Maggie's Farm

The EU: Unelected, redundant, condescending, unaccountable, largely unwanted - and now slowly building their own military. It's a Mandarinocracy.

The gradual return to economic normalcy: excellent little summary by Tiger. Yes, recessions are normal too.

Sundown for California. How did it happen?

Oh no! Is this a joke? Al Gore as Climate Czar? Thanks for reminding me why I voted for McCain/Palin.

I think this is what it's all about: Run candidates who can communicate.

The delusion that "progress" comes from Washington. Hasn't government stupidity been fairly well-established over the past 70 years? That piece pretty much captures the Maggie's view.

Is now the time to buy stocks? I would say "Definitely, if you have a 20-year time horizon." But I don't pretend to know much.

I got through about 7 seconds of this. How long can you listen?

An election the Repubs needed to lose. Dick Morris (I'd compare it to GM)

Jindal and others at Repub Governor's Assoc

We ask this question all the time, but when Insty poses it, it carries more weight:

SOME ECONOMIC QUESTIONS: I like this one: "Is it good public policy to have your entire electorate pay taxes? If so, why? If not, why not? I'm trying to figure out how it is healthy to have 35-40% of the electorate outside of the income tax system." I think that everyone should pay something in income tax, and that the amount they pay should go up or down with total federal spending. Otherwise nobody has any incentive to control spending, and we wind up . . . well, where we are. More questions, and an invitation to discussion, at the link.

Borrowed in toto from Conspiracy:

Didya hear about the blonde homeowner? Paid her mortgage.

Difference between an Investment Banker and a Pizza? A pizza can still feed a family of four.

Overheard at Happy Hour: This is worse than a divorce. I've lost half my net worth and I still have a wife.

How can you tell if a banker is an optimist? He irons five shirts on Sunday.

Understanding synthetic CDOs. Dino

The NYT bailout watch. Michelle. Here's the mess they are in. There's plenty of good stuff in that newspaper for a curious reader, but their bias and partisanship drives readers away.

Speaking of the NYT, Sowell goes after Kristof and the idea of intellectuals in politics. Kristof's condescension is insufferable - and even worse when he's making stuff up.

Hugging and loving in DC? Q&O

All gun owners are mentally ill? Well, we'd in good company in the violent ward. However, my feeling tends to be that anybody who wants to control how I live is mentally ill.

"We cannot tolerate the intolerable." The roots of liberal censorship. I think that academic would want to ban Maggie's Farm.

I want Newt and Steele.

Via SDA, this graph speaks for itself:

Taxes during the New Deal, via Mankiw (excellent discussion of this topic at Marginal Rev: Understanding fiscal policy during the Great Depression - government attempts at stimulus were cancelled out by higher taxes) -

What middle-class tax squeeze? Graph from a piece at Willisms:

Political bloggers are having fun discussing whether they want to provide a genteel loyal opposition to a presumably hard-Left and seemingly grimly humorless White House and Congress, or whether to attempt the same sort of relentless knee-capping and smearing to which the Dems subjected Bush for 8 years.

Naturally, the soon-to-be-installed Federal pols and their supporters are urging Kumbaya peace and harmony - on their terms, of course. That will never happen.

Paul at Powerline makes the case for genteel, loyal opposition. In a similar vein, neoneo warns those at risk for Obama Derangement Syndrome.

John Hawkins is inclined the other way: You guys arent going to do to us what we did to you, are ya? A cranky Ace tries to straddle the line thus:

You spent the last eight years engaged in a disgusting orgy of divisive political hatred and now you want to play nice and pretend we're all united now? I for one am not going to treat President Obama the way you treated President Bush. That doesn't mean, though, I'm going to just forgive and forget the fact that you've polluted the political landscape with your bile and patchouli-stanking spittle.

My opinion? My opinion doesn't really matter, but I'll try to stand for some humor and truth. (Plus we aren't a political website anyway.)

Photo from Moonbattery's Moonbats Ready for Unity Now. Where was all of the togetherness last year?

h/t, Dr. Sanity (who is taking a blogging break):

Last week, a friend recommended this Lumix (Panasonic) camera to me. Also last week, Insty recommended another Lumix, and Samiz posted on the Lumix G-1. Something must be going right at Lumix.

But not so with the US automakers. Dems press for auto rescue for GM and Chrysler. You can call it stupid, but it's not stupid - it's political. Surber says: "...if failure is going to be rewarded, that is what you are going to get." (Kudlow commented last week that these aren't auto manufacturers: they are pension and health care companies that occasionally make a car or two.)

Another failing biz: carbon emission rights, which are a joke anyway. Mr. Free Market presents a better idea: Carbon Debits!

Unfortunate phrasing: "...ready to take power and begin to rule" Good grief.

Where have all the bigots gone? John Tierney

We have joked about having our own home-made nuke generator in the farm basement, but something similar is actually in the works. This sure beats windmills.

Do our current methods of nominating national candidates make sense? I have never thought they did. James Caesar: The Presidential Nominating Mess (h/t, No Left Turns). One quote:

If blame must be assigned, a portion of it must go to the founders for instituting a system that never fully succeeded in managing the problem. But it was certainly not for want of trying. The Constitution, contrary to popular impression, created not three but four national institutions: the presidency, the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential selection system (centered on the Electoral College). The question of presidential selection was just that important to the founders, and they created a system that was meant to institutionalize the process from start to finish—from the gathering and winnowing phase up through the final election. The Constitution, in other words, was intended to control "nominating" as well as electing: the electors, meeting in their respective states, would vote for two people for president (at least one of whom had to come from another state), thus nominating and electing at the same time. When the votes were collected and opened on the floor of the House of Representatives, the winner (if he had a majority) would become president, and the runner—up would become vice president.

The nominating plan, as matters turned out, worked as intended only when there was no real need for it.

I am hunting tomorrow. What about you? I'm taking the train up tonight. A friend got us permission to hunt some old overgrown farms in Dutchess County (NY). Grouse have been scarce this year and, rightly or wrongly, I blame the Coyotes. It's very mature to always blame somebody or something in life. But "how is my new job in NYC?," I hear you asking. Great. They pay me more than I deserve, and we thrive on chaos! It would be almost perfect, except no tobacco in the pubs is the main bummer, thanks to Nanny Bloomberg. Without tobacco, one tends to drink more...and nowhere in America are there more lovely, sexy, intelligent, well-eddicated, savvy, sophisticated, worldly, and put-together young females to make a huntin' and fishin' country boy like me nervous, and to make a rusticated ass of himself in front of.

This is what "unity" looks like: Rahm Emmanuel and his brass ones. The appointment of the combative Emmanuel is a declaration of war, and the Dems much prefer war against their fellow disagreeing Americans than they do against foreign enemies. Welcome to "Peace and Love."

The toxic pipeline from China

Good Texas snake photos

Are colleges failure factories?

Maine choses cheap beer over health-care taxes. Makes sense to me.

For how many months will Europe love us this time? Jules

What are fewer big storms evidence of?

Sowell on affirmative action and gay marriage

Rove on Why Obama won. Rove is a smart guy, but I think Krauthammer nailed it.

The Idea of Change in American politics: Meaningful concept or Empty Promise? McClay

Most rich people voted for Obama

Nice little post-election rant from New England Repub

A quote from a slightly crude but amusing rant from Ace:

It's as if a great weight has been lifted off of our collective, white, redneck shoulders. I feel so light now. I can almost see the unicorns prancing in my backyard with little silver butterflies flitting from flower to flower.

I see them too, Ace. Pretty pink ponies and psychedelic day-glo butterflies playing out my back door among the pretty pretty orange flowers, and life is groovy and beautiful again, just like at Woodstock. But hey, wait a minute - don't Bogart that joint, my friend...

