A Grand Illusion

This sounds lacking all nuance–because it is–but unabashed bitching is the reason why Republicans keep winning elections. The democrats need to stop their unifying the country rhetoric and constant capitulation to the Bush administration and start filibustering everything. Filibuster the appointment of the White House men’s room attendant for all I care. Just fight back! If they want a divided country they can have it. There will be plenty of time to unify come November 2006.

Hitchens:

So here is what I want to say on the absolutely crucial matter of secularism. Only one faction in American politics has found itself able to make excuses for the kind of religious fanaticism that immediately menaces us in the here and now. And that faction, I am sorry and furious to say, is the left. From the first day of the immolation of the World Trade Center, right down to the present moment, a gallery of pseudointellectuals has been willing to represent the worst face of Islam as the voice of the oppressed. How can these people bear to reread their own propaganda? Suicide murderers in Palestine—disowned and denounced by the new leader of the PLO—described as the victims of “despair.” The forces of al-Qaida and the Taliban

represented as misguided spokespeople for antiglobalization. The blood-maddened thugs in Iraq, who would rather bring down the roof on a suffering people than allow them to vote, pictured prettily as “insurgents” or even, by Michael Moore, as the moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers. If this is liberal secularism, I’ll take a modest, God-fearing, deer-hunting Baptist from Kentucky every time, as long as he didn’t want to impose his principles on me (which our Constitution forbids him to do).

Hitchens makes a good point here though he’s quick to avoid the nuances of the counterargument as usual. The fact is that the Constitution, for example, doesn’t explicitly cover the right of a woman to have an abortion (remember Blackmun’s penumbras decision) or the right to marry whomever you want. And many of his mild-mannered deer-hunting Kentuckians are trying to codify laws to restrict or prohibit these.

Hitchens:

So here is what I want to say on the absolutely crucial matter of secularism. Only one faction in American politics has found itself able to make excuses for the kind of religious fanaticism that immediately menaces us in the here and now. And that faction, I am sorry and furious to say, is the left. From the first day of the immolation of the World Trade Center, right down to the present moment, a gallery of pseudointellectuals has been willing to represent the worst face of Islam as the voice of the oppressed. How can these people bear to reread their own propaganda? Suicide murderers in Palestine—disowned and denounced by the new leader of the PLO—described as the victims of “despair.” The forces of al-Qaida and the Taliban

represented as misguided spokespeople for antiglobalization. The blood-maddened thugs in Iraq, who would rather bring down the roof on a suffering people than allow them to vote, pictured prettily as “insurgents” or even, by Michael Moore, as the moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers. If this is liberal secularism, I’ll take a modest, God-fearing, deer-hunting Baptist from Kentucky every time, as long as he didn’t want to impose his principles on me (which our Constitution forbids him to do).

Hitchens makes a good point here though he’s quick to avoid the nuances of the counterargument as usual. The fact is that the Constitution, for example, doesn’t explicitly cover the right of a woman to have an abortion (remember Blackmun’s penumbras decision) or the right to marry whomever you want. And many of his mild-mannered deer-hunting Kentuckians are trying to codