Reasons for Hope this Independence Day (2/2) (Guest Post)

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One hazard of blogging that I’ve lamented before is having an idea for a topic overcome by events. This is one time that this headache is actually a good thing. In fact, it is a very good thing. The first two parts of this are actually two separate posts that I had been kicking around, and the tone of both posts was very negative (you’ll see why). But recent developments over the last few months have given me a new hope that I have not had in a very long time. This was originally posted to my own blog back in April, and by the time I sent it over to Flopping Aces the topics had gone stale. I’ve made a few updates to this and another old post that missed publishing at FA – I think the changes and pairing the two make for an appropriate combo as we celebrate Independence Day. The first half, the pessimistic post, is here.

Knock Off The Loser Talk. This Fight Hasn’t Even Begun

That was the headline of a recent post at Townhall by Kurt Schichter. of whom I am generally a fan. The title of my post was going to be something along the lines of inviting Mr. Schlichter to perform a physically impossible act upon himself. He wrote his post a few months ago, when conservative morale was understandably low. Despite an overwhelming rejection of President Obama’s agenda in the 2014 midterm elections, the president decided to punish the American people for their defiance. Insane extra-constitutional overreaches on issues such as environmental and Internet regulation, not to mention executive action on immigration that he himself had declared illegal were President Obama’s response. And how have the Republican leaders in Washington reacted? By making some weak talk and promptly folding on every issue. Funding for ignoring the law? No problem! New nomination for Attorney General who promises to break the law? Sure, this confirmation can move right along. These cowards didn’t even have enough of a spine to correct the press when they accused the Republicans of “forcing a shutdown” over the Democrats refusal to fund only parts of the budget that were not illegal. You can see a good video where Schlichter makes his case over at PJTV, and Jay Cost at the Weekly Standard gives the argument for reforming, not abandoning the GOP. But as a follow up to Glenn Beck saying he was through with the GOP, Ace said what many of us were feeling: (censorship mine)

Yes, Establishment GOP, you can teach us that you will always lie to us, stab us in the back, humiliate us and crush us; but if you teach us that, be aware we are learning another lesson, too. Not just that “The Establishment Will Always Crush You,” but the lesson that There is no hope in any kind of conventional politics for those of us who want better than this Pile of S*** the two parties give us.

You can deal someone a defeat, but you contend with hurricanes when you seek to kill all of their hopes as well.

I am now well and truly convinced of the Object Lesson our Establishment Masters sought to teach us last fall and this past winter:

They will lie to us, always, so that we cannot even have an argument about policy differences with them. We cannot explain to them why amnesty is a bad deal because they lie and claim that they are already against amnesty.

They will not even respect us enough to have the argument with us.

They will betray us constantly, because they think they can.

They think that our desire for a better America will draw us to vote for the Least Worst candidates.But many of us now feel like the Communists, or the hardcore paleocons: There really is not a large enough difference between the two parties any more to bother oneself in terms of emotional and financial investment any longer

My personal thought on this was that if Republican leadership won’t even state the case for conservative, pro-American principles when they have the power to do so what makes us think they ever will? As much as I like the idea of a Scott Walker presidency does anyone doubt that even if by some miracle the Republicans gained every seat in the Senate and left Nancy Pelosi as the only remaining Democrat in the House they would still find a way to be useless? Does anyone think that even an overwhelming GOP majority in DC will have the courage to uproot whatever new bureaucracy the president entrenches to enforce his illegal actions? At this point if we’re going to screw this country into becoming another failed Socialist state I’d rather have Elizabeth Warren as president with nine judges on the Supreme Court that would make Justice Ginsberg look moderate. I’ve always been a “rip the band aid off” kind of guy. When one party is driving us off of a cliff at 110 miles per hour while calling it “progress” and the opposition party that supposedly represents me has decided to only drive towards the cliff at 55 MPH in the name of bipartisanship I’ve got a problem with that. I don’t want the slow death that Europe is choosing – if the bastards have got us on a path to this nation’s destruction let’s have at it so we can get to the part where we bottom out and rebuild. As long as there are a few Dagny Taggarts and John Galts left this country will always have the foundation it needs.

Or another way to look at the differences between both parties, to use an old saying the Republicans are pointing up at the sky and telling me it’s raining but when I look down they’re peeing on my leg. A Democrat will pull up a chair next to me, climb up and start whizzing on my head, the entire time laughing that I’m too stupid to appreciate what they’re doing to me. At least Democrats are honest about their disdain for me.

For these reasons I was ready to swear off any kind of support for any kind of Republican at the state1 or national level. I’d stick to my blogging and helping with some local campaigns where I have enjoyed some small victories, but beyond that level my days of helping were about to end. This is loosely tied to my next point…

I was wrong in my conclusion about how the press handled the Ferguson case.

Back in January I wrote about how the press ran a smear campaign to destroy Officer Darren Wilson over the Ferguson shooting. My angle was that I had misgivings about how the public fired back at journalists engaged in some incredibly unethical behavior.

While what Boseman and Robertson did in The Times was wrong, I don’t like the idea of anyone being harassed as they are, and absolutely do not want to see any kind of violence against them. Luckily for them, they did not offend the ideologies that are almost always behind politically/religiously motivated acts of violence in this country, so I doubt that will come to pass. And as much as I hate this kind of harassment, what other recourse does the public have against journalists who engage in this kind of malpractice? It’s not like they have a license that can be revoked, and however unethical, Boseman and Robertson’s actions were completely legal. Boycotting advertisers is always available, but it still is not always effective and affects everyone who works at said publication, not just the offending reporter(s) and editor. Is there a better way? I can’t think of one, so I’d love to hear alternatives in the comments.

Then again, any sympathy I might have felt for the journalists was dispelled toward the end of the column as Weigel sums up what seems to be the sentiment of too many journalists who’ve covered this story:

Wilson is being portrayed as a decent man who did what he had to, court of public opinion be damned. And there’s precedent for that. That “precedent” that he cites would be where Weigel likens the Brown shooting to the My Lai massacre. Stay classy. But even more disturbing is Weigel’s (and almost everyone on the left’s) notion that facts and evidence be damned. If you are the subject of the left’s anger, then you are no longer entitled to due process under law and deserve to be handed over to their lynch mobs, or as Weigel calls it, the “court of public opinion”. If journalists feel that the subjects they cover deserve nothing better than a lynch mob mentality then why should they be treated any differently?