Mark Twain on politics. Vanderleun introduces it thus:

With the Presidential election finally behind us, and the next at least a week away, I am the third most relieved man in America. The second most relieved man in America would be John McCain. The first most relieved man in America? That would be George W. Bush.

In the meantime, since I think it best to let the predictable waves of "Yea!," "Congratulations!," "We did it to ourselves," and "I told you that bitch was crazy" wash out of the bloodstream, I shall let Mark Twain's immortal insights from 1901 speak. Pay attention. There will be a test. Hell, there will be around 500 tests.

I am with Right Wing Prof on this

The NYT was spinning so fast that they can't stop now. Or maybe they will be spinning in their grave.

What's "middle class," and why does the Liberal elite have contempt for it?

I'm not dead yet! SDA. Sheesh. We need more laws against hate!

Related: From Thomas Frank: Liberals shouldn't be overconfident.

Whither affirmative action? Thompson. Unless you want to make the case that we stuck a black guy with the most thankless job on earth.

Related, re Bush via Roger Simon:

Our failure to stand by the one person who continued to stand by us has not gone unnoticed by our enemies. It has shown to the world how disloyal we can be when our president needed loyalty — a shameful display of arrogance and weakness that will haunt this nation long after Mr. Bush has left the White House.

Also related: Will everyone get a pony?

We get a photo of Coyote. I think he's the one on the left. Just one more Princeton blogger.

Still spinning despair at the LAT, but as Surber notes:

Yes, yes, yes. I see. Unemployment is 6%. Gasoline prices are a whopping $2 a gallon. The Dow is 9,000. People are actually paying cash for things.

Run for your lives.

I read stuff like this online and I am reminded of reporter Ken Herman’s observation: “If there’s anything reporters know better than math, it’s fashion.”

Was this a "I want my Mommy" election? I don't think so, mostly.

From Insty:

RUNNING THE NUMBERS: "More generally, the picture is of a solid Democratic win, but not the tsunami some had expected. Obama won the popular vote by a solid, but not crushing, margin of slightly less than six percent (52.4-46.5). Bill Clinton beat Bob Dole by a significantly greater margin and even greater relative percentage (49.25-40.71), and George Bush by a slightly lower margin, but higher relative percentage (43.01-37.45). Bush, meanwhile, beat Dukakis by a larger margin, 53.4 to 45.6. The Democrats picked up about twenty House seats, on the low end of the expected range. And, as noted above, they seem likely to pick up five or six Senate seats,which would make the Senate races either 18-16 in favor of the Democrats, or tied at 17-17, again on the low end of the expected range."

VDH wonders how Obama will govern. I agree that he deliberately made himself a mystery man. One of VDH's comments:

I don’t know what Obama feels about drilling, nuclear power, FISA, NAFTA, capital punishment, abortion, guns, Iran, the surge, Jerusalem, campaign financing, etc. But I do get the impression that he is more or less cognizant that most of his views around 2006 were at odds with the American people’s, and so he had to change or drop them (and most of his social circle) to get elected, or at least mention them only at small private gatherings in San Francisco.

The mystery? Will he revert back to the constant Obama of the last 30 years who waged  dirty 1996 and 2004 campaigns, and shared apparently ideologies with Ayers, Khalidi, Pfleger, and Wright and others in his Chicago extremist cadre? Or will he govern as a center-leftist, corralling a Frank, Pelosi, and Reed and the most fringe beyond them?

Wow. The people spoke. The silver lining I can find in this cloud is that we elected a black guy as President. That is remarkable and quite wonderful. I wish him wisdom. Still, I had hoped that the first black Pres would be from the party of Lincoln.

Another plus is that the Repubs will be forced to renew and refresh themselves, and come up with a farm team of younger, smarter, more exciting and more inspiring candidates, with messages to suit the times. And I do not mean Mitt Romney.

