It is a new year and so a new way of doing things. In 2008, I plan on posting once a week perhaps more but mainly under the form of a column called “Love-Hate 08″. In it politics will still be at the forefront but mainly anything that draws my adoration or lack there of will be a contender so without further ado…
Love
David Brooks
Brooks a former editor at The Weekly Standard, became a twice weekly op-ed columnist for The New York Times where his column now once overlooked has become a must read for many conservatives. Brooks is appealing because of his demeanor and common sense conservatism and week after week I find my ideas be eloquently and calmly stated. A McCain man, Iraq War and gay marriage supporter he’ll be a columnist fun to read in the coming months of the election. His one flaw, he likes Obama. While I’ve tried to just put bloggers on my blog role, Brooks column will be on as well.
I originally read the Times for Maureen Dowd’s witty column and soon found Brooks as well. I’ve read his column for a year and a half but became a fan of his five months ago. Some of my favorite recent quotes…
On Mitt Romney
“The leaders of the Republican coalition know Romney will lose. But some would rather remain in control of a party that loses than lose control of a party that wins. Others haven’t yet suffered the agony of defeat, and so are not yet emotionally ready for the trauma of transformation. Others still simply don’t know which way to turn.”
On Clinton/Obama
“Hillary Clinton has been a much better senator than Barack Obama. She has been a serious, substantive lawmaker who has worked effectively across party lines. Obama has some accomplishments under his belt, but many of his colleagues believe that he has not bothered to master the intricacies of legislation or the maze of Senate rules. He talks about independence, but he has never quite bucked liberal orthodoxy or party discipline.”
On John McCain
“Everyone will make their own political choices, and you might plausibly argue that the qualities John McCain possesses are not the ones the country now requires. But character is destiny, and you will never persuade me that he is not among the finest of men.”
Hate
Iowa Voters
We should call Barack Obama’s win in Iowa for what it was affirmative action. There is a funny scene in The Office, where Michael decides who will replace him. He picks four candidates likable Jim, crazy Dwight, Cornell grad Andy and Stanley because quote “of all the good black people have done”. Watching the episode after getting The Office Season Three for Christmas everyone watching laughs at the line. While of course some black people have done great things, some have done horrible things like white people and Latino people and fill in the blank with whatever ethnicity you want. What kind of person would be so shallow to pick someone on the basis of his or her skin color? Apparently your average Iowan Democratic voter. In interview after interview, shockingly Obama supporter after Obama supporter (all white) said that they had voted for Obama to show “how far we’ve come” and said that experience for the greatest and most challenging job on earth wasn’t important, “change” was. Hell, why not pick that fat black woman from The View she has as much experience as Obama and she makes me laugh almost as much as the thought of Obama in the presidency.
So love David Brooks and hate Iowa voters.