I’ve been thinking on that one line from Weigel: “…court of public opinion be damned.” It seems almost unbelievable how arrogant our press has become. Forget the facts pertaining to the case, what the law and what the Ferguson PD’s procedures might be for apprehending a potentially violent criminal. The press will serve as your judge and jury, and if your guilt is necessary for a narrative they’re pushing, well then facts, and your rights, be damned. And of course, we need look no further than the current administration to see how if a person is favored by the press, there is no level of criminal activity that they’ll overlook. We’re going beyond unethical to viewing themselves as not above the law, but telling us what the law is as they see fit. In the words of the great Robert Ellsworth, “A peaceful coexistence is dropping out of sight“.

But the media still holds a powerful upper hand, and fighting back is no easy task, especially how we’ve just seen how they could arbitrarily destroy someone’s life. Between this and the Republican leadership’s desire for a slow death it’s been tough to not be discouraged. Then came three signs of life.

The first bit of good news – The Hugo Awards

The radical left’s Social Justice Warriors (SJWs) have a need to nose into every aspect of life where people are enjoying themselves to try to make the rest of us as miserable as the SJWs. We’ve seen them attack video games in Gamergate, heavy metal music in Metalgate (Yes, they seriously took up a campaign against a culture that takes pride in offending people and not giving a damn), and even science fiction writing. To make a long story short, on the sci-fi front leftists were uniting to push authors based on specific social agendas as opposed to the quality of work. The geeks successfully fought back, and Ace pointed out how in typical fashion the radical leftists took umbrage and gave the “It all started when the other guy hit me back” defense. Even if this is only fighting a defensive war it’s good to see the forces of sanity striking back, and winning. This reminds me a bit of the brilliant counter-protest against the Westboro Baptist Church at Comicon a few years ago, where the convention goers launched their own protest, beautifully mocking the stupidity of the WBC. Maybe the geeks shall inherit the Earth?

The second piece of good news – Memories Pizza

You know the story of Memories Pizza in Indiana, the ones who became the victims of a radical left wing virtual lynch mob after a reporter ambushed one of the shop’s co-owners and made her the face of the left’s latest Two Minute Hate. Conservatives responded by setting up a GoFundMe page that so far has raised over $800,000. Never content with a bloody scalp, the funding effort to help this family owned business was followed by radical leftist Pizzeria Truthers. Yes, the reality is every bit stupid as the name implies. And Steven Crowder was ready to expose the leftist hypocrisy by running a similar sting on Muslim-owned bakeries. Needless to say, outrage from the left on that last one was nonexistent.

It was also refreshing to see that Alyssa Marino, the reporter who first launched this attack has come under fire on her social media pages, and will hopefully enjoy similar scrutiny as long as she remains in “journalism.” Even better, the first prominent Pizza Truther, Alex Bryan from CBS6 in Richmond not only came under fire for reporting the GoFundme account for Memories Pizza, but also wound up under investigation by her employer. It is good to see malicious hacks posing as journalists being called out for their partisan unprofessionalism. But it’s much harder to build a campaign to assail journalists over their every day biased reporting. If only somebody on the national stage would give the mainstream press the punch in the teeth it so desperately needs…

The third piece of good news – Rand Paul fires back

Rand Paul is one of those politicians who has a number of views that I agree with, but unfortunately brings just enough of his dad’s Ronulan nuttiness to the table that will keep him slightly on the fringe. Around when Sister Babe and I got married a few years ago we went to a family gathering and one of her uncles asked me my opinion of Ron Paul. I responded that “I like that sometimes Ron Paul makes some great points and brings up arguments that nobody wants to talk about but should. Unfortunately, most of the time he’s Ron Paul.” Take that last sentence and reverse the “sometimes” and “most of the time” and that sums up how I feel about Rand. But when he’s on, he is on:

When quizzed on his about his views on abortion, Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul avoided the gotcha game and told NH1 reporter Paul Steinhauser to ask DNC head Debbie Wasserman Schultz if it was okay to “kill a 7-pound baby in the uterus.”

“Why don’t we ask the DNC: Is it okay to kill a 7 pound baby in the uterus?” Paul reportedly said. ”You go back and you ask Debbie Wasserman Schultz if she’s okay with killing a seven pound baby that is not born yet. Ask her when life begins, and you ask Debbie when it’s okay to protect life. When you get an answer from Debbie, get back to me.”

Beautiful. Instead of walking into whatever trap the radical leftists in the press try to lay he’s swinging back. Over at Ricochet, Jon Gabriel follows up on this in an excellent piece called, “Dear GOP Candidates, Beat the Press

Instead of waiting for her newsroom allies, Wasserman-Schultz released a huffy statement. “Here’s an answer,” the DNC Chair wrote. “I support letting women and their doctors make this decision without government getting involved. Period. End of story.”

She forgot to mention that Obamacare ensures government is intimately involved with this life-or-death decision, but I appreciate the clarity. To use Paul’s phrasing, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and the Democratic National Committee are okay with killing a seven-pound baby in the uterus. She doesn’t care when life begins and has no intention of protecting the life of any baby in the womb, even if it’s a minute from being delivered. The baby can be killed anytime and for any reason. Period. End of story.

Of course, rather than take Paul’s rebuke as a sign to take a hard look at their own biases, the media went into full on attack mode, suggesting that questioning a reporter who happens to be female equates some sort of sexism. Note how critical it is for all of the sexist journalists to focus on the reporter being female – would talking back to a male reporter get similar scrutiny?  I, for one, dream of a day when bigots on the left can judge reporters on their merits and not their gender. Since I originally wrote this post Marco Rubio blasted attacks by the New York Times that were so ridiculous that even leftist media outlets were questioning The Times. And for attacking, look no further than Carly Fiorina’s shots at Hillary Clinton. And as irritating as Donald Trump may be, Ace pointed out that the rest of the GOP would do well to take a few plays out of his book.