I'll admit to feeling bummed, but not at all surprised, by the outcome. I think John McCain did darn well considering everything that was dragging him down: a relentlessly hostile press, a hugely unpopular Bush, union money and a huge campaign $ disparity, economic fears, age, the Obama Cult of Personality - and his awareness throughout that the tides were running against him. Not to mention the perennial problem that Conservatives have in elections: they rightly find it hard to make goody-bag promises because they put their faith in free people rather than in government.

I doubt anyone could have done better than McCain did this year, and I doubt he would have done better with Giuliani instead of Palin. The press would have Palinized Rudy too. (Well, on further thought, maybe Rudy could have done a better job than McCain: he's brighter and quicker but, perhaps, less likeable.)

I think the Dems face the danger of over-reading this election. It's a common error for both parties. I do not feel that this election was an endorsement of a left-wing agenda but more an expression of general unease, Bush-fatique, and disgruntlement - mixed with a strong dose of celebrity-excitement. It's still the same center-right nation that it was last year, and every move the Dems make now will annoy some group or other. This Congressional leadership is not only loony-left but full of vengeance - and pent-up spending ideas. Hold onto your wallets, because we could quickly become the highest-taxed country in the developed world (we're almost there already).

But who is going to benefit immediately from this election?

- Gun dealers. If there are a few guns you've always wanted, now's the time.
- Tax accountants, tax lawyers, financial planners and estate planners
- Off-shore bankers
- Off-shore realtors: watch more businesses move divisions to foreign HQs which are more hospitable to enterprise.

And, finally, consider this condundrum, especially those readers who are my fellow conservatives: How does one win national elections when you have to concede NY, California, and the rust belt in advance? Not to mention my New England?

Is "gracious" the word for that, now? I can think of other words for it.

Since we're voting mostly - but not entirely - Repub today, I'm thinking that it would be fun to have Wooly Mammoths around again (and just in time for global cooling). Some probably think we are such paleocons here that an extinct Wooly Mammoth should be our symbol. But maybe they can come back to life...

Richard Baehr's election predictions.  Assuming that Obama wins, I wouldn't underestimate the power of the endorsements by people like Warren Buffet, Colin Powell, Bill Weld, and others who provided Establishment respectability cover for a guy whose kind of shady past would never have survived press scrutiny had he been a Repub.

Fr. West's Blog: 100+ reasons not to vote for Obama

Larry Auster is writing in Tom Tancredo. That's a de facto vote for Obama.

Re this morning's video ad, one might say "All that is missing is a statement from Obama saying that this is not the Obama that he knew…" I think this fellow is in over his head.

GRE scores ranked by field of graduate study. It helps explain why financial firms like to hire Physics PhDs: they are smart.

The "home ATM" is shutting down.

Why do some animals' eyes glow at night?

An instant Gay Test (for guys)

Americans in Israel: 74% for McCain. Duh.

Re Sarah: Typical politics. Yep, smears and insinuations stick. That's why people use them. The "politics of personal destruction" is fine when Dems use it. But where does Sarah go to get her reputation back?

Repubs have been losing the media battlefield since 1968. Indeed. We have noted that here many times. Many people seem to go into that field to save the world without doing anything themselves.

Whither Conservatism? McArdle. I read such things with skepticism, because I think politics has a lot to do with timing and the right communicative talent and tone for the time. Often those seem more important than ideology. Bush was not elected on ideology.

Obama, via Blue Crab:

You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know — Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it — whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.

From Dr. Sanity:

"WE MUST NOT LET THE DEMOCRATS AND THE LEFT GET AWAY WITH THE PREMISE THAT OBJECTIVE REALITY DOES NOT EXIST. WE MUST NOT LET THEM ARGUE THAT ALL TRUTH IS RELATIVE, BUT THEN CLAIM THAT THEY ALONE POSSESS IT EXCLUSIVELY."

Related: Shrinkwrapped also waxes Chestertonian, but it's not a religious argument.

I will be voting early tomorrow morning, before work. I will be voting for some semi-good Dems and for some semi-good Repubs up and down the ticket. I never expect perfection, ie somebody who entirely agrees with me on everything. Generally speaking, I hold a low view of professional politicians and a far higher view of people who create businesses, create wealth, employ people, and build America. I will be voting for John McCain and Sarah Palin, and I still cannot imagine America electing a Left-winger with radical and anti-American roots as the rest of the world turns more Conservative, but it sure looks like it will happen. Weird, but it's hope that causes people to invest, to gamble, and to buy Orexis. "Hope" is for children. Well, I am known to play a little poker, but I will not gamble with my country. So my own little Presidential vote tomorrow will be a big, hearty, and well-informed

The banking crisis of 1836. Yes, government policies caused that one too.

McCain was funny with Tina Fey on SNL. Looks like he's having fun.

The Top Ten Positive Effects of an Obama Victory

A super-quick summary of this endless election. We make such a big deal about it, you'd almost think we were electing a King for Life instead of hiring an employee.

Obama supporter thinks Joe the Plumber should be killed. Very tolerant.

Coal workers and the coal biz are not too thrilled with Obama's energy plans. But as somebody said, I guess we can import it from China instead... I can hear David Axelrod right now: "Why did you have to say that shit, Barry?"

Punishing the rich? Powerline has "Obama's vote to raise taxes on income-earners down to $42,000." But of course: it's called "equality" and "fairness," because if you took risks and worked your butt off to construct a life for yourself and your family, it's really just luck. I am neither rich nor particularly lucky, but I am a cheerful fellow, relatively speaking, and I am more than happy to take responsibility for my path in life.

If Obama wins the election, most people doubt there will be any spare money for grand new programs like socialized medicine. But when has lack of money ever stopped a politician? They trust that you will continue to earn it for them.

Sowell: Obama is Ego and Mouth. Indeed, at the very least. What is his political character?

More on how the hedge funds always support Dems, 2:1. The very rich strongly tend to be Dems in America. I guess you could call them a category of "values voters donors."

Drudge Report beats the New York Times. Drudge is necessary for lurid headlines, but it's not anywhere near as interesting as Maggie's Farm.

Bush's bad rap. I still like and respect the fellow enormously, but unfortunately communicating to the public, and selling soap and hope, has never been his strength.

Haha. Jerry Nadler isn't helping his guy.

The Boston Herald gives you more questions for the money. The greedy, stingy Boston Globe won't give us enough.

Mankiw:

Obama leads in 18 out of the 19 states with the largest recent declines in home prices, whereas McCain leads in 13 out of the 14 states with the largest recent increases in home prices.

I guess they are pissed that politicians cannot guarantee markets. Perhaps people do not understand free markets.

via Ed Driscoll:

What a great country!

When first I heard about the Undocumented Auntie, I thought I'd finally figured out how this spread-the-wealth thing works: The government taxes Joe the Plumber to fund public housing agencies that illegally provide welfare and accommodation to illegal immigrants thereby freeing up their cash flow to enable them to make illegal campaign contributions to any nephew who might chance to be running for president and get him elected so he can tax Joe the Plumber even more to fund even more public housing for even more illegal immigrants to make even more illegal campaign contributions... Etc.

I had a quite enjoyable hunt yesterday. Bagged two Woodcock and missed one grouse in 6 hours of banging through the woods and bogs of upstate NY. Would have been pleased to have put up more grouse, though. This kind of hunting is better termed "off-trail brush-busting with dogs, while burdened with an annoying, increasingly-heavy, and generally-useless piece of pipe which keeps catching on branches while raspberry brambles cut you to bits and alder branches keep knocking your hat off." The piece of pipe I carried was my pretty Abercrombie and Fitch (Rizzini) 20 ga s/s.

Powerline: Fools and their money

Obama calls the plumber

Obama vows to bankrupt coal industry. What? Then what will Santa put in our kids' Christmas stockings? Who is this guy? Coal powers my darn internet electricity.

