I want to thank you for the banner link to the dirt cheap ammo place. I bought some Remington Vipers for my soon-to-arrive Henry AR-7, and as a new gun owner, I had no idea that you could buy 50 bullets for $1.67. Whatta country!
Posted by: Palandine on March 5, 2003 09:57 AMJust bought a few hundred rounds for my new 1911 from Cheaper Than Dirt. Pretty good prices, and no hassles shipping to Illinois, either (most online vendors either won't or make you jump through hoops). Thanks for the link.
Posted by: Spoons on June 6, 2003 08:02
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June 07, 2004
Please post your off-topic and general interest items here.
June 07, 2004
Why I Hate Commies And The New York Times (Pardon The Redundancy) The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Contributor: A President Who Listened: By MIKHAIL GORBACHEV It so happened that his second term as president coincided with the emergence of a new Soviet leadership - a coincidence that may seem accidental but that was in effect a prologue to momentous events in world history.And so Mikhail Gorbachev and co-conspirator NYT continue their mutual campaign of historical revisionism. It was just coincidence that Ronald Reagan happened to be President as the Soviet Empire was collapsing. He had nothing to do with it, not really. No, not at all. Communism just reformed itself. How could a hack actor have played any role in that? Besides, Reagan was a Republican, and Republicans have never accomplished one good thing in the entire history of the world. He was a chimp, see, Bedtime for Bonzo goes to Washington. And that's all. End of story. The real hero of the destruction of the Soviet Empire was Mikhail Gorbachev. And NYT, probably. It's bad enough I have to hear this sort of thing from the absolute Commie dregs of a bankrupt and soul-dead Commie tyranny like Gorbachev, but from America's greatest newspaper? I can only hope that in my lifetime I will also see the Times go the way of its ideological soul brothers from the Stalinist wing of the dustbin of history. The Times may not have slaughtered as many people as the Commies, but they covered up the corpses better than any other propaganda organ in the world. And now they're trying to bury Ronald Reagan, too. Why I Hate The New York Times: Chapter 718 The New York Times > Opinion > Ronald Reagan Looking back now, we can trace some of the flaws of the current Washington mindset - the tax-cut-driven deficits, the slogan-driven foreign policy - to Mr. Reagan's example.The man isn't even in a coffin yet, and already the gutless wonders at NYT are dancing on his grave. I Wish, Just This Once, He'd Been Wrong Steven Den Beste predicted: Bush won't do anything like this. He will express gratitude and respect for the soldiers buried there and will avoid reference to current events. Chirac, on the other hand, will use the occasion to lecture Bush, and Bush will have no choice but to put up with it. And when I read about it, I'll grind my teeth.How did his prediction pan out? Well, judge for yourself. Chirac takes a swipe at US and Britain over Iraq war President Chirac used the climax of the D-Day commemorations to take a sideswipe at President George W Bush and Tony Blair over the decision to ignore the UN and go to war in Iraq.Bush had to put up with it. And I expect that low, thunderous roar I hear coming from the general direction of southern California is Steven's molars doing terrible damage to each other.
June 06, 2004
Now FOAD Europe Recalls Reagan Fondly, Arabs Don't The former U.S. president was not remembered so fondly in many Arab nations.Let's how how politely I can put this. Mmm, how about: Fuck you, Arabs, you savage medieval barbarians living under savage medieval theocratic and barbarian tyrannies. Who gives a dead camel's ass what you think? "The former U.S. president was not remembered so fondly in many Arab nations." And this is a bad thing? Essentially, those now living in freedom remember Reagan fondly and those that seem enamored with tyranny do not. I would find it disheartening for those tyrants to remember any of our presidents fondly. Posted by Karen on June 6, 2004 03:15 PM | Link to this comment Sorry about the double post. I got an error message the first time I hit "post". Posted by Karen on June 6, 2004 03:16 PM | Link to this comment living under... You forgot, "Living under our sufferance." Oh, and Bill, you shouldn't have mentioned dead camels' asses. You probably got some of your hypothetical Mideastern readers all sexually excited 'n' stuff. Posted by SteveF on June 6, 2004 03:33 PM | Link to this comment Interesting WHICH Europeans remember him fondly. As we watch the protests against Dubya, it's worth recalling that the last time there were such huge crowds in the street were because of, yup, Ronald Reagan. Reagan's pushing the INF program through was held up as evidence of war-mongering. His calling the Soviets "the evil empire" was protested across Europe as evidence that he was either stupid or insane. The anti-nuclear marches, the pro-freeze marches, both generated unprecedented turnouts. (And the people who helped fund them and organize them were, in fact, often paid by Moscow, a comment which was blithely dismissed to me w/ "So what, the Soviets love their children, too.") So, watch WHICH Europeans mourn his passing. Somehow, I think it's more likely to be new than Old EUropeans. Posted by Dean on June 6, 2004 04:20 PM | Link to this comment Talk to any Arab in their own country and your conversation will go like this: The first sentence out of an Arab is “I don’t like your President.” The second sentence out of an Arab is “ I want to live in America. The third sentence out of an Arab is “Will you sponsor me?” Posted by Jake on June 6, 2004 05:33 PM | Link to this comment I'm reading No Pasaran, now THIS is interesting: Hopquin reminds us that at the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, 9,387 white crosses are spread out over 70 hectares (173 acres) (furthermore, 60% of the bodies for which the crosses stand have been repatriated)... Interesting. Posted by Sandy P on June 6, 2004 06:28 PM | Link to this comment (furthermore, 60% of the bodies for which the crosses stand have been repatriated)... Slowly but surely..... Posted by Bashir Gemayel on June 6, 2004 08:26 PM | Link to this comment Critics Were Shocked, I Imagine A Cold War Hawk Who Set the Stage for Peace But...but...but...I thought a hawk could never advance the cause of peace. Bulldoze the Barstids! Go on. Tell me the thought of doing exactly the same thing has never crossed your mind. As the State takes more and more control over our lives (eminent domain abuse, anyone?) expect to see more of this sort of thing. Posted by Toren on June 6, 2004 03:09 PM | Link to this comment I still remember the tank in San Diego, IIRC. Ooooohhhh, just once. So what if I'd look as stupid as Dukakis? Posted by Sandy P on June 6, 2004 05:32 PM | Link to this comment Foggy, Foggy Days The New York Times : Bush and Chirac Reporting Progress on Iraq Resolution PARIS, June 5 - President Bush and President Jacques Chirac of France said Saturday that they had narrowed their differences over a United Nations resolution establishing a framework for returning self-government to Iraq and could reach an agreement within days.I don't like the sound of this mechanism. And I especially don't like that Chirac seems to like it. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said the breakthrough was a letter the United States received from Mr. Allawi on Saturday setting out a plan to create committees within Iraq at the local and national levels to express the desires of Iraqi authorities and work out understandings regarding the use of American and other foreign troops.You know what this sounds like, don't you? US troops have to clear it with a huge pile of Iraqi and "international" committees before they can so much as return fire after being attacked by Islamofascist terrorists. However, if I thought GWB's sense of humor was quite this subtle, I'd be rolling on the floor over this: "Listen, the French are going to provide great advice," Mr. Bush said when asked what he expects France to contribute in Iraq.Nonetheless, I'm far too aware that the fog of war isn't the only miasma with which we must deal. There is also the fog of diplomacy, a much darker and more fragrant form of pollution, and I'm afraid GWB may losing sight of his own once-formidable will - and American effectiveness in the war on terror - in it. Or it could be like: Posted by Meezer on June 6, 2004 03:22 PM | Link to this comment No, And No Bush Honors D-Day Veterans in Normandy (washingtonpost.com) COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, June 6 -- President Bush Sunday marked the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy with a conciliatory pledge to Europeans who have questioned the American commitment to the transatlantic alliance forged in World War II: "America would do it again, for our friends."First, yeah, we would. If they'd let us. But would they? Second, are any of those who've "questioned" our commitment still our friends? Of course we're going to do it again for our friends. But friends change. And some were never really friends to begin with. Just finished Revel's Anti-Americanism. Posted by Sandy p on June 6, 2004 05:34 PM | Link to this comment
June 05, 2004
 Ronald Wilson Reagan February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004 Ave atque vale! (Graphic copyright Baron Von Lind)
Outside the Beltway linked with Ronald Reagan, R.I.P.