After too long of putting up with the self-righteous harassment of the radical left it’s refreshing to see that conservatives are finally fighting back. We’re still fighting too much of a defensive war, though. The fight needs to be taken to the left in their domains, and force them to put resources into defending their silliness as opposed to trying to make everyone else as angry & miserable as they are. As I suggested two years ago, college campuses are a great battleground to start putting the radicals on the defensive. But, as I also pointed out in that piece:

…all of this sounds like a real waste of time and a pain in the neck to bother with. We could just all respect other people’s views and have an adult conversation, but if that were the case none of this would have started in the first place, now would it?

Since that won’t be happening any time soon, it’s good to see that conservatives are starting to truly fight back. On a related note, as I was writing this post the subject of my ire from earlier, Kurt Schlichter, wrote a new piece over at Town Hall, “Time to Go on the Offense Against Liberalism.” While I’m not sold on all of his proposed tactics, his strategy is a sound one, and a theme I’ll be returning to more frequently. The fact that this is finally happening is a reason for hope. And dare I say it – perhaps change as well.

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1 I live in Virginia, where in the last few years the Republican candidates for Governor and the Senate lost close races. The fact that the national GOP seemed to pour resources into easily won races that could have been used here, along with some scorched Earth tactics by the local GOP after Eric Cantor’s primary loss have led to some bad blood here in the Commonwealth.

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One thing I take away from your post is that we should NEVER allow an obviously absurd story to go by without a fact-check.
All too often theLeft, the Leftist media and their politicians are trying to lie to us.
Just this week TWO major gay bashing ”crimes” were exposed as scams.

1. Julie Baker’s case. She lyingly claimed her neighbor was critical of her yard for being ”relentlessly gay.”
She claimed the police had gotten involved.
She collected $43,000 from gay supporters on GoFundMe.
It was all a pile of lies. (She kept the cash!)

2. Richard “Rick” Jones’ case.
Rick was the apparent victim of a series of vicious anti-gay hate crimes.
The Delta, Utah man claimed he was gay bashed, his family pizzaria trashed, their cash stolen over the course of a year.
Donations poured in.
Turned out he was stealing his parent’s money from the til whenever he could and his lies were a convenient way of getting away with it.
He was even bruising himself and carved ”die f*g” into his own arm to perpetrate his scam longer. (His family has returned all the money!)

Then there was another NYTimes lie:
The Scott Walker ”I’m not going nativist,” conversation NEVER happened!
Has there been a correction in the ”paper of record?”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/03/us/politics/scott-walkers-hard-right-turn-in-iowa-may-hurt-him-elsewhere.html
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/07/03/exclusive-ny-times-hit-on-scott-walker-dead-wrong-as-walkers-donor-class-meetings-raise-questions/

Meanwhile after two weeks of not taking any media questions a reporter got a chance to ask Hillary something.
Guess what it was.
“What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?”
Really?
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/07/03/reporters-had-the-rare-opportunity-to-question-hillary-clinton-heres-what-they-asked/

Rebuilding American Civic Traditions on the 4th of July

Coolidge said that the Constitution was created, “to establish a free government, which must not be permitted to degenerate into the unrestrained authority of a mere majority or the unbridled weight of a mere influential few,” he continued. “They undertook to balance these interests against each other and provide the three separate independent branches, the executive, the legislative, and the judicial departments of the Government, with checks against each other in order that neither one might encroach upon the other. These are our guarantees of liberty.”

Finally, Coolidge stressed how America must not fall into the trap of pure materialism, how the grand Declaration came from the “influence of a great spiritual development.”

Coolidge concluded:

No other theory is adequate to explain or comprehend the Declaration of Independence. It is the product of the spiritual insight of the people. We live in an age of science and of abounding accumulation of material things. These did not create our Declaration. Our Declaration created them. The things of the spirit come first. Unless we cling to that, all our material prosperity, overwhelming though it may appear, will turn to a barren scepter in our grasp.If we are to maintain the great heritage which has been bequeathed to us, we must be like-minded as the fathers who created it. We must not sink into a pagan materialism. We must cultivate the reverence which they had for the things that are holy. We must follow the spiritual and moral leadership which they showed. We must keep replenished, that they may glow with a more compelling flame, the altar fires before which they worshiped.

Radio host Dennis Prager has written about how “America Needs a July Fourth Seder.” Much like how Jews pass down their religion and history through annual reflection and discussion during Passover…

An excellent Idea if you ask me, considering the Democrat controlled schools have tried to erase such thought.

But there are other ways of honoring America on the 4th as well. I personally make a pilgrimage to George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon to place flowers by the Father of Our Country’s grave. Every year, I reflect on Washington’s virtue and fundamental belief in the cause of the Revolution; I find that my annual tradition deepens my appreciation of the man and the founding generation’s greatness, and enhances the meaning of the holiday for me.


4th of July: Seven Big Ideas and Moments that Have Defined America

1.) George Washington Stepping Down as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army

George Washington was in all respects a great man, but so were Julius Caesar and Napoleon Buonaparte. What made The Father of Our Country different? Restraint, and understanding that ultimately laws and institutions must be put before the whims of men, great or small.

In resigning his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Washington set a precedent that civilian authority would always be placed before the military. Additionally, by stepping down after two terms as President of the United States, Washington ensured that America would not be ruled by monarchy, aristocracy, or family dynasty. The founders hoped that the ablest would rise to the top and have the virtue to relinquish power. Naked ambition would not be prized, but virtue, duty, and restraint would be the hallmark of great American leadership. No man symbolized those qualities better than Washington; he was truly an “American Cincinnatus.”

2.) The Principles of Federalism and a Written Constitution

Roman republic had an unwritten, evolutionary constitution, as did Great Britain. Yet, Rome dissolved after degenerating into empire and tyranny, and Great Britain never matched the United States in either power or freedom of its citizens. The United States has a written, specifically laid-out Constitution that serves as the buttress of our law and institutions. This was a truly revolutionary moment in man’s relation to government. It created strong limitations on the size and scope of governmental power, while carefully balancing local and federal powers.

