Comments on: The Party Of Bush http://larison.org/2008/01/29/the-party-of-bush/ n. the principle of good order "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:00:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: kranza http://larison.org/2008/01/29/the-party-of-bush/#comment-8784 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:49:07 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/29/the-party-of-bush/#comment-8784 A lot of chatter about how the "conservative" anti-McCain factions such as National Review and Limbaugh have been routed and a lot of chatter about how they will now unload on McCain thus still giving Romney a chance. All I can offer them is a suggestion for the theme music for the Twin Cities convention and with it this quote from those great Minnesotan poets, Husker Du: "You've got your own bed now, I suggest that's the one you sleep in." They've spent (at least) seven years creating a party that is so demented and aimless, its anti-Bush faction actually supports McCain. McCain supports their war and differs from them on other issues only in the sense that he is leftist on them and they are indifferent at best. I guess a little boy can always learn to make his bed more conscientiously the next day. But I don't think they're that boy. A lot of chatter about how the “conservative” anti-McCain factions such as National Review and Limbaugh have been routed and a lot of chatter about how they will now unload on McCain thus still giving Romney a chance.

All I can offer them is a suggestion for the theme music for the Twin Cities convention and with it this quote from those great Minnesotan poets, Husker Du:

“You’ve got your own bed now, I suggest that’s the one you sleep in.”

They’ve spent (at least) seven years creating a party that is so demented and aimless, its anti-Bush faction actually supports McCain. McCain supports their war and differs from them on other issues only in the sense that he is leftist on them and they are indifferent at best.

I guess a little boy can always learn to make his bed more conscientiously the next day. But I don’t think they’re that boy.

]]> by: Daniel Larison http://larison.org/2008/01/29/the-party-of-bush/#comment-8783 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:22:57 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/29/the-party-of-bush/#comment-8783 That is partly my point. The party has been remade so completely by Bush that the alternatives are all pretty undesirable, and the early contests have resulted in making McCain appear to be the most viable. On paper, Romney appears preferable, but the problem is that the actual Romney is really not. If McCain somehow wins and tries to push an immigration bill through, it will not pass and he will cause the party to implode. McCain will be worse on foreign policy, and specifically on Iraq, than his opposition in November, and this is why I think he will still lose. Identifying the GOP so completely with this war, as a McCain nomination does, is politically crazy. The problem with Romney is he never showed any significant daylight between himself and the administration on any foreign policy question, and so provided no real alternative there. That is partly my point. The party has been remade so completely by Bush that the alternatives are all pretty undesirable, and the early contests have resulted in making McCain appear to be the most viable. On paper, Romney appears preferable, but the problem is that the actual Romney is really not. If McCain somehow wins and tries to push an immigration bill through, it will not pass and he will cause the party to implode. McCain will be worse on foreign policy, and specifically on Iraq, than his opposition in November, and this is why I think he will still lose. Identifying the GOP so completely with this war, as a McCain nomination does, is politically crazy. The problem with Romney is he never showed any significant daylight between himself and the administration on any foreign policy question, and so provided no real alternative there.

]]> by: OldNewEngland http://larison.org/2008/01/29/the-party-of-bush/#comment-8782 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 05:36:44 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/29/the-party-of-bush/#comment-8782 Look, what other viable candidate is any better? And, as a Thompson supporter from day one, let's take Fred off the table. His potential was never ever ever manifested, so count him out. Giuliani. Romney. Huckabee. McCain. Would you really have preferred Mitt to McCain? The only issue on which they'd have real differences is immigration, and even then, I wouldn't trust the governor to crack down. And McCain will secure the border, even if he does try to trade that for some sort of amnesty for long term residents without criminal records. I don't love that option, but if we truly seal it off, then the immigrants will be assimilated in less than a generation. On any other issue -- domestic or foreign -- I don't think McCain will be considerably worse than any other major candidate. I'm holding my nose for him. Look, what other viable candidate is any better? And, as a Thompson supporter from day one, let’s take Fred off the table. His potential was never ever ever manifested, so count him out.

Giuliani. Romney. Huckabee. McCain.

Would you really have preferred Mitt to McCain? The only issue on which they’d have real differences is immigration, and even then, I wouldn’t trust the governor to crack down. And McCain will secure the border, even if he does try to trade that for some sort of amnesty for long term residents without criminal records. I don’t love that option, but if we truly seal it off, then the immigrants will be assimilated in less than a generation.

On any other issue — domestic or foreign — I don’t think McCain will be considerably worse than any other major candidate. I’m holding my nose for him.

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