I wouldn't reconsider my vote for Barack Hussein Obama, in other words, and when he takes the oath, I hope to have a ringside seat. I already know something about "the speech" and its Lincolnian tropes. (If you want your own understated preview, take a look at what he said to the crowd in Baltimore Saturday, as his whistle-stop train made its way from Philadelphia to D.C.'s Union Station.) But, on the last day of his presidency, I want to say why I still do not wish that Al Gore had beaten George W. Bush in 2000 or that John Kerry had emerged the victor in 2004.The rest is here.
More from Victor Davis Hanson - Bush Considered
It is a great "what if". What if Al Gore had been president on Sept 11th.
The GOP controlled congress so I suspect that Al Gore would have gone bigger in his Afghani war aims than Bush did. Remember how everyone was concerned about how america would react, how happy they were that Bush seemed thoughtful and deliberate in his response to Sept 11th.
I think a GOP congress would have been braying at Gore and he would have gone bigger and earlier, which would have not been better. More aerial bombing, less use of indegenous allies and it would have looked more like the Soviet invasion.
Rumsfield was the one pushing for special ops and lighter footprint, over the joint Chiefs concerns. Gore would have goven into the joint Chiefs.
Sanctions on Iraq wold have broken, and who knows what the result would have been. maybe there would have been a larger war...beween Iraq and Iran, between Israel and Iraqi proxies...maybe Saudi would have been invaded and the US drawn in no matter what. All plausible scenarios.
It is clear that there was going to be faceoff between the US and Hussein at some point.
Whetehr it is better to be pre emptive or preventative is the question. There is an argument that democracies require a "just cause" to animate the population. This means that despite seeing the punch coming, it needs to land first before you can roundhouse the other guy.
Who knows, and like hitchens, given the choices at the time I hink the american people made the right ones. I also think they made the right chocie this time. The nice thing about the US system is that in two years they get to pronounce significant judgement on congress that will either reinforce or constrain President Obama.
But I am glad it isnt President Kerry taking his second oath of office.
I believe if anyone other than Bush had been in office that day, everything would have been drastically different.
Bush was ever perfect but he was also never Gore, Kerry or- now- Obama.
Drink-soaked Trotskyite popinjay...
Bit off topic. Love this one, from the New York Times...
"President Bush's inauguration will have the theme "Celebrating Freedom, Honoring Service" and will focus on American troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, inaugural organizers say. In a conference call with reporters, the organizers also said Wednesday that the four days of celebrations, from Jan. 18 through Jan. 21, would cost $30 million to $40 million. As recently as last week, officials put the inaugural celebrations' cost at $40 million-plus and said they would be the most expensive in history. Since then, the inaugural committee has come under some criticism as extravagant at a time when Americans are fighting overseas."
Sorry, here's the link...
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E0D71430F934A25751C1A9629C8B63
They call him the Big O.... Canada has the Big I (Iggy) .... I O I O....hmmm..
Note Obama's speech well and keep an ear for hearing much of it parroted by Puffin Iggy.
He's already going on about "change" and "hope" should soon follow. Hasn't he cobbled up something called a "change commission"?
Posted by: Edward Teach at January 20, 2009 11:04 AM
"Drink-soaked Trotskyite popinjay..."
And as Bernard Goldberg might add ..... 'slobbering'
I've read the speech. The Lincoln comparisons can stop now.
Check out Lincoln's inaugural speeches. Obama is just a cheap knock-off of the real thing.
Stop already with the comparisons to assassinated Presidents!! First Kennedy, now Lincoln...look, I am not thrilled with Obama. Like many here and elsewhere, I am willing to give the man chance to work his "magic" or fail miserably, only time will tell. But what I cannot even conceive of is his untimely demise -- and the prospect of Lie-den or the Hildebeast as our nation's leader.
All those willing to give the Anointed One a chance will be sadly disappointed. Once he works his "magic", it's all over. There is no turning back. Pass the baton of world leadership to China and watch the Obomination sink quietly out of sight and mind.
There's actually a decent article over at the CBC too, of all places.
Revisiting the Bush legacy
You call that a decent article, Denis?
I call that minimizing all Bush's achievements and highly selective fact-acknowledgement.
words, words, too many words all meaning nothing.
nac: "I O I O"
Are you saying the problem is binary?
That's what I said :)
I wouldn't call it a great article, but it seemed like a veritable breath of fresh air for the CBC.
KevinB with these two in office Iggy Obama, then the song: io io its off to work we go.... to pay for all the social programs these two want to implement.
Drink-soaked Trotskyite popinjay..
Yes
http://www.drinksoakedtrotsforwar.com/