Excerpt: Fox News is reporting that former President Ronald Reagan has died at age 93. Ronald Wilson Reagan 40th President of the United States February 6,... "We shall not see his like again in our lifetimes..." Sadly, this may be true. R.I.P. Posted by Kim du Toit on June 6, 2004 01:49 AM | Link to this comment One for the Gipper He has broken down the wall And now to the Shining City Posted by dvdawe on June 6, 2004 04:45 AM | Link to this comment One of my favorite Reagan moments was shortly after he took office: Carter got it into his head that there was a gasoline shortage. He put in a government allocation system run by bureaucrats. Immediately long lines formed because the bureaucrats could not do as good a job as the free market. One of Reagan’s first actions was to remove the government allocation system and let the free market do its thing. Ted Kennedy threw a fit and predicted a huge disaster for America. Within one week, the gas lines disappeared. Posted by Jake on June 6, 2004 08:22 AM | Link to this comment heheheheheheHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Teri O'Brien at wlsam.com said Carter's sub was christened yesterday. And this also overshadows the beginning of Bubba's book tour. Posted by Sandy P on June 6, 2004 11:26 AM | Link to this comment I must (respectfully, of course) hope that KdT is wrong. I think RR himself would think that America will produce men as good or better than he in the future. Our country has no less promise than in 1911. It's simply up to us to find them. Posted by Gary and the Samoyeds on June 6, 2004 11:44 AM | Link to this comment I hope all the memorials and testimonials will have a salutory effect on Bush. Posted by Toren on June 6, 2004 12:24 PM | Link to this comment Just watched a couple of the network shows about Reagan. Best part was reliving his wit as he gently sliced and diced Communism, Leftist fantastical thinking, and Democrats. Posted by Billy Hank on June 6, 2004 12:26 PM | Link to this comment I'm old enough to remember the presidential campaign of Ronald Reagan, and the scornful media and political commentary he generated, before and after he was elected. Perhaps it was more one sided here in Canada than it was in the US. But I remember the monkey jokes (Mr.Smith Goes To Washington) and it is impossible not to compare that with the chimp jokes directed at George Bush today. I remember the strident protests that his economic policies would bring ruin. The vitriol was the same, the accusations of stupidity, of "warmongering" ring like an echo chamber of the past. Reagan may have never fired a shot to win the Cold War - but let us not forget that he was playing with nuclear threat. The tightrope he walked was far taughter than the one facing the west over Islamic fascism. So far, at least. George Bush is leading in the face of the same phenomenon. In 30 years, I predict there will be a similar convenient forgetfulness on the part of history of how stupid, how partisan and how absurd the criticism of this president is. Virtually everyone will be convinced that they recognized his great vision. Posted by Kate on June 6, 2004 01:31 PM | Link to this comment Any CSS Wizards About? I'm messing around with my new real estate blog again. Looks like I will be definitely getting it up and running for real this time. I'm having a bitch of a problem getting the (modified) style sheet to coexist comfortably with my (modified - I added tables) blog template. Anybody know why my blog body-text creeps closer and closer to the left side of the table the lower down it goes? Very mysterious. UPDATE: Never mind. I fixed it. And The Questions Weren't Abusive CAPTURE OF AIDE TIGHTENS NET ON ZARQAWI June 5, 2004 -- BAGHDAD - Iraqi police have captured a close aide to al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and the captive is cooperating with investigators, the U.S. military said yesterday.I certainly hope that none of the information provided came as a result of anything other than an offer of a nice hot cup of tea, and some polite questions delivered to Baziyani through his team of European lawyers. Irrelevant. Those standards only apply to detainees in US custody. Posted by E Rey on June 5, 2004 10:58 AM | Link to this comment Irrelevant. Those standards only apply to detainees in US custody.You only wish. If the Iraqis ripped this guy's testicles off and fed them to him with a good Chianti, you want to bet the US wouldn't be blamed if it got out? Posted by Bill Quick on June 5, 2004 12:08 PM | Link to this comment They needn't rip anything off of him, and I doubt we would hear objections about sleep deprivation or loud music. The chianti, though, might be a grave affront to muslim sensibilites. Posted by E Rey on June 5, 2004 01:35 PM | Link to this comment They probably put him in a burka and made him clean his own toilet. Posted by Sandy P on June 6, 2004 10:59 AM | Link to this comment Not A True Believer The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Circling the Wagons In a perfectly rational world, citizens would figure out which parties best represent their interests and their values, and they would provisionally attach themselves to those parties. If their situations changed or their interests changed, then their party affiliations would change.That's how it works for me. But then, I'm rational. That assumes the politicians don't lie, or change positions, or compromise on A in order to accomplish B, or vote on something without understanding it, or... At the federal level, I'd rather restrict the government to what it's Constitutionally permitted to do. That would greatly reduce the opportunity for mischief by any politician, bureaucrat, or party. Not coincidentally, it would also do much to remove the dreaded "special interest" money from national politics. Posted by SteveF on June 5, 2004 11:03 AM | Link to this comment Makes waaaaaay too many assumptions. I teach govt to grads and undergrads. Fairly smart bunch. Mostly have no idea what their own interests are, some idea of values. No clue, on average, to economics, statistics, or how human behavior affects policy. Almost totally unable to disentangle party positions (not that parties are any help). We don't have a responsible party model of government for several reasons (for instance: 1) district level elections with open primaries; 2) regularly scheduled elections; 3) winner-take-all elections; and so forth), none of which are likely to change in the near future. To say nothing about divided government that makes it all but impossible for parties to implement their policies anyway. Typical idealist thinking, especially when they believe a simple change to their view will get them what they want (the editorialist, that is.) Posted by JorgXMcKie on June 5, 2004 11:37 AM | Link to this comment And You Aren't Helping Much, Either Sorry, but much of Europe is the problem. The pope said that American society is turning away from spirituality and giving way to a "soulless vision of life." Where is the Pope getting this idea? Surveys show that over 60% of the US population regularly attends church. In Europe, church attendance is 6%. The percent of US personal income given to charity is two to three times that of Europe’s charitable giving. Europe’s crime rate is a third higher than the US’s. The US gives welfare recipients a higher standard of living than any other welfare recipient in the world. Survey’s show that over 60% of Americans are satisfied with their lives and are optimistic about the future. In Europe 60% of the people are unsatisfied and pessimistic about the future. The Pope has been listening to too many Kerry speeches. Posted by Jake on June 5, 2004 09:56 AM | Link to this comment Surveys show that over 60% of the US population regularly attends church. Surveys lie. The self-reported number of people who "regularly" attend church doesn't match with butts in pews come Sunday (or whatever). Even taking into account what the meaning of "regularly" is, or similar words in similar surveys, Americans attendance claims greatly exceed reality. I've read several analyses of this topic in the past several years; no cites handy, but you can probably search for them as well as I can. Charitable giving is an apples-and-oranges comparison. Several of the European states have official churches, which receive government money. That is, everyone contributes to the church whether they want to or not. That being the case, why voluntarily give? (The same effect is happening in the US. As tax-funded social spending goes up, private charity goes down. Go figure.) That said, Americans are much more religious than Europeans of European ancestry. Muslim immigrants to Europe and their children are a different story, but there aren't enough of them to greatly affect the statistics. (Yet.) Posted by SteveF on June 5, 2004 11:15 AM | Link to this comment "The stooped and frail pontiff used unequivocal language as he told the president that Europe must play a greater role in solving the world's problems..." Fine. Europe can begin with a splashy trial at the Hague for top Vatican officials, including John-Paul, over RICO-like charges of corrupt organizational practices for the decades (centuries?)-old pattern of condoning the sexual abuse of young people in their charge, covering it up, and perpetuating the practice. Is that what you had in mind, John-Paul? Posted by E Rey on June 5, 2004 11:19 AM | Link to this comment SteveF. These church statistics at least indicate how religious a person feels he is. So you can say over 60% of Americans feel they are religious and only 6 % of Europeans feel they are religious. If you have toured Europe and went through the churches and museums you would see most of them are pretty shabby compared to the churches and museums in the US. These European institutions are aggressive in asking for donations but they aren’t getting them from Europeans. Europe’s lack of charitable giving (for what ever reason) is morally bankrupt and should be condemned by the Pope. Posted by Jake on June 5, 2004 12:48 PM | Link to this comment Pope John Paul II yesterday upbraided President Bush, condemning the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S.-led troops.. Out of curiosity, what has JP2 said about all them mass graves in Iraq? Posted by Bashir Gemayel on June 6, 2004 08:40 PM | Link to this comment Out of curiosity, what has JP2 said about all [those] mass graves in Iraq? He said it's perfectly all right for Americans to abuse Iraqi prisoners because Saddam was much worse. Posted by Bob Munck on June 6, 2004 09:07 PM | Link to this comment Carry That Load At least he's honest about the job description. Another Part of the Elephant We Media Same as Community Journalism? Green Dumb There is no technology for generation, transmission, conversion or storage of energy which we currently understand or could plausibly develop which would be efficient enough, and which could be deployed soon enough, cheaply enough, and at a scale large enough, to significantly aid us in winning this war. And if it can't do those things, I don't care about it.Den Beste puts the skids to notions of overnight energy independence. Power Hitter? Daniel Drezner will be guest-blogging over at GlennReynolds.com next week, so be sure to stop by. See you later!First he fills in for Andrew Sullivan, and now the Blogfather himself. Has Drezner become the designated substitute for the blogosphere? If Daniel wants that role, ask him Bill. You've been pretty busy with job hunting and writing. Free ice cream! Posted by Kathianne on June 5, 2004 08:17 PM | Link to this comment Of Course, You Could Say Much The Same For The United States The only problem with Fund's analysis here is that, like so many European elections, this is not a contest between liberal and conservative, but a battle between liberal "conservatives" and leftist "liberals." There are no truly conservative dogs in this hunt, except in the eyes of the liberal media, to whom anybody to the right of Norman Thomas is a fascist. And Speaking of Alzheimers The New York Times New Jersey Senator, 80, Has a Second Act, and Sharper Teeth WASHINGTON, June 4 - The junior senator from New Jersey marched onto the Senate floor a few weeks ago and did something that stunned the normally decorous chamber:Lautenberg's teeth are false, and the only things sharp about him are his untrimmed finger-and-toenails. He's obviously gone all the way around the bend. The idiotic voters of New Jersey exchanged a sociopathic Donk crook for a senile Donk coot. I hope they enjoy the trade. Remember what L's original deal was: he'd pinch hit for Torricelli, and keep the seat in the D column. He'd time-serve for a few months, then retire -- so that the Dem governor could appoint a sub who could then run as an incumbent 1.7 years later in a special election. But there was too much outcry, and now L's been forced to actually HOLD the seat he won for much longer than he expected. It's bound to drive the senile coot even more batty. Posted by Chuck on June 5, 2004 09:35 AM | Link to this comment Other senate Democrats were given pause because they've got future prospects to worry about. Lautenberg hasn't. He can afford to let it all hang out. Posted by E Rey on June 5, 2004 11:41 AM | Link to this comment It's Over, Over There - Time To Bring Them Home The New York Times > International > Europe > On Omaha Beach Today, Where's the Comradeship? Perhaps it is not only the veterans in America, Canada, Britain and elsewhere who are fading fast, but also the Euro-American world they forged in Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944.You want my vote? Not only should he not visit the land of the cheese-eating surrender monkeys, he should begin arrangements to bring all our dead home to honorable resting