More on how selfish you terrible Americans are, via Sister Toldjah:

Aside from insulting voters who think it isn’t selfish to use their own money to build businesses, raise children, and give to charity (ask Joe Biden about that!), his formulation shows an appalling lack of understanding about how people get rich. The government is going to give people goodies and then they’ll have more money to spend? Wow. Who knew it could be so easy? No working, earning, saving, building businesses, hiring more people, investing and the like. Money just comes from thin air, from the government.

Gen. Petraeus takes on his new job. Yes We Can, General P.

More on Obama's Aunt Zeituni. You can readily see, Bruce Kesler, that Lefties do not believe in charity - even to their own families.

LaShawn: I am not African-American.

What the heck is this all about? I never have heard about this sort of thing being on the Lib agenda. Sounds like the STASI.

Studying ugly. It's an ugly business trying to get tenure nowadays. Gotta admit, though, ugly can be interesting.

Waiting for your Obama goodie-bag? Me want free beer.

He never complained once. Rev. Wright and Obama

When chosing a candidate means losing a friend.

Disincentivization in Japan. Who wants stress without rewards?

How the Dems can bring the GOP back into power in two easy steps.

Upper photo: Me in the woods. The Setter "Punch" (after the cigar brand) belongs to a friend.
Lower photo: An Obama supporter experiencing rapture, via Tim Blair. I like her face. She'll be a Conservative in ten years, once she learns more about life.

How does Ben Smith do it all?

Ski on your favorite sin. I can't decide between Lust and Sloth.

Will you steal your kids' Halloween candy? Sipp on Halloween Explained

Anchoress introduces readers to one of the best movies ever made

It's not just for Liberals: Social signaling and speaking in code

Your personal blimp. h/t Thompson

Spreading the wealth and killing the goose

Election Derangement Syndrome. Sheesh. I think I understand Obama's popularity as a celebrity/icon, but I still find it hard to believe that he is electable. Like, I mean, like you know, this isn't American Idol...or is it? In Auster's words,

The man is a walking cornucopia of the marginal, the communist, the alien, the inappropriate, and the anti-American. And we're about to elect him president of the United States.

Or as Theo crudely puts it...

Franklin Delano Bush. Boudreaux

War goes on across Paki border

Our post yesterday, How Redistributionist is America?, is worth reading if you missed it. The US is high on the list.

Controlling the Internet in Australia. Are they nuts? As soon as people make something good, the gummint wants to intrude. In Reagan's famous words:

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

McCain has been an excellent candidate. Surber

Look who came by last night, trick-or-treating. Whatever you give them, you know they're going to trick you anyway:

What do Obama's crowds mean? WSJ. Bill Clinton implies that Obama's not too smart. No, but he is clever and ruthless. Obama, the Red Diaper Baby.

Voter fraud chic at The Gap. Michelle. Groovy.

Barack's aunt finally found. I think he wants me to take care of her.

If CO2 is classified as a dangerous pollutant... Yeah, and we'll all be taxed for breathing and farting. Tax beans! Farting should be taxed, come to think of it, to discourage it.

Nice grouchy rant. Alphecca.

Government isn't charity. NRO. No, it is not. Money at gunpoint doesn't count as charity.

Finally, an LAT protest. Power to the people!

Checks on Joe more extensive than realized. Imagine if Repubs did that. We'd be hearing about fascist police state tactics.

I do not understand why banks are being forced to take bailout funds if they don't need it.

From Babalu, via Driscoll:

By placing their hopes and aspirations in the hands of Obama, they have in effect transferred the individual faith they have in themselves to another person. A person who has promised to make their dreams come true for them. No longer will they have to fight, or struggle, or even work to achieve their dreams; Obama promises to do it all for them. But sooner, rather than later, they will realize that Obama can never deliver on this impossible promise. It is then when they will experience a pain much greater than they can imagine; the pain of realizing that you gave up not only your most sacred dreams and hopes to someone else, but that you gave up hope on yourself so that someone else can do it for you.