The great historian of the American Revolution, Forrest McDonald, wrote of the Founding Fathers, who cobbled together the 1787 Constitution, in his book Novus Ordo Seclorum: “They devised a new order out of materials prescribed by the ages, and they were wise enough to institutionalize the pluralism with which they worked and to draw their Constitution loosely enough so that it might live and breathe and change with time.”

Once established, McDonald postulated, the later generations of “pygmies” who came to infest the public councils could do little to to overturn constitutional government, which had “become part of the second nature of homo politics Americanus.”

Though now groaning under cultural changes that place results above law, that the Constitution has endured so many attacks and interpretations is almost a miracle. Those who fret that the Constitution is seeing its final days can draw inspiration from the plain text, which can be read and understood by anyone with common sense. This will always be a stumbling block to tyranny.

3.) “Republicanism” and the Idea of Patriotism

Unlike most countries, American citizenship is based on principles, ideas, and a way of life, not ethnicity. Ideas about “republicanism” and citizenship were derived from the history of Greece and Rome and passed down through the ages in Western thought.

At the Imaginative Conservative, Dr. Bradley J. Birzer wrote about Joseph Addison’s 1712 play, Cato: A Tragedy, which had such an influence on George Washington that he had it performed at Valley Forge.

Addison’s play was about the final days of the Roman republic, during which Cato wages a losing fight against Julius Caesar. In the play, corrupt sycophants in the capitol welcome their new tyrant, while honorable and virtuous men like Cato become anachronisms.

Juba—an African Numidian and admirer of Cato who recognizes republican virtue as one that his own people lack and that the Romans are throwing away—is told by Cato that he has more of a “Roman soul” than the corrupt men in Rome.

Birzer wrote of Roman republicanism, which could also be said of the American variety, “As Cato so wisely notes, being a Roman is more than being a citizen of a certain time and place. It stands for something eternal, something greater than any one moment, one place, or one person can contain. And, it has nothing to do with skin color, gender, or any of the accidents of birth.”

America will not survive without “republicans” who uphold its noble heritage. Fortunately, the country has numerous individuals to draw inspiration from.

4.) The Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg Address, and the Individual Rights Tradition of the United States

Abraham Lincoln once wrote of Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence in 1859:

All honor to Jefferson–to the man who, in the concrete pressure of a struggle for national independence by a single people, had the coolness, forecast, and capacity to introduce into a merely revolutionary document, an abstract truth, applicable to all men and all times, and so to embalm it there, that to-day, and in all coming days, it shall be a rebuke and a stumbling-block to the very harbingers of re-appearing tyranny and oppression.

Americans have been blessed with the Declaration of Independence, which stands at the cornerstone of our principles and heritage. This revolutionary document, which the Pacific Legal Foundation’s Timothy Sandufur called the “Conscience of the Constitution,” contains timeless principles that will always be an inspiration to those who believe in a “new birth of freedom” for the United States.

The Declaration of Independence, which talks about individual rights endowed by our “Creator,” was described by President Calvin Coolidge during a 150-year anniversary tribute in 1926. He said, “It is the product of the spiritual insight of the people. We live in an age of science and of abounding accumulation of material things. These did not create our Declaration. Our Declaration created them. The things of the spirit come first. Unless we cling to that, all our material prosperity, overwhelming though it may appear, will turn to a barren scepter in our grasp.”

5.) Finance Capitalism

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew recently announced that Alexander Hamilton would be either removed or diminished from the $10 bill. This is a travesty and a shame. Hamilton was the father of the American financial system which turned a sleepy, out-of-the-way set of colonies on the edge of western civilization into a burgeoning commercial republic more prosperous and powerful than any nation in the world.

On top of bringing great riches to the nation as a whole, American-style capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty than any system in human history. Charles Murray wrote for the Wall Street Journal, “Everywhere that capitalism subsequently took hold, national wealth began to increase and poverty began to fall. Everywhere that capitalism didn’t take hold, people remained impoverished. Everywhere that capitalism has been rejected since then, poverty has increased.”

No civilization has ever adapted to and embraced capitalism more than the inquisitive and entrepreneurial people of the United States.

6.) The Election of Andrew Jackson, and the Rise of the “Common Man” in American Politics

The presidential election of Andrew Jackson ensured that America would not be governed by a quasi-aristocratic elite but would include the broad participation of a robust middle class. The first “western” president who was the child of poor, Scotch-Irish immigrants, Jackson represented a new man in American politics. Born into neither wealth nor a family prominence, Jackson rose to the highest station in American life through merit and talent.

The political class in Washington D.C. looked down on Jackson and the assumed-to-be riffraff that he brought into the nation’s capital. However, Jackson and his lieutenants were neither a mob nor simpletons. Most were accomplished men— business owners, soldiers, editors, merchants, and small-time politicians—who were merely neophytes in DC.

When an old woman in Salisbury, North Carolina, was told that Jackson was a candidate to be president, she exclaimed in disbelief: ”What! Jackson up for President? Jackson? Andrew Jackson? The Jackson that used to live in Salisbury? Why, when he was here, he was such a rake that my husband would not bring him into the house! …Well, if Andrew Jackson can be President, anybody can.”

7.) America’s Role in World War II and the Cold War

In the 19th century, America was a promised land for those seeking freedom. In the 20th century, it became a crusader state liberating people throughout the world. Though this new role has certainly come with pluses and minuses, there has been little doubt that the U.S. has become the defender of the “free world” since it operated as the “Arsenal of Democracy” in World War II. Though some have argued that it was really the Soviet Union that won the war against Nazi Germany, it must be noted that Stalin’s Communist empire started the war alongside Hitler. By taking such an active role in liberating Western Europe, America became the primary defender of the war-ravaged free people of the Old World.

