Year: 2008
Quote of Tomorrow
McCain would, there is no question, be a lousy leader of an ideological movement. But the Republican party is not an ideological movement. It is a political vehicle for the American right-of-center. Those who confuse the Republican party with the conservative movement are indulging in a fantasy — that there is purity in politics and that there is something immoral about ideological impurity.
UPDATE: Ooops… I had a quote of the day already. Make this the Quote of Tomorrow then. Tam’s quote was a lot funnier, and I’d hate to displace it.
Huckabee the Big Winner?
Eric at Classical Values thinks so:
I think the vindictive nastiness turned people off to both McCain and Romney. And there was Mike Huckabee, a mild-mannered populist. Someone who doesn’t talk down to people like Romney, and who doesn’t frighten them like McCain (if only because there’s been no anti-Huckabee hate machine to further frighten those who fear the politics of acrimony).
Huckabee was a protest vote. And I think a lot of the Huckabee voters weren’t so much protesting McCain and Romney as they were the acrimony.
That Huckabee (a Southerner) was dismissed, derided, and laughed at by virtually all the MSM pundits might have been a factor too.
I have to admit, last night I, an anti-Huckabee guy to the core — found myself very soothed by the reassuring cadences of Huckabee’s voice, and the apparent simple humanity of the man, and it was immediately clear what happened. This might be irrational (and of course I am leaving out the Mormon issue — which sooner or later will probably be addressed by someone), but there it is.
The angry anti-McCain chorus (and the response to it) created a backlash, not in McCain’s favor, but in Huckabee’s. I think they wanted to get even with the “sides” — and I don’t blame them even though I recognize that last night’s Huckabee vote was in the long run little more than an act of retaliatory political vandalism.
Read the whole thing. It’s an interesting take on yesterday’s events.
Quote of the Day
This Google Analytics thing is the shizznit. It’s got more graphs than a Congressional subcommittee hearing and more buttons than a waiter at TGI Friday’s. I even know what some of them do.
I think pretty soon Google will know more about me than I do.
You can always count on rats …
Retro
I’ve noticed there seems to be growing interest in retro AR-15s, like this Colt SP1. I have to admit I’m strangely attracted to the retro look, and the A1 style handguards. One of these could end up being an impulse buy if I run across one at a show or gun store.
I’ll Play Too
The Year You Were Born |
 Gerald Ford becomes president of the USHank Aaron hits his 715th home run to beat Babe Ruth’s record Impeachment hearings are opened against President Nixon by the House Judiciary Committee President Nixon resigns President Gerald Ford issues an unconditional pardon to ex-President Nixon for all federal crimes Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in the eighth round to regain the heavyweight crown in Zaire Heiress Patty Hearst is kidnapped by and eventually joins the Symbionese Liberation Army Dungeons & Dragons officially released People magazine is published for the first time Kate Moss, Alyson Hannigan, Penelope Cruz, Alanis Morissette, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ryan Seacrest are born Oakland Athletics win the World Series Miami Dolphins win Superbowl VIII Philadelphia Flyers win the Stanley Cup Blazing Saddles is the top grossing film All the President’s Men by Bernstein and Woodward is published “Killing Me Softly With His Song” wins Grammy for song of the year |
What Happened the Year You Were Born?
I’m not going to put the year, since it’s depressing. But hey, at least I’m not as old as SayUncle.
SHOT – American Made Styer AUG
It’s about time. There is to be already is an American made Styer AUG, and it can be had in 6.8 Remington SPC too. My friend Jason has wanted one of these for a while, and now it’s looking like it might be possible to get one for a reasonable price.
XR9 – Backwards Loading
I’m not sure what the advantages to this design are, but it looks interesting.
UPDATE: Uncle says it’s to get a longer barrel in a smaller package. Didn’t think of that. One thing though, is I thought it was pretty difficult to do a straight blowback operation with a cartridge as powerful as 9mm? Hi-point does it with its 9mm pistol, but it also has a huge block of metal for a slide. Exceptionally powerful springs in this maybe?  Is that going to be reliable enough? Someone who knows more about gun design that I do can hopefully answer.
The Ron Paul Revolution
Ron Paul beat John McCain to come in second in Montana, with 25% of the vote. I’m hearing his campaign thinks they have a chance at winning Alaska.
Mitt took Montana with 38%. It seems to be that the farther Romney gets away from Massachusetts and the Northeast, where we’re all very aware of the fact that he has no soul, the better he does.
But back to Ron Paul. His performance in Montana would indicate he has a chance of taking Alaska, but if I were to place a beer bet, I’m betting McCain takes Alaska. What’s all this mean? It definitely tells me is that the free state project folks picked the wrong state to try to move to. They picked New Hampshire, when clearly Montana would be the better choice.
I actually hope all the folks who put a lot of energy, money and enthusiasm into the Paul campaign don’t get disillusioned and drop out of the process. I am optimistic that more liberty oriented ideas can resonate with the general public, if fronted by a candidate who can carry the message. Elections are popularity contests, and are only peripherally about ideas and policy. We need a candidate who can win in that kind of environment, and that isn’t, and wasn’t really ever going to be Ron Paul.