More great stuff from Hitchens on Hillary:
http://www.slate.com/id/2182065/

kishke on January 18, 2008 at 1:40 pm

For those who read his piece, “Coolidge” ends with a vowel.

kishke on January 18, 2008 at 1:43 pm

Hi Debbie – Your comments are right on the mark. I truly dislike Mr. Hitchens’ point of view most of the time, however, he’s right. Choice and voting are our rights, but squandered without thinking can become real disadvabtages to society.
What I can’t fathom is why no one, not the media, not the “intellectual” pundits, not the average joe, are asking the important questions. For example, “What are you going to do to fight islamofascism?”, ” Please explain why you feel spending and tax hikes for government programs are better than tax cuts for business and individuals?”, “What will you do to close our border and protect Americans and how long will it take?” Why do you, or why do you not support the incursion of illegal aliens on to U.S. soil?”. There are numerous others but the point is that these people are all skating the real issues. Finally, why are people not asking the most fundamental question of EACH of the candidates: “What have you done that is meaningful to us and what specifically, are your qualifications for the Presidency?” I tried to make this neutral but it’s plain to see that there are no candidates on the Democrat side with any executive experience, minimal international experience, or business experience. The Office of the President of the U.S. does not allow for “do-overs” or OJT

FreeAmerican on January 18, 2008 at 1:51 pm

Loved the embodied demonized Hillary photo. I’m sure Bill get’s to see it alot. Great shot.

Jim Phelan on January 18, 2008 at 2:11 pm

FreeAmerican,
I actually agree with you on this one. For example, I think Sen. Obama is a very impressive man and I have no problem using him as an example to the kids I work with at church of what you can achieve in America if you just apply yourself. In a time when it is predicted that 1/3 of all Black boys born in 2007 may end up in the criminal justice system if present trends continue, it is my dream that Sen. Obama’s ascendance nationally will somehow make intelligence, higher education, professional appearance, and speaking eloquently “cool” for Black kids (for example, back in my parent’s day, kids were require to wear “church attire” for school pictures and special school events. Speech and debate course were mandatory….and this was the alleged “unequal” education they were in getting segregated schools!). And at a time when 70% of Black children are being born out of wedlock, I like the image of family that he presents. However, that does not automatically qualify him for the presidency, any more than one’s ethnicity or gender should qualify one for being President of the United States, the most important job in the world. As you stated, there are some very imminent and dangerous economic and international issues we definitely will be facing as a nation that are too serious for us to get caught up in electing the “first” this or that. For example, at one time, we Black folks thought that electing Black mayors to head some of our larger cities would bring about substantial progress for our folks….instead things got worse in many cases. As Zora Neale Hurston wrote, “Just ‘cuz they’re your “skinfolk” doesn’t mean they’re gonna act like your “kinfolk”. So if a “first” happens with this election (the first Black, the first Woman, the first Mormon etc), great…..let’s just make sure their experience, management, political, and leadership skills makes them the best person for the job.

JibberJabber on January 18, 2008 at 3:30 pm

Hitchens often offers a pretty unique perspective, and can be pretty funny as well. What he, or anyone else I’m afraid, is not going to be able to tell us is WTF we’re supposed to do when this marxist/lesbian/neo-pagan is anointed president.
As for me, I’ll be retiring at the end of March, at which time my wife and I will begin preparing in earnest to live abroad. I don’t want to be anywhere near this country when God’s wrath comes down on it!

CornCoLeo on January 20, 2008 at 1:58 am

The Clintons are counting on the “less-than-stellar memories” of average Americans to propel them back to their former digs at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
An anecdote or two from the Clintons’ first term in office should help remind everyone just who it is we are dealing with.
Although Bill and Hill thought the public school system was just dandy for the “Great Unwashed” and their kids, every weekday morning, little Chelsea was squired to the tony and Very Private, Sidwell Friends School (2007-2008 tuition – $26,790 pre-K/grade4 to $27,790 grades5/12) by a Secret Service Agent.
One morning, Chelsea’s usual escort was unavailable to take her to school, so one of the Junior Officers assigned to the White House basement Communications Center, was tasked with getting her there.
When this young military officer showed up to do his duty, he was told by Chelsea that, “I’m not going with you, we don’t like the military in my house.” She had obviously learned her “lessons” well.
The Flying Curmudgeon knows this to be a fact, having been a classmate of the Officer in Question’s roommate, who confirmed the veracity of the story.
This particular incident came around the same time as another.
In early 1993, not long after Bill Clinton’s Inauguration, then Lt. Gen. Barry McCaffrey, U.S. Army, assistant to Joint Chiefs Chairman, Gen. Colin Powell, was leaving the White House. As he approached the Southwest Gate, one of the recently ensconced, female White House staffers was coming the other way. The general said, “Good morning” to the woman who replied, according to McCaffrey, “I don’t talk to the military.”
Coming in the wake of Clinton’s disastrous Gays in the Military debacle, this incident with McCaffrey was a huge embarassment, and couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Shortly afterwards, following a highly pulicized jog McCaffrey took with the President while in Vancouver, McCaffrey received his fourth star, and became Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command, in Panama, one of the youngest men in the history of the Army to attain that rank.
Coincidence? Perhaps.
TFC would have like to have been a bird up in a tree, as those two jogged by. The conversation probably went something like this:
POTUS: “General, just play ball with us, and when the furor over all this dies down in the press, I’ll see you get your fourth star and a major command.”
McCaffrey: “Whatever you say, Mr. President.
Do we REALLY want to go back to all this?
TFC

TheFlyingCurmudgeon on January 21, 2008 at 8:40 am