In the confrontation with the Soviet Union, all the principled virtues of the American republic were pitted against Communism and the Soviet Union. A constitutional republic empowered by republican patriotism and capitalistic prosperity stood up to to the collectivist Soviet machine which subverted the individual rights espoused in the Declaration of Independence.

Ultimately, it was the American common man who rejected the seductive leveling principles of revolutionary Communism and stood strong against an ideology which would, in the end, eradicate his freedom. New World victories over the “isms” of the 20th century are a great tribute to the enduring strength of the American people and the tradition they carry into the 21st century.

And it is time for the common man & woman to take back this nation from the money stained hands of the corrupt Washington DC establishment progressives.

4th of July: Five Patriotic Movies That Piss Off the Left

1. The Green Berets (1968)

2. The Alamo (1960)

3. American Sniper (2014)

4. Team America: World Police (2004)

5. Gone With the Wind (1939)

To Breitbart’s list I would add:

Mr Smith Goes to Washington

The Patriot

Democrats wishing to get in touch with their rich heritage may prefer: The classic Birth of a Nation Then Democratic President Wilson reportedly remarked of the film: “It is like writing history with lightning, and my only regret is that it is all so terribly true.”

For the Dem Party

Every 4 years Trump shows up about this time comb over and Macy’s, from the Trump collection red tie, firmly affixed.
He fires up the reactionary Repubs,only 20% of the Party and less than 10% of the electorate.
He solidifies the indies and minorities –what the f— were we thinking– in the Dem fold–about 45% of the electorate.
Dems cruise to victory in 2016.

Thank you Donald–see you in 2020.

Brother Bob could you please tell us what the final Hugo vote count was and why you believe this has any type of national significance?
In 2014 Republicans received 52% of the votes for House reps
In the Senate Dems received 20 million more votes than the GOP did
In the last 3 months which has seen the rise in the battle for the GOP POTUS nomination the GOP poll on party affiliation has seen a drop of 3% for the GOP and a rise of 3% by the Dems. The Dems are now up by 5-6 points.
The Supremes have already ruled against one instance of gerrymandering in the AZ case. Courts and the population are having an increasing bad taste left in their mouths from the GOP gerrymandering Congressional districts.
2016 IS looking good for the Dems
Americans are also really tired of shennaigans like the undrage Dominican hooker scandal that the GOP made up of whole cloth

I’m thankful Obama is our President and not Romney. Obama will be remembered as one of the most accomplished Presidents in 50 years DESPITE the hatred and obstructionism from the fuckers on lunatic right. Can’t wait to see their heads explode, lol!

@JisterJ:

You believe the world is more stable since Obama took office? How?

You believe the US economy is better since Obama took office? How?

You believe that Obama has united the country? How?

You believe that nearly doubling the national debt and the number of people on food stamps since Obama took office makes our economy stronger? How?

You believe that the middle east is more stable under Obama? How?

You believe our positions against Russia and China are better under Obama? How?

You believe our health care costs are better under Obama, despite 20-54% increase requests from obamacare insurance plans are better? How?

Obama and his leftist ilk have certainly fundamentally transformed America….just like meat doused with sewage and left out in the hot sun….

@rich wheeler: We still don’t even know who the nominees are going to be and here you are calling the election again. Trump is Trump and is not going to be the nominee. Blacks and Hispanics will vote overwhelmingly dem regardless of who the Republicans nominate so you offer no new news in that regard.

The election will be about whether or not the country wants a third Obama term, i.e. out of control deficits, expanding global terrorism, stagnant economic growth, huge increases in insurance premiums, a power abusing executive branch, big intrusive government, part time work supplemented by food stamps, and divisiveness. Chris Matthews and other Obama shrills such as yourself, called last month Obama’s “best month ever” after his two Supreme Court victories. As of this morning, according to the last three polls listed in Real Clear Politics his average approval rating this month is a tad under 46%. And last month was his “best month ever”.

I’d be careful about making brazen statements about the election this early lest you want to end up looking like Dick Morris whose super duper, super secret pollsters had Romney winning a landside victory in 2012 right up until election day.

@Ditto: The question is whether those ideas and moments will live on or continue to die their slow death.

@another vet: My election picks both Presidential and midterm have been spot on since at least 2008. I’m no fan of Morris or Karl Rove, who should return whatever monies they were paid as prognosticators .I’ve made no brazen predictions about 2016 other than the Dems. will hold serve and The Donald will deserve some credit for that.
Note Congressional approval since Repub. takeover has made a dramatic move from 15% to 16%.

@rich wheeler: I don’t recall you coming here predicting the large Republican gains in ’10 and ’14. ’08 was a no-brainer. If Obama’s approval rating is in the low to mid 40’s on election day ’16 the dems will have a hard time keeping the WH. Moondog Brown had no impact on Clinton’s campaign in ’96. Why would Trump have an impact on the Republican nominee? Using the same logic, then avowed socialist Sanders will hurt the dems because it will rally conservatives and turn moderates and independents away from the Party. The Congressional approval rating was just as low in ’14 as it is now and the Republicans still took control of the Senate and expanded their majority in the House.

Your party has been hijacked by the extreme left and has zero tolerance for anyone who strays from the party line. That includes Jim Webb. I’ve already seen him referred to as a Republican in Democrat’s clothing on a Washington Post article’s thread. You yourself said anyone supporting the thing being referred to as the Confederate flag (which is really the Army of Northern Virginia’s battle flag), as Webb did, is racist and has not moved into the 21st century and you are a supporter of his!

@rich wheeler:

Every 4 years Trump shows up about this time comb over and Macy’s,

I point out the maturity of that statement.

@john:

2016 IS looking good for the Dems

After 8 years of Obama?

@JisterJ:

Obama will be remembered as one of the most accomplished Presidents in 50 years

Or a racist, socialist.

@rich wheeler:

My election picks both Presidential and midterm have been spot on since at least 2008.

Though your memory seems to have gone to hell.

@rich wheeler:

Note Congressional approval since Repub. takeover has made a dramatic move from 15% to 16%.

I will point out that is quite an improvement from the traditional numbers of the Dims.

@another vet:

I don’t recall you coming here predicting the large Republican gains in ’10 and ’14.

He didn’t, his memory has gone to hell, as i pointed out. He’s not good at football and baseball picks either.

@Redteam: I ASSURE you I did predict the Repub. midterm gains in 2010 -aye chi could affirm and the 2014-gains which RT is well aware of.
In the 4 years I’ve been here I gotta truthfully say RT is the most dishonest poster I have encountered–a distinction he continues to affirm.
I have given him credit for picking BHO in 2012

@another vet:

The question is whether those ideas and moments will live on or continue to die their slow death.

Given the far-left’s continued bigotry towards Israel, Christians, Blacks or Jews who stray from the progressive herd mindset, their current protests against local police and their manipulations to reopen healed wounds of racial strife against “white privilege”, after decades of the races getting along, coupled with their work to destroy the traditional family unit?

I really don’t see the far-left dropping their old divisive habits anytime soon, and especially not under this President.

@Ditto: Lots of similarities between the causes of Rome’s fall and our current state of affairs. Debt, lots of people out of work, moral degradation, abuses of power by those in charge, lower standards for elected officials, complacency on part of the people, a large influx of illegals compliments of a relatively unsecured border. The comparison between the two would actually make a pretty good topic for a thread.

@rich wheeler: @rich wheeler:

I ASSURE you I did predict the Repub. midterm gains in 2010 -aye chi could affirm and the 2014-gains

By those margins? I honestly can’t remember what your predictions were. Something really needs to stick out in order to remember given all of threads I’ve read here. I think I was posting here in 2010 but can’t remember for sure.

@another vet: EX…2014 Senate I had 52-47-1 missing only Hagan in N.C and missing on the indie in Kansas.
Said there would be smaller % Repub. gains in the House. In 2012 I was within 2 on Dem hold in Senate and within 5 on final House numbers.
To say Webb is more Repb. then Dem. is like saying JFK would be a Repub. today. Simply not true. Both are libs on social issues though moderate to Conservative on economics and the military.
I do not believe ALL who support The Flag being flown in Charleston are racists. I support Webb over HRC which does not mean I agree with him on every issue–I do admire his Navy Cross for valor.
Re Trump His attack on not just Mexicans but S.Americans has INFURIATED my apolitical Bolivian wife and her friends.He has has directly attacked the fastest growing segment of the electorate–16-18% Unless denounced by the Repub. nominee you can not expect more than 25% of that vote—assuring defeat in 2016–I’ve said a Rubio-Kasich ticket has a shot and though I doubt Repubs will affirm that ticket I will reserve the right to change my mind on 2016 POTUS should they do so.

@rich wheeler:

In the 4 years I’ve been here I gotta truthfully say RT is the most dishonest poster I have encountered–a distinction he continues to affirm.

By dishonest, Rich is saying because I don’t agree with him, I must be lying. I won’t accuse him of lying, but i will make a comparison. Rich throws out the term ‘racist’ in most of his comments. I’ve pointed out to him that racists are usually the ones pointing it out. I’ll say the same about ‘dishonesty. And make a bold challenge to Rich. Tell me one thing I have been dishonest about. You were wrong on more of the Congressional races than I was. You can claim a correct prediction if you wish, just not as correct as mine. I”m sure you’re not gonna remember that.
Your assless chaps must be chafing today.

Despite an overwhelming rejection of President Obama’s agenda in the 2014 midterm elections, the president decided to punish the American people for their defiance.

There was no overwhelming rejection. Only 36.4 percent of all eligible voters even bothered to turned out. It was the lowest voter turnout since 1942.

Even if every one of them voted republican, you’d still have far less than one- half of all eligible voters sufficiently upset about Obama’s agenda to show up and express their disapproval of it. And the fact of the matter is that nothing anywhere near all who voted cast a republican vote. Only a few more than one-half of 36.4 percent.

The meme of “an overwhelming rejection” is a complete fantasy. If enough republicans come to believe it, they’ll most likely lead their party down the garden path to another lost presidential election.

I predict a Bush vs. Clinton match up. This could prove to be a very close thing, if Bush appears to move toward the middle. I was actually wondering today if Trump’s recent statements and attacks on Bush might be part of a clever political ploy to give Bush the appearance of doing precisely that. Trump attracts news cameras and calls out Bush, giving Bush high-profile opportunities to seem entirely reasonable.

Do republicans have a strategist who’s that clever? If so, Clinton could be in for a serious contest.

@Greg:

There was no overwhelming rejection. Only 36.4 percent of all eligible voters even

Numbers can be interpreted any way you want to. Obama supporters knew their guy’s agenda was in trouble. They stayed home. The average over time for off year elections are almost always in the 35-45 range. that year seemed typical.

if Bush appears to move toward the middle.

he’s already to the left of middle, you think he might move back toward right?

If so, Clinton could be in for a serious contest.

She won’t be the candidate, she’ll continue to refuse to answer questions and even the left will get fed up.

What we know for sure is RT is a homophobic racist—-and proud of it. After reading posts from intelligent folks like Skooks, Word, Aqua Another Vet and Tom it’s very difficult to read the stuff he posts. His world is pure fantasy—devoid of truth or even common sense–no mas.

@Redteam, #26:

Numbers can be interpreted any way you want to. Obama supporters knew their guy’s agenda was in trouble.

What part of his agenda has been reversed? What part of the Republican agenda has been advanced? These guys have accomplished nothing. Republicans have apparently called in the Three Stooges to fix the plumbing.

She won’t be the candidate, she’ll continue to refuse to answer questions and even the left will get fed up.

I think she’s probably biding her time, letting the opposition expose their vulnerabilities and beat themselves up.

@rich wheeler: Trump has already been denounced by the main Republican contenders so this is a none issue. As for the dems, I will not vote for another dem because of the crap they pulled with the war. It was one thing to oppose the war, but quite another to throw in in with the Moveon.org wackos and others who essentially called for the assassination of Bush and Cheney. The dem leadership (Kennedy, Kerry, Durbin) also made derogatory comments about us who served and no one in the Party, except for Rich Daley’s response to Durbin, denounced it. In the extremely unlikely event Webb were to win the dem nomination, I would not vote for him. If he were to run as an independent, I would give him serious thought.

