Obama makes a point

"We can spend billion after billion on education in this country. We can develop a program for every problem imaginable and we can fund those programs with every last dime we have. But there is no program and no policy that can substitute for a parent who is involved in their child's education from day one," he said.
Obama said he would accredit college programs, remove poorly performing teachers from classrooms and increase time spent on math and science instruction. He said mentoring programs are key to keeping good teachers involved and improving struggling ones.

Barry O. has a point, even if it is buried in the context of a very Democrat-like 18 Billion dollar spending bill. Actually, a Democrat telling the truth about his spending plans is kind of different by itself. Anyway, the accountability angle wins him a point.

Huckabee whiffs

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee rejects letting states decide whether to allow abortions, claiming the right to life is a moral issue not subject to multiple interpretations.
"It's the logic of the Civil War," Huckabee said Sunday, comparing abortion rights to slavery. "If morality is the point here, and if it's right or wrong, not just a political question, then you can't have 50 different versions of what's right and what's wrong."

Dear Mike: The law of this land requires that these issues be left to the states. Regardless of how you feel about slavery or abortion, you would first have to change how laws are made. Or is government to become whatever you want it to be? That's precisely how we got into this mess. Mike, we were hoping you would make some progress here. Instead, you lose a point.

Debate Double Feature

Politico's Roger Simon reports:

Though often accused of not being clear on what she would do to save the Social Security system, Clinton was very clear during the debate about one thing: She was against Obama’s plan to increase Social Security taxes on some people making more than $97,000 a year. “I do not want to fix the problems of Social Security on the backs of middle-class families and seniors,” she said.
“If you lift the cap completely, that is a $1 trillion tax increase. I don't think we need to do that.” A visibly upset Obama responded: “Understand that only 6 percent of Americans make more than $97,000 a year. So six percent is not the middle class. It is the upper class!”

Score one for Hillary, and take one away from Barry.

Dodd, McCain, Clinton +1
Obama, Thompson -1

Globaloney Comes Full Circle

According to a recent report, we're ostensibly not offsetting enough carbon molecules.

First the "scientists" tell us that emissions are not pure enough. So engineers invent scrubbers, now emissions can be pure. Then the "scientists" say the pure emissions (carbon dioxide) are the problem, so the politicians invent carbon offsets. Everybody plants trees. The "scientists" tell us it isn't working.

I see where this is going. I say we tell the "scientists" to take a long hike off a short pier.

Fred Fumbles

"I do not think it is a wise thing to criminalize young girls and perhaps their parents as aiders and abettors." He then went further: "You can't have a [federal] law" that "would take young, young girls . . . and say, basically, we're going to put them in jail." -- Fred Thompson, NBC's Meet the Press, Sunday 11/4/2007

Letting liberals frame the issues is the surest sign of a weak candidate. This issue is too important to let outlying/spurious/inflammatory arguments see the light of day. This issue of Roe v. Wade is about many important things, especially about States rights, and the over-reach of the judiciary, and how laws are made in this country. To even suggest that it is about "putting little girls in jail" is an argument only an irrational leftist would would be expected to advance. Fred, I have to deduct a point. Thanks for playing, and do try to keep up.

(Dodd 1; McCain 1; Thompson -1).

McCain scores in Iowa

News item: Ames, Ia. - Presidential candidate John McCain told biofuel proponents here Monday night that he opposes government subsidies on ethanol the same way he opposes subsidies on other products, including oil. --The Des Moines Register

What's remarkable about John McCain's statement is that he went into Ames Iowa to say it. Getting it right in the middle of people praying to hear the other answer takes a lot of guts. John McCain gets a point for being right. Meanwhile, Chris Dodd at the same confab couldn't resist mentioning global warming and talking up a carbon tax. I was tempted to deduct a point for that, but it's not exceptionally bright or stupid to talk about such things if you are a democrat.

Tally: (Dodd 1, McCain 1)

Dodd Draws First Blood

I'm as forthright and progressive on immigration policy as anyone here. But we're dealing with a serious problem here ... The idea that we're going to extend this privilege here of a driver's license I think is troublesome, and I think the American people are reacting to it."

"We need to deal with security on our borders. We need to deal with the attraction that draws people here. We need to deal fairly with those who are here. But this is a privilege. Talk about health care, I have a different opinion. That affects the public health of all of us. But a license is a privilege, and that ought not to be extended, in my view." -- Christopher Dodd, Oct 31, 2007.

Christopher Dodd wasn't even on my radar; and here he is scoring the first points in the debate. I gave it to him as the only Democrat to get it right. The republicans may also get it right, but they don't get the score. They're supposed to get this one right. (Score: Dodd, 1, everyone else, 0).

Election Season Begins

A democracy is a place where numerous elections are held, at great cost, without issues, and with interchangeable candidates. – Gore Vidal

Popular suffrage is in itself no guarantee of freedom. People can vote themselves into slavery. – Frank Chodorov

An election is nothing more than an advance auction of stolen goods. - Ambrose Bierce

I thought I would take more interest in the election by this time, it being now one year from the 2008 presidential election. Generating enthusiasm is difficult when all the leading candidates have voiced their continuing support for "the error of big government". At this point, the choice now has to be made among those who have already declared to run. So let's see where we are with that:

On the Republican side, the two most presidential candidates (Huckabee and Hunter) act like they are running for vice-president, which leaves the field of true aspirants to Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, Paul, and McCain. Of them, only Paul supports the constitution, but in such a way to make people tired of hearing about it. McCain waffles on the most important issues, and takes strong stands on the least of them. Thompson took extra time to plan his entry, and then tired of the race almost immediately. Who does that leave? Rudy and Mitt. Mitt probably is more qualified, but could easily disappear in his own photo op. This leaves Rudy, who has quite a few eliminating attributes himself.

Fortunately, they only have to beat the Democrats. We have Barack Obama whose best hope is to become the next Dan Quayle. We have John Edwards who comes across as the ambulance chasing con-artist he is. Finally, there's Hillary. A recent poll showed that there were 56% of likely votors who would never vote for her. I'll leave the math to you, but in a two party election, that would have to be a concern.

With this field of candidates, I would suppose that a large number of likely voters would start to become less likely to vote as November approaches. I think at this point we have to give everybody a do-over. I'll resolve to do my part. I intend to watch and listen carefully to the candidates, and if they say something that fits in the top 10% of profundity or in the bottom 10%. We can keep a running score on who would be the best candidates.

If there are few postings here, that would signal that nobody has earned your vote, and neither has anybody disearned it. The fun starts tomorrow, so be sure and check with us often.