places, away from the crapulous Frog sewer in which their spirits are dishonored now. I couldn’t agree with you more, Bill. France’s economy is rapidly sinking into third-world status. Politically, France is becoming a Moslem state. France is an outlaw nation much in the mold of Cuba and should be treated as such. And like Cuba, France’s greatest economic problem is that their best and brightest are emigrating to the US. Posted by Jake on June 5, 2004 09:09 AM | Link to this comment The French took our sacrifice at Omaha Beach, which probably only a third approved of. Remember Posted by narciso on June 5, 2004 09:17 AM | Link to this comment "...he should begin arrangements to bring all our dead home..." Until then, it's appropriate he should honor the sacrifice made by American servicemen. Screw the French, it's not about them. Posted by JohnO on June 5, 2004 11:38 AM | Link to this comment My father, a and present at D-Day on June 6, 1944, recently took a trip to Normandy. He was well received by the French, most of whom remember the ultimate sacrifice paid by the Allies to liberate their country. Calls for bringing home the bodies of our servicemen are unrealistic and shortsighted. Not all of the French follow in Chirac and DeGaulle's footsteps. Posted by Mark D. Firestone on June 5, 2004 05:34 PM | Link to this comment Not all of the French follow in Chirac and DeGaulle's footsteps.Looks pretty nice over in that best of all possible universes you live in, Dr. Pangloss. Posted by Bill Quick on June 5, 2004 09:50 PM | Link to this comment As Far As It Goes, Is There Anybody Left Alive In Bangladesh? Las Vegas SUN: Caribbean Floods' Dead, Missing Top 3,300 Another of the benefits of permitting capitalism, democracy, and the rule of law to lift third-world crap-holes like this one into the twentieth century is that every minor weather or geological phenomenon that comes down the road wouldn't slaughter thousands or tens of thousands. If this had occurred in California, the casualties would have been less than one percent of those in this disaster. Will It Be An 18-Asshole Course? Apparently malignant egomania is not the sole province of American sports stars. Ain't Gonna Happen
This is the archetypical wet dream of every spineless, irrelevant Euro Bush/America hater: Jacques Chirac whispering instructions into GWB's ear, and Bush listening - and obeying - as a good crude American cowboy bumpkin should listen to - and obey - his betters. (Courtesy Lucianne.com). Ave Atque Vale Reagan's Health Is Deteriorating - U.S. Source PARIS (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's health is deteriorating and he could only have weeks to live, a U.S. source close to the situation said on Saturday.My mother suffered from Alzheimers for three years before she died. It was horrible watching a wonderful, vibrant woman - to whom I owe most of the good things about myself - waste away into a living corpse. Now the greatest President of my lifetime is fading away. I wish him well as he passes. For those of us who know, though, he's been gone for a long time. In the “stopped clock right twice a day” file, YGB down there is basically correct in that Reagan’s death would benefit the GOP, and I think they will, for lack of a better word… “use” it, but I think they will do so skillfully, so as not to spark a ‘Wellstone funer-rally syndrome’. But it cannot help to be a boon. When Reagan dies, the GOP will have ample opportunity to celebrate (yes, celebrate) his grand life and the principles he stood for. And what will Democrats say? Nothing? Will they grudgingly salute him? Well, if they do, well, what EXACTLY is Mr. Bush doing that Reagan would be opposed to? But if they don’t say good things about a genuinely giant and revered American, how are they going to look? Now the rest of the world. They will HAVE to say something. And they face the same dilemma. What kind of statements will the French and Gemans make? How will their press react? If they treat Reagan based on what he did, they will have to loathe him as much as Bush. But that will demonstrate to every breathing American that many of our “allied” people who say the problem is Bush are in fact lying. Their problem is with America, or at least the vast majority of Americans that voted for Reagan twice. If they, even grudgingly, hail his “courage” or whatever… then they obviously will only appreciate courage when it is shown a couple of decades ago, as opposed to today. The death of Ronald Reagan will put a lot of America’s foes, foreign and domestic, in a genuinely awkward postion. His final service to his country.