@rich wheeler:

What we know for sure is RT is a homophobic racist

Those assless chaps got your brain in a bind. Does wearing them put a squeeze on that vacant spot in your head? When is your next pride parade? That a weekly deal for you now? You gonna cut your shrink in on your obsession? Rich is OUT!

@Greg:

I think she’s probably biding her time,

You’re not a Nascar fan. Every time one of them is in a wreck, he starts out saying. I was just biding my time waiting for an opportunity ….. Hope she keep biding…….

@another vet:

(Kennedy, Kerry, Durbin) also made derogatory comments about us who served and no one in the Party,

Kerry was actually a traitor to his country, could easily have been tried for treason, but hey, that’s Rich’s ‘kind of guy’.

Kerry is a decorated war veteran of the Vietnam War, having been awarded 2 Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and a Silver Star. His decorations were called into question as the result of a political smear campaign conducted by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth—a misnamed organization if ever there was one—and funded by a handful of wealthy republican donors. Their single largest donor, Texas millionaire jackass Bob Perry, is a close personal friend of both Karl Rove and John O’Neil, two other prominent lying jackasses. Their allegations against Kerry have subsequently been demonstrated to be totally without merit; a number of their sources have been proven to be outright liars.

This was the same sort of vile smear campaign Bush operatives used against another decorated Vietnam veteran, John McCain, in the 2000 South Carolina republican primary. Lies are how Bush and Cheney got into office to begin with; lies are how they sold the nation on one of the most costly and disastrous foreign policy blunders in U.S. history; and lies are how the the people who were behind it all have subsequently attempted to shift the blame and cover their worthless, lying asses—in my humble opinion, of course.

@Greg: Excuse me Greg, but you don’t know what you’re talking about.

The 1970 meeting that John Kerry conducted with North Vietnamese communists violated U.S. law,

John Kerry met with the enemy during hostile activities. You don’t have to rely on any other ‘Swift Boat Vets” or anyone else. He was clearly a traitor to the country. It was not a smear campaign, it was a fact. Do you deny that he met with the N VietNamese in Paris?

@another vet: Who has “denounced” Trump other than Floridians Bush and Rubio? Trump is 2nd in New Hampshire polls—-a split party gives him a longshot chance to get the nom.
I see Perry and Christie have distanced themselves from Trump’s remarks. How bout Walker, Cruz and Carson–3 of the top tier who’ll be in the debate. Where do they stand?

@Redteam, #34:

Kerry spoke with representatives of the government of North Vietnam in Paris during 1970 and 1971. He negotiated nothing. He was a private citizen at the time and held no public office of any kind. He had no inside information regarding U.S. government policy or the Nixon Administration’s goals or intentions. There was nothing he had any power to negotiate. Meeting with North Vietnamese officials in Paris broke no laws.

During the run up to the 2004 election, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth spent another $1.3 million on attack ads telling people in key states otherwise. It was just another angle they worked in their smear campaign.

As a Vietnam veteran, I pretty much hate these lying bastards. Apparently I’m not alone. A lot of unaffiliated swift boat veterans resent how the organization’s gutter tactics and backstabbing have besmirched a term that they were once proud to mention. They’ve discredited and devalued military decorations in general, in my opinion, calling into question the process by which they are awarded, suggesting that they’re routinely handed out to the unworthy. Worthiness or unworthiness apparently depends upon one’s political views subsequent to being awarded them.

Kerry has been a political target ever since he was singled out by the Nixon Administration as a person in the anti-war movement who must be publicly discredited. John O’Neil was originally recruited by the Nixon Administration and given that job.

@Greg:

Definition of Treason

“Article three: Section three [of the U.S. Constitution], which defines treason, says you cannot give support to the enemy in time of war, and here you have Kerry giving a press conference in Washington on July 22, 1971 (a year after his meeting with the communist delegations in Paris) advocating the North Vietnamese peace plan and saying that is what President Nixonought to accept,”

John Kerry meeting North Vietnamese in Paris

I’m not one of those people, apparently, that have a hard time recognizing traitors. I’ve never heard of anything that the Swift Boat Vets were wrong about on the subject of Kerry.

@rich wheeler: By your own admission, the majority of the Republican frontrunners have denounced Trump. So far Cruz is the only one who publicly supported Trump’s statement. The NH Primary is months away. Overall, he ranks number seven. Trump’s standing in NH doesn’t mean squat right now.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html

I realize you have a personal stake in this but his statement has little bearing on the overall picture. If I were in your shoes, I’d be far more concerned with the plight of your own party. If a failed Secretary of State with lots of excess baggage and no fresh ideas as to how to fix our problems is the best you guys can up with, it says something about the depth of your party.

@Greg:

Kerry spoke with representatives of the government of North Vietnam in Paris during 1970 and 1971. He negotiated nothing. He was a private citizen at the time and held no public office of any kind.

Kerry was still in the military (Naval ready reserves) until 1978. He should have been jailed under UCMJ regulations.

Idiot.

I’m not one of those people, apparently, that have a hard time recognizing traitors. I’ve never heard of anything that the Swift Boat Vets were wrong about on the subject of Kerry.

Only one person belonging to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth—Steve Gardner—served aboard Kerry’s boat at any time, and he was not present when any the actions under question took place. Every one of Kerry’s living crew members who were actually present supported the official accounts for which he was decorated. These are the established facts, readily available to anyone who cares to hunt them up and read them.

The entire Swift Boat Veterans for Truth smear campaign was based on lies, misrepresentations, and fabrications. That’s why so many people hold the organization in total contempt. It’s why “swift boating” now has a recognized political meaning. It refers to a smear campaign and an effort at public character assassination based on lies.

@retire05, #39:

Kerry was still in the military (Naval ready reserves) until 1978. He should have been jailed under UCMJ regulations.

Idiot.