From Dr. Bob:

Let the culture go where it may; we must be a true light. It is time to abandon the delusion that we may change the hopeless by becoming more like them — we must instead become a shining city on a hill, a stark contrast to the darkness which surrounds us. If what we believe is true — and it is — then those who run from truth may well see in us an answer to their failed and fruitless pursuits, to the shallow shell of a life lived in self-gratification and the pursuit of pleasure and power.

We will be misunderstood, hated, ridiculed, rejected. So be it — our strength will lie in one another, and in Him who calls us to holiness.

Amen!

A reminder that Halloween is the eve of All Hallow's Day, ie All Saint's Day. Like so many Christian holy days, it was moved from May to overlap with an existing pagan festival in the 700s. Here's a painting by Daniel Maclise of a Halloween party he attended in Blarney in 1832: 

Florida Cubans: Obama is communismo

Whats the real difference between pro- and anti-Palin conservatives?

Non-profit, non-partisan ACORN is part of the Obama campaign. I do not think that is legal.

Hidin' Biden

Why do anti-capitalists always love money so much? I wonder about that often.

Sarkozy: Obama utterly immature on Iran

More trust McCain than Obama on the economy. That's a change.

Snow blankets London for global warming debate. Snow wins the debate?

Guardian tut-tutting about James Bond. Too masculine. No, it's not intended as satire.

How much is the govt willing to pay to soak the rich? McArdle

Khalidi update: His appointment at Columbia University. His entry at Discover the Networks.

Rick is as hopeless as most of the polls

It's like doing the Limbo Rock: The Dem definition of "rich" drops daily

The world is drowning in oil again. Bloomberg

Oregon: Got cancer? Try a death pill.

Central bankers and recent history. Kling. More on the subject from McCardle

The Sarah Party

Embarassed to call himself a reporter. These confessions accumulate daily.

Obama and rural voters in Ohio. Obama wants to turn this country into a nation of beggers. Also, why Virginia is in play this year.

More on the Khalidi tape. Gateway. Believe me, the LAT does not want to piss off Obama. Bad consequences.

Amazing: the CSM quits its print edition. h/t, Insty

Dick Morris: The election is a referendum on Obama

Thomas Sowell explains how higher taxes damage everyone

Looking back on Obama's first year as Pres. Wizbang

Will Dems let Charlie Rangel skate? Nobody wants to piss off Rangel. Bad consequences.

How "critical race theory" molded Obama

It's the courts, stupid. I agree

Dr. Sanity's Quote of the Year, from Mark Levin

A tough Megyn Kelly takes on Obama's Bill Burton:

Despite all the other headwinds he is fighting against (recession, the MSM, his age, his skin color), one major problem McCain faces is well-described in the Villainous piece we linked yesterday. McCain is not a visionary type, and he is not an ideologue. He is a solid, practical, trustworthy and remarkably strong fellow. He is running against a youthful (Socialist) visionary who promises to make your life easy and beautiful, but McCain is characterologically unable to present a competing vision. Like Bush 41, he probably thinks "the vision thing" is BS and unmanly, and cannot or will not fake it.

My problem with that is that McCain does have a vision, but he takes his vision of America so much for granted that he doesn't see it. It's the vision of freedom through strength, economic opportunity for all, holding the line with Federal power, and fiscal prudence. It's not Pie in the Sky, but it's an important and fundamentally American vision which deserved better "marketing" in this election, and people would rather vote for somebody than against somebody. My vote will be a bit of both.

Selling visions requires sales and marketing skills, just like selling cars: you have to make them feel that the new car will make them happier. Reagan knew how to sell freedom, and he knew what Obama knows: mass market politics is sales and marketing (including packaging). I think that notion is beneath a man like McCain's dignity. To his credit, he is not "a natural politician." (Sarah Palin is, which is why they want to destroy her.)

Now to my morning links:

Can you imagine if this were an Obama effigy? (I thought the current theory is that nooses were racist.)

What the Weather Underground had in mind. Insane sociopaths.

Dean Barnett: A real writer whose outlet was blogging.

What's wrong with the idea of energy independence?

