even more so when you consider that congressional Republicans have made obstruction itself the centerpiece of their governing strategy. With a record and a vision like that, I will not stand by and let him be bullied out of office—and neither should you[.]

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I don’t want to see Obama bullied out of office either. I want to see him VOTED out.

BTW – If Obama’s list of accomplishments is long and impressive, why aren’t the Democrats talking about it?

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Job Interview vs. Performance Review

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Krauthammer On Michelle Obama’s Speech: “I Didn’t Buy A Line Of It”

Her whole task was to say why. And her answer was, “Why? Because essentially he’s a saint.” Because of his upbringing and because of his emotions and because of his humanity. He does of this because he cares. And the brilliance of it is this: It drained Obama of any, either, ideological motivation, or any having to do with self interest or ambition, which I think is sort of a more plausible explanation.

He’s a man highly who is liked and highly ideological. A man of the left who sees the role of the government as ordering, the reorderering, of society in a way to make it more just, as he understands it . And also, extremely ambitious. A self made man who makes himself out of nothing, rises out of nowhere. But all of that, in her telling, doesn’t even exist. The only reason he does what he does, he cares about women, he cares about immigrants, he cares about the poor. He cares about the unemployed. He cares, he cares, he cares.

She told the story of a Gandhi. And, you know, looking at the scene, looking at how he’s conducted himself in the presidency and particularly in the campaign, with ruthlessness and determination and drive, it’s not quite a plausible story. I’m sure in the arena, it was a plausible story. I saw the tears, but I’m afraid, I thought it was a great speech, but I didn’t buy a line of it.

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I wouldn’t be quite as generous as the Hammer of Kraut, but I would have to say in all fairness that Michelle Obama gave a pretty good speech. It was well written, well delivered, and as far as the Obama faithful are concerned it was well received. I’ll give her a solid A.

The problem is her speech was essentially a character reference. “Barack is a good man, good father and good husband. You can trust him.” That is the kind of thing appropriate for a job interview, but Barack Obama is up for a performance review.

Last week Mitt Romney had a job interview. We got to learn a little bit about him, heard some glowing references and let him make his case for why we should hire him.

Barack Obama already works for us. We already know who he is. We’ve seen the quality of his work. The question is whether we should keep him or replace him. (You know what I think.)

Obama wants four more years. The Democrats need to make the case for why he deserves them.

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DNC Open Thread

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If you’re watching, here’s a place to talk about it.

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The Smell of Fear

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Ben Shapiro:

Obama Quashes Conservative Media Access at DNC

Media availability for Obama officials and acolytes has been shut up as tight as a clam for conservative media here at the Democratic National Convention. According to sources at Talk Radio News Service, placing a stringer outside the designated TV area to ask high-level Democrats to stop by radio row has been banned by the DNC – in fact, as one source told me, “You need permission from Obama for America.”

Meanwhile, top Obama outside advisor and head of the Center for American Progress John Podesta stopped by radio row this morning – but only long enough to speak with liberal talkers. When I approached him about appearing on KRLA’s “The Heidi Harris Show” along with me and my co-hosts Heidi Harris (conservative) and Brian Whitman (liberal), his handler quickly intervened. Later, the handler stopped by to clarify: did the show have two liberals and one conservative, or two conservatives and one liberal? When I stated that it had two conservatives and one liberal, he quickly shook his head and sprinted away.

The Democrats and their allies are clearly fearful of a major mistake. That’s why they’re keeping their allies away from those who will ask adverse questions. And that’s why I’ve purchased an Obama pin. If they won’t answer questions from a conservative, maybe they’ll answer questions from a faux fellow Obama-worshipper.

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Why are Democrats afraid of the truth? They sure aren’t behaving like they are confident of winning.

This reminds me of the war in Iraq back in 2004-2006. The Bush Administration was convinced that we lost the war in Vietnam because of the media and thought if they could control the news coming out of Iraq they could control public opinion.

They should have listened to Abraham Lincoln:

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

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DNC Day One

“They stab it with their steely knives but they just can’t kill the beast”

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Maybe it’s all that cough syrup I drank earlier but I have a strange premonition about the DNC convention. Imagine a cross between Titanic and Masque of the Red Death directed by Stephen King. A doomed ship of fools trying to pretend everything is okay but unable to change their course or escape their fate, so they party on the eve of destruction.

Bless their hearts, the Democrats are putting up a brave front. But they have seen the real polls. The Democratic Media Machine keeps trying to assure everyone they are winning but they know the truth too. Their laughter will be forced and their lies transparent.

The end of an error approaches. Soon. Very soon.

“And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.”

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