For what? For publicly speaking out against a war that had gone on for too long already? He earned the right to express his views by going to war for his country and serving with honor—certainly more than you or a majority of similarly opinionated loons can say.

Kerry was an inactive reservist at the time he talked with representatives of North Vietnam in Paris. As such, he was not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It only applies to reservists who are recalled, or on active duty status for training.

@Greg: Absolutely, that’s what treason is all about. Giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

He earned the right to express his views by going to war for his country and serving with honor—certainly more than you or a majority of similarly opinionated loons can say.

By that standard Benedict Arnold would have been your hero. I don’t understand why you’re finding it so difficult to understand that if, in time of war, a citizen of the USA gives aid and comfort to the country that they US is fighting, that is treason. Kerry did several things that certainly fit that definition. It is not private citizens position to negotiate with foreign powers that the US is at war with. He should have been shot or hanged.

@Greg:

The entire Swift Boat Veterans for Truth smear campaign was based on lies, misrepresentations, and fabrications.

What else would you expect libs to say? The campaign worked, he didn’t get elected. That’s long in the past, and at the time Lurch had no support for his side in the story and the public believed the story and he lost. Great Story.

@Redteam, #42:

Benedict Arnold actually committed treason against his country. As an American military commander, he agreed to turn West Point over to British forces in return for money and a high-ranking officer’s position in the British army.

@Redteam, #43:

What else would you expect libs to say? The campaign worked, he didn’t get elected. That’s long in the past, and at the time Lurch had no support for his side in the story and the public believed the story and he lost. Great Story.

A group of politically motivated veterans stabbed a decorated brother in arms in the back. The weapons they used were lies. The fact that contemptible lies sometimes work doesn’t change the fact that they’re contemptible lies. They dishonored themselves and the uniforms they formerly wore. Something similar was done earlier to John McCain. Over two decades after he was released from captivity, a couple of former comrades suddenly and publicly decided he was actually a traitor and collaborator with the enemy.

@Greg:

For what? For publicly speaking out against a war that had gone on for too long already?

Obviously you are not familiar with the UCMJ. I suggest you make time for that so you don’t look like the idiot you are.

Kerry was an inactive reservist at the time he talked with representatives of North Vietnam in Paris.

Wrong, Bubba. But hey, if someone smears a whole generation of our military, that’s your guy.

@Greg:

Benedict Arnold actually committed treason against his country.

But he was still a decorated war hero. Just like Kerry (Arnold actually earned his accolades, unlike Kerry). Both decorated heroes, both traitor to their nation. Only difference is that idiots like you supported Kerry. The Patriots did not support Arnold. Arnold left the nation in disgrace; Kerry gets promoted to Secretary of State so he can continue stabbing the nation in the back.

@another vet: The Latino vote is 16-18%. The African American vote is 11-12%. Do you think it possible to win a National Election if you lose 80% 0f 28%—
Obviously Rick Perry doesn’t think so–This late and tepid response to Trump’s statements may not be enough to quell the furor of American Latinos that will make HRC our first female POTUS.
It’s just a matter of time before this clown pisses off the women—Dem pols love this guy.

@retire05:

Obviously you are not familiar with the UCMJ. I suggest you make time for that so you don’t look like the idiot you are.

You don’t know what you’re talking about.

Inactive reservists are only subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice when they are in inactive duty training. Kerry was released from active duty and transferred to inactive reserves on January 3, 1970. (Two days after I arrived in Vietnam, by the way.) He was never in active status at any time afterward. He was not in inactive duty training while in Paris, nor at any other time after January 3, 1970.

Here’s an interesting paragraph from an article that appeared on Military.com:

There are those who are already so entrenched in their hatred of Kerry, that no official Navy records, no verified eye-witness testimony, no facts will every cause them to re-evaluate their point of view. However, I am assured that there are many who, regardless of their political background, are interested the facts and see knowledge as an evolutionary process, and who take the time to research their opinions and speak from a foundation of fact. It clearly is not necessary to like John Kerry, or agree with his record as a Senator, but it seems to me that a vicious attack on any man’s integrity and honor deserves to be based on something other than lies and distortions. Well, here are some facts based on the official Navy record, Navy messages, the Navy archives, and the statements of witnesses who were really there.

That first sentence would apply to you. The balance of the paragraph would not. You’re one of those who won’t even look at such an article. You’re not receptive to any truth that gets in the way of your prejudices and preconceived notions. You live in the little brain-vacuum bubble that is the right wing propaganda universe.

@Greg:

Yeah, that Wade Sanders is a really standup, honorable guy. That is why he was sentenced to 37 months prison time for possession of child pornography in 2008 and disbarred.

Absolutely no chance that such a low life would lie about his good friend, John Kerry.

“Once he had it made. Navy “swift boat” captain in Vietnam and pal of John Kerry, Wade Sanders was a much-decorated combat veteran and Democrat bigshot like the lanky senator from Massachusetts. Sanders, a retired four-striper from San Diego, was so politically plugged-in, he landed a job as assistant secretary of the Navy during the Clinton administration.

But a child porn conviction sent him to prison, and now the ex-captain has been stripped of one of America’s highest decorations for valor. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has ordered Sander’s award of the Silver Star revoked. It was an extraordinary action, especially in view of the fact that the Dems are in power, yet chose to punish one of their own. We don’t know if Kerry accepts collect calls from the slammer, but we’re fairly certain most of Sander’s high-power political friends have long since run for cover.”

I just love it, Gullible Greggie, when idiots like you use Wade Sanders to substantiate John Kerry’s credibility.

@retire05, #49:

That would have something to do with the facts presented surrounding the Swiftboaters’ smear campaign?

Sanders didn’t create the facts. He simply presented them. The same facts can be found elsewhere. Have you got some sh-t to smear on Admiral Zumwalt? How about former Senator John Warner, a republican? Or Vice Admiral Ronald A. Route, the Navy Inspector General? They all defended Kerry, and the validity of his decorations, didn’t they? As did Kerry’s crew members who saw what happened with their own eyes. But you want to change the subject to child pornography, because you don’t like what the actual facts of the case clearly add up to…