2008 Economics: The two middle classes

Why Obama's health plan would make businesses sick

New book by James Kalb: The Tyranny of Liberalism: Understanding and Overcoming Administered Freedom, Inquisitorial Tolerance, and Equality by Command (h/t, Vanderleun)

The interbank markets are recovering. That is good news.

Biggest danger for hunters is heart attack. Maybe, but when it's your time to go, why not go while hunting or fishing? You really don't want to crap out while atop a wife or girlfriend and leave them unfulfilled, and with an unpleasant memory of your face turning grey-blue.

How the McCain health care plan would help everybody. Obama's advisors preferred McCain's plan.

LAT refuses to release Obama video. The Khalidi video might damage him. "Might"?

Watch the TED spread, not the Dow. The TED matters.(h/t, Viking) Indices matter.

Why we suck. Jules on autism and other topics

Palin's treatment by the press. Driscoll. I heard a 15 year-old girl this weekend say "Palin makes me barf." I prudently said nothing.

Tired of "the Vietnam effect." Me too.

Working for a non-profit. AVI

Obama's inauguration speech is already in its first draft. Message: Don't bother voting, Repubs. Related: Why there is hope for a McCain victory.

Another reason the press is going easy on Obama-Biden. Access.

Obama: A celebrity the world will adore. Maybe, but who cares? World adoration is not the job description. That's for Elvis.

A turn in the housing market. It will be slow, but it will happen eventually.

David Thompson takes a look at redistribution in practice.

Barone: Beware of the early exit polls

Meteorological image from Theo

Photo: A silver salesman, Lincoln, VT, 1940 (h/t, Dr X). I imagine that she's 54, with two kids in the army and one home helping with the farm, and that she wants this shiny junk because her life doesn't have much that shines except for Yankee persistence and love, and the effort that goes with it, but she knows she cannot afford this pretty stuff. She is going to look at it but plants her hands on her hips so she doesn't touch it, because touching is a step towards owning.

The San Diego Union-Trib takes on media bias. But that is just one MSM. Heck, even the Russian papers are reporting it. 

The Term Paper Artist. S,C&A

David Warren on Messianic politics

Ten years of physician-assisted suicide in Oregon. Now Washington State has the same thing on the ballot. Really, everybody should off themselves - for Gaia.

Speaking of which, letters from Jonestown.

The Paranoid State: The UK. It creates a State vs. Citizen model. Are they nuts?

Europe to force airlines to buy emission permits. Are they nuts?

Sherry with food?

What vote fraud? LGF

Biden loses it with tough questions. Related: Biden is a dumb-ass, but we're covering for him anyway. Yep. Nothing to see here. Look at moron Palin instead.

Barney Frank vows Dems will cut Defense, raise taxes, and spend lots of money. Voters can't say they weren't warned.

The Washington Times looks at VA, WVA and NC turning into blue. Related: How Wisconsin moved Left fast

Ponnuru: Ideological Conservatism and operational Liberalism?

The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp lost 4.8 billion in the stock market last year. Why are they in the stock market anyway?

Did you know that Obama said this in a church: "I am confident we can create a Kingdom right here on earth"? That's the sign of a false prophet.

Preventing a nuclear Chavez. WSJ Video

If McCain loses, I will agree with this explanation.

Where will Obama get the trillions he wants to spend? (h/t, View from 1776)

Campaign fund-raising fraud. Journalism Rule #1: Obama gets a pass on everything. (Rule #2: Destroy Palin.)

Stupidonomics at the NYT, with an ice cream shop

"We have to do this for Ted." Ted Kennedy's socialized medicine will be bad for your health.

Teaching tort law via John Edwards. Sheesh.

The change the Dems have already brought to DC

Is the race over? Not quite yet. Related: Dick Morris: Don't count McCain out yet

Hedge fund manager: "Goodbye and f- you."

Kurtz:

...get ready, any conservative or Republican who gains some notice for criticizing Democrats.  They won't just debate you. They'll do their best to destroy you.

It's called "by all means necessary..."