Comments on: Strength Through Silliness

By: Lord Peter

Lord Peter — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:48:44 +0000

The numbers are in and Obama has already won. Boris is just fishing for a White House invitation.

By: robuzo

robuzo — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:09:00 +0000

“these endorsements have never been statements about Obamaâ€™s readiness but have been pointed statements about how unfit for the Presidency McCain is”

This may be a bit unfair. I suspect that for at least some unsilly conservatives it is McCain’s selection of Palin, and the very real possibility of her becoming president, that was/will be the deciding factor in their choosing to endorse Obama/Biden.

By: Daniel Larison

Daniel Larison — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:37:09 +0000

I wouldn’t rule out the desire to be cool and trendy among some, and I wouldn’t rule out a bandwagon effect. Obamacons do tend to be libertarians, and they have fewer problems with Obama’s social liberalism. They may even find it attractive. Kmiec serves as a good exception to the rule. Kmiec has had a devil of a time defending his support as a pro-life move; he would have been well-advised to explain his support in other terms.

By: kranza

kranza — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:27:01 +0000

You’re still giving them too much credit, probably because you are loathe to attack them in unprovable bad faith ways. However, the reason they make the nonsensical pro-Obama arguments rather than sticking to reasonable anti-McCain arguments is that they want to be cool. Whereas not voting/voting third party is not cool, indeed it is the act of a weirdo who pointedly refuses to grant leftism the status it craves as the sane default center. The Obamacons grant leftism that status by voting *for* a leftist in their rejection of Bush-McCainism, rather than rejecting both sides. So they’re cool.

But also notice how liberal–really liberal, not fashion-conscious liberal–many of the Obamacons are in big ways. Eg, Buckley is libertarian; Kmiec, in one of his pieces, listed environmental despoliation and the separation of immigrant families as the two chief evils (along with the war) of the modern GOP; Boris Johnson, well, come on…

By: Turbulence

Turbulence — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:03:56 +0000

Conservative endorsements of Obama must necessarily be rather silly, because these endorsements have never been statements about Obamaâ€™s readiness but have been pointed statements about how unfit for the Presidency McCain is.

I don’t understand why you think it is silly to endorse Obama if one thinks that he would be a better President than McCain, even if one doesn’t care for Obama’s policies. Can you explain?

I mean, a voter’s only practical options are either McCain, Obama, or a refusal to participate (not voting, write in, third party candidate). Do you think that such voters should refuse to participate? Why isn’t “being better than the other guy” a sufficient basis for voting?

By: amassie

amassie — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:57:44 +0000

Tiny correction Daniel. Boris is not the Lord Mayor, just the Mayor. The Lord Mayor is merely the Lord Mayor of the City of London – ie, the Square Mile, more or less.

This does nothing to diminish the essential accuracy of your post.