Better the Devil You Know?
Today is the day.  Today millions of Americans will head to the polls to either take America back from someone, presumably the Anti Americans, or to vote against the extremists. You’ll be able to tell who is voting against the extremists because they include the Code Pink people and folks who wear cow costumes to political events.Here in Nevada, the biggest race is between Senator Dirty Harry Reid and Sharron Extreme Right Angle. I am amazed at the conversations you can have here if you are willing to put up with a little foaming at the mouth from folks. Those supporting Ms. Angle decry the government getting involved in all walks of life, yet they reject her ideas to privatize Social Security, the VA, and Medicare. Apparently anti government ire has its limits and those limits run about like this… Keep the governments hands off of my Medicare. And while many in the crowd supporting Angle believe that elected officials should just follow the will of the people, many in Nevada suspend that view when it comes to Yucca Mountain and a national nuclear repository. The Reid supporters, who are apparently unable to say Ms. Angle’s name with adding the extremist moniker, seem fundamentally unable to grasp that folks are worried here and want to see an end to the economic crisis and the way it is impacting our state. Everyone knows Reid is prone to making verbal gaffes, but he does not have the personality of Joe Biden to weather the storms connected to those gaffes. The Reid camp does not seem to understand that his statement that the war in Iraq was lost, true or not, was offensive and hurtful to people, especially in a military state like Nevada. Calling a sitting President a liar, another Reid classic, does not win you a lot of friends back home. And so here we are, forced to choose between the lesser of two evils in our little insignificant state that is made up primarily of land owned by the federal government. As for me, I am a living example of the old Tip O’Neill adage that “All politics is local.” States like Nevada do not have a lot of influence back in Washington. I believe that it is not in our best interest to enter the fracas known as the next national budget cycle with one hand tied behind our back. Nevada will need every resource, friend, and trick in the book to guard our interests in the coming season of declining revenue. Freshman senators do not have that kind of clout, but I fear I am in the minority with that thinking here in Nevada. I believe tomorrow morning we will wake up to the news that Sharron Angle has upended Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid. **Update** The Associated Press and Fox News have just called the race tonight for Senator Reid. At this moment, Sharron Angle is not winning her own county. Like Former Vice President AL Gore in 2000, the people that knew her best, her friends and neighbors, did not have enough confidence in her abilities. Here's hoping this will be the last we see of the person the conservative newspaper, the Las Vegas Review Journal, twice called the worst legislator in the state. Labels: Elections, Harry Reid, Nevada, Sharron Angle |
posted by Dave Miller at 7:58 AM
Comments on "Better the Devil You Know?"
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Doug said ... (5:35 AM) :
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dmarks said ... (7:23 PM) :
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Beth said ... (10:05 PM) :
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Dave Miller said ... (10:37 AM) :
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Lista said ... (10:21 AM) :
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Lista said ... (10:48 AM) :
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Lista said ... (10:57 AM) :
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Dave Miller said ... (9:48 PM) :
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Lista said ... (2:05 PM) :
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Dave Miller said ... (6:49 PM) :
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Lista said ... (11:42 AM) :
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Lista said ... (12:15 PM) :
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Dave Miller said ... (12:45 PM) :
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Lista said ... (6:14 PM) :
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dmarks said ... (12:05 PM) :
post a commentIf there is one thing Harry knows is how to get out the votes!
Harry presided over a Senate vote which forced people to give money to directly to corporations for a product they may or may not need: a nasty sort of poll-tax which hits hard-strapped families the worst.
And he dared to call his opponent extreme.
I wish Nevada had put up a better candidate than Angle to try to rid our Congress of Reid.
Beth, your point is well taken, and I agree that another candidate, given the primary challengers, would have won.
However, there are a couple of things that I can't seem to reconcile in this as they relate to Nevada, and the rest of the nation.
When you speak of a better candidate, what do you mean?
Angle was the candidate of the Nevada tea party people. They got the exact person the wanted. They hated the "establishment" candidates and made it clear they would not support them.
So what other options were there? It was in the end, her views, that did her in here in Nevada.
Veterans here are happy with the VA for their medical coverage. They do not want to privatize it. Seniors are happy with Medicare here and they do not want to see it privatized.
People in Nevada do not want to see Yucca Mountain reopened by the Federal Government, yet Angle did.
All of these positions, which she strongly supports, have been rejected by the Nevada electorate in the past, and again last Tuesday.
The problem is that any candidate that the Tea Party would support, would have to have those views, which would alienate them from the mainstream voters of Nevada.
So what would a better candidate have looked like?
This is the same question we should be asking nationally. Every big Tea Party Candidate for Senate, except for Rand Paul, and he is a different breed, lost in their elections.
It seems as if the voters in their respective states rejected the more conservative views of those candidates.
Certainly more moderate candidates, the type that are willing to compromise to get things done, would have won Nevada, Delaware, and probably Colorado.
The Tea Party Candidates cost the GOP control of the Senate.
I guess my question is this, what would a better Tea Party Candidate look like?
You Know I was Having Trouble Reading this Post at First. I sort of Got Stuck at the Very First Sentence, "Today millions of Americans will head to the polls to either take America back from someone, presumably the Anti Americans, or to vote against the extremists."
What Struck me about it was that you were only seeing the Extremism on the Republican side and not the Extremism on the Democratic Side. I Try very Hard as a Moderate to see Both and there is no Way that I'm going to Tell you that there is no such Thing as Republican Extremism, cause I Know very well that there is.
Even though I had Only Read the First Sentence in this Post, I kept wanting to come back and tell you that the Results of the Elections, to me, is Proof that the Democrats have been Moving this Country Way Far to the "Left of the Center". I Wonder why it is that you do not see this.
Rapid Change isn't Good for any Country of any Culture. As a Missionary, I would Think you would Know that.
The Sign in your Next Post Up Shows Evidence that many People Found Harry Reid to be Extreme as well and not just Sharron Angle. I don't Think that either One of them were Moderates.
I'm not at all Foaming at the Mouth. My most Common Reaction is just to Shake my Head.
I agree that "anti government ire has its limits." and yet Socialism does as well.
As I Read Further in your Post, I Realized that you do Understand some of the Problems of the "Reid Camp" and I Commend you for that. Those who can see both Sides are a Very Rare Breed, yet it Took me a Long Time to Finally Decide to Read Down that Far because or your Focus on "Extremism", Initially Directed Solely at Republicans and not Equally at the Democrats. I guess as a Moderate, I Expected more from you than that.
Once I Read Further, I Realized that this Really isn't such a Bad Post.
It Looks like you Guessed Incorrectly who was going to Win the Election, though, and as to the News Papers Calling Sharron Angle "the worst legislator in the state", Most News Papers have a Liberal Bias, so their Opinions don't Matter much to me.
Now that I've Read the Comments, I see that Dmarks has also seen and Pointed Out the Extremism within Harry Reid.
I don't know much about Angle, she may have been a Candidate that I would Agree with. I Think Beth is Right in what she said and Yet I say it for a Different Reason, because Candidates who are Considered too Extreme by our Opponents Generally do not Win Elections, as I see is your Point, Dave, as well.
I Wonder if I should make a Comment yet about the "Anti-Americans". Many People Think that Moving Further and Further away from the Traditional Capitalistic, Free Enterprise, Principles of the Founding Fathers and More Towards the Socialism that is Common in other Nations is Anti-American. I Guess it just Depends on how you Define what America is, or better yet, what it Once Originally was.
"The Tea Party Candidates cost the GOP control of the Senate."
I going to Remember this Sentence because I do Believe it to be True.
Interesting set of posts Lista...
I was once told by someone who commented on one of my posts that there was no such thing as a conservative extremist, because they were right.
That's just for the record.
I guess that I figured i was trying to be pretty even handed by equating the Democratic side of extremism with the Code Pink wackos.
Clearly there are extremists on both sides.
Lista, the too much, too fast argument for change within a society, interestingly enough, was the same charge made against the leaders of the civil rights movement. They were told it was better to go slow. The only problem was that the folks telling them to go slow were really trying to say, go nowhere.
It should also be noted that the paper I referenced, the Las Vegas Review Journal, endorsed Angle for this race, and is rabidly anti-Reid.
To Harry Reid, here's something the national media, the National Republican Party and the Tea Party folks did not want people to know or understand.
Harry Reid, our Senator for 18 years was supported by all of the following here in Nevada:
The Majority of Casino Owners including jim Murren of the MGM...
The Republican led Mining industry...
Almost every labor union and association in Nevada including law enforcement, considered normally solidly republican...
The wife of popular late GOP Governor Kenny Guinn...
The GOP Speaker of the House here in Nevada...
Former head of the National GOP and Reagan National Campaign Manager Frank Farenkopf...
Former National GOP Media CHairperson Sig Rogich...
GOP Mayor of Reno Bob Cashell [Angle's Home District]
Mayor of Las Vegas Oscar Goodman...
Angle was a terrible candidate. And she was/is extreme.
If that is true for Harry Reid, why such a diverse crowd of supporters?
He is good for Nevada, and in comparison to his opponent, not even close to being extreme.
Reid is pro-life, pro- NRA, and pro-Nevada.
"The too much, too fast argument for change within a society, interestingly enough, was the same charge made against the leaders of the civil rights movement. They were told it was better to go slow. The only problem was that the folks telling them to go slow were really trying to say, go nowhere."
When you Talk about the Motives of Groups, Dave, you can't be Quite that Specific because there is more than one Person Involved and therefore, more than one Motive. Some May have meant go Slow and some may have meant go Nowhere, yet you can not say either of these Things and say that that was the Sentiment of the entire Group.
How can a Paper First Endorse Angle and than Later call her "the worst legislator in the state". If you Ask me, I'd say that wasn't much of an Endorsement.
What you have said about Harry Reid's supporters does not make sense because he is One of the Top Three most Hated Congressmen by Republicans, along with Pelosi and Boxer.
I don't know about Pro-Life and Pro-NRA, but Harry Reid is Soft on Il1egal Immigrants, Believes in High Taxes and Big Government and Supports the Gay Movement. He Also Pushes everything that Obama Pushes, Health Care, the Stimulas, TARP, Etc.
Yet Once again, the Strongest Evidence of How Very Far to the Left he is is the Fact that he has been Listed Right up there with Pelosi and Boxer as being the Democrats that the Republicans the Most Want to Get Rid of.
This would not be so if he were not Very Very Far Left, which is my Definition of Extreme.
Ah Lista, you have fallen prey to the GOP argumentation.
Both parties reflexively hate the other parties leaders. Now it is Reid and Pelosi, before that it was Hastert and Lott for the GOP.
It isn't about extremes, it's about defeating a sitting leader for bragging rights.
Politics.
To say Reid is extreme because the opposing party is against him is just lazy.
Would you say i can do that regarding the GOP? Of course not.
Maybe the GOP is against Reid because they are a bunch of liars. Or they are shading the facts?
Now, has Reid advanced the Dems agenda? Yes he has. But that is his job.
As for some of those issues you brought up, let me say this.
Most politicians do not want to do anything about them. Because doing so would deprive them of the ability to use them as political clubs.
An issue like immigration is seldom as black and white as our leaders in Washington like to portray.
Neither are gay rights.
I'll say this about two of the issues you mentioned, TARP and the Stimulus.
1. TARP was a Bush Admin program, not Obama's.
2. The stimulus, from Pres. Obama, cost us 750 billion dollars. Over 245 billion of that was tax breaks and tax cuts. And most economists have credited it with keeping the economy from sliding into a depression as no one else was capable of keeping the economy going for lack of funding and credit.
Most economists also believe the stimulus was not large enough to fix the problem, but Reid could not get any voted from the GOP for anything else.
I'm Actually having a Little Trouble Keeping Up with you, Dave. I see that you have already Posted another Comment on "Just a Little Humor for Your Weekend.", yet here is my Response on "Better the Devil You Know?" that I wrote some Time Ago, but was Distracted, so it Never Left the Word Processor Until Now.
"Bragging Rights"?
Come one, Dave. You are Assigning Motives. The Motive I would have Assigned is that Republicans do not Like the Policies, not that they Desire to Brag. You Simply Can not Take the Motives of the Worst of the Group and Assign them to Everyone. That's Called Stereo Typing.
Remember, my Definition of Extreme is nothing more than Far from Center and that is what I Think the Three that I have Mentioned are.
Of Course you can do that in Relation to the GOP. Go Ahead. I'm not Offended.
I didn't Accuse Reid of Lying, though. I Don't Assume Stuff Like that. I'm not Like Most. I Give People the Benefit of the Doubt, even if they are Politicians.
"Because doing so would deprive them of the ability to use them as political clubs."
That's Assigning Motive Again.
Illegal Immigration Benefits is Unfortunately Part of the Financial Problems in this Country. What is so Wrong with Working Instead on Making Legal Immigration easier?
Gay Rights has to do with the Definition of the Word "Marriage", for they can be Given, and In Fact, already have Equal Rights in the Area of Civil Unions, but "Marriage" is both Religious and Sacred.
I Don't Really Care who is to Blame for TARP. I Don't Like it. It's too Expensive, that is too many Taxes, and I Suppose that Bush's Support of it is Part of what has Earned him the Label RINO.
Here's what I am Finding Interesting. Republicans seem to think that Everything the Democrats say Relating to Our History is a Lie and Democrats seem to think that Everything that I've been Told by Republicans is a Lie. As a Moderate, I Tend to Believe that the Truth is Most Likely somewhere in the Middle.
As I Read some of the Above Comments again, I Came up with more to Add.
"I was once told by someone who commented on one of my posts that there was no such thing as a conservative extremist, because they were right.
Cute, Dave.
"Now, has Reid advanced the Dems agenda? Yes he has. But that is his job."
In Response to that, I Like what someone Said Over at Z-man's Blog, that I Read just this Morning.
Here's a Quote from Shaw Kenawe...
"Unfortunately, most of the people elected last week are so partisan-blind and truculent that their allegiance is to their party and not the country.
"I've actually lived long enough to have seen Republicans and Democrats have differences but also have the capacity to work together for the benefit of all Americans."
And Also,
"Every gain that this country has made has been made through COMPROMISE. If people don't understand that, they understand nothing."
Back to Dave's Words...
"As for some of those issues you brought up, let me say this. Most politicians do not want to do anything about them. Because doing so would deprive them of the ability to use them as political clubs."
You are Assuming someone's Motives Again. You do that a lot, Dave.
You are right Lista on assuming motives, but, at least in this issue, there is ample evidence of my beliefs regarding this stuff.
We need look no further than the current GOP leadership that has said as long as Obama essentially does it our way, we will compromise.
What kind of compromise is that?
When you see politicians propose laws when they know there is no way to get those laws approved, oppose the same legislation when they could actually get the legislation passed, how else should I understand it?
Washington now is existing almost solely for their own benefit now.
I know it is a skeptical viewpoint, but that is what I am seeing.
There is no middle ground and both parties, although more so from the GOP, see no political gain in compromise.
Certainly not the kind that Shaw, whom I admire, speaks about.
All we have to look at is immigration reform and no child left behind.
Both had strong bi partisan support before the yellers got into the mix.
It doesn't Matter if there is Evidence, Dave. I Can Tell you "Evidence" of the Idea that Pro-Life People are Murderers, yet you Know just as Well as I do that just because One Person Shoots an Abortion Doctor, that doesn't Make all Pro-Life People Murderers.
If I was Writing your Comment, what I would have said is "Both Parties, Although more so from the DEMOCRATS, see no Political Gain in Compromise."
As far as the "Yellers" go, I think that when ever any One Party Goes too Far in the Direction towards what their Own Party Wants and does so too Quickly, the Extremes from the Opposite Side Begin to Yell and Scream and Rightfully so. The Reason for the Anger within the Tea Party is because Right Now, at this Point in our History, the Democrats have not been Compromising.
To me, the Over Whelming Increase in the Republican Presence in the House Proves that this is so. The Tea Party would not have that Kind of Power if there was not an Imbalance going on.
Code Pink's banner is rather honest. They have argued from the side of the terrorists for quite some time.
"1. TARP was a Bush Admin program, not Obama's."
It was also an Obama program. Obama voted for it, and was consulted on it by Bush.
"2. The stimulus, from Pres. Obama, cost us 750 billion dollars. Over 245 billion of that was tax breaks and tax cuts. And most economists have credited it with keeping the economy from sliding into a depression as no one else was capable of keeping the economy going for lack of funding and credit."
It was such a waste, including subsidizing paying execs tens of millions of dollar a year salaries for running their companies into the ground. It included massive political payoffs, and even foreign aid.
"Most economists also believe the stimulus was not large enough to fix the problem, but Reid could not get any voted from the GOP for anything else."
If there had been no corporate welfare stimulus, and instead a significant easing in the tax burden that now forces companies to leave the country, this would make much more difference.
Instead, we get all these poorly done road projects. One badly done one blocked the driveway of a business in my area, forcing it to go out of business, But as long as union thugs get rich, it's fine.