Posted by Andrew X on June 5, 2004 11:46 AM | Link to this comment Band of Brothers Disbanding? CBS News | CBS Poll: Vets Favor Bush | June 4, 2004 20:39:10 And as both presidential candidates vie for the veterans vote in 2004, right now President Bush holds a clear lead among those who have served. Veterans are also more likely than other voters to approve of how the president is handling both Iraq and the overall war on terror.In those precincts where the Donks hold sway on the election commissions, look for it to be harder than ever for military votes to get counted. OT, but important for the election: Reagan's Health Takes Turn For Worse Reagan and his family have been remarkably strong and gracious in not using the ailing former president as a political device. Nor do I expect them to do so now. However, I do expect W, Rove, et al to do exactly that. If Reagan passes away between today and the election, it will be a boon for W. Not only will he ride the coattails of the many, many tributes and specials about Reagan, he will do everything that he can to draw parallels between himself and Ronnie. He'll climb Reagan's corpse to push for the tax cuts and the Patriot Act. And it will work. Reagan's health will have as big an impact on this election as the economy. Posted by Young Goodman Brown on June 5, 2004 08:20 AM | Link to this comment Bush (like Reagan, YGB) are strong leaders who have spoken clearly about their foreign policy objectives. Those who choose to put their life on the line no doubt prefer this to the alternative - waffling, dithering, and being guided by polls. Bush and Reagan also favor cutting taxes, and both would probably prefer to reduce government spending. So it may be true that these similarities will be noticed and commented on in the future, and noting similarities isn't the same as "climb(ing) Reagan's corpse". Posted by jaz on June 5, 2004 08:49 AM | Link to this comment YGB Kerry is the candidate that will be riding the coattails of Reagan as Kerry is running to the right of Bush. Posted by Jake on June 5, 2004 09:15 AM | Link to this comment Actually, it's not all that clearly a lead. Bush leads kerry 54% to 40% among veterans, but they only asked 170 of them, so the margin of error is 15%; the result is not statistically significant at the 95% level. The overall result, 49% Kerry to 40% Bush, has a MoE of 3%, so that is a real lead. Posted by Bob Munck on June 5, 2004 11:32 AM | Link to this comment Bob, you will, of course, apply the same rigorous standards to any poll that supports your own opinions, correct? Actually, I think you would. But I'll keep an eye out, just in case. Posted by Bill Quick on June 5, 2004 12:19 PM | Link to this comment I don't think you'll see me quoting many polls, because most of them are mathematically meaningless. I trained in physics and then statistics, and I've never seen anyone attempt to test a polling method by comparing pre-election polls to actual results. I really hate the whole "horse race" reporting that seems to constitute the content of a lot of political reporting. I don't even think much of the 49% Kerry to 40% Bush results that I quoted as being any kind of long-term predictor. They were mathematically significant, but not in any other sense. Posted by Bob Munck on June 5, 2004 01:36 PM | Link to this comment |
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"The former U.S. president was not remembered so fondly in many Arab nations."
And this is a bad thing? Essentially, those now living in freedom remember Reagan fondly and those that seem enamored with tyranny do not. I would find it disheartening for those tyrants to remember any of our presidents fondly.
Posted by Karen on June 6, 2004 03:14 PM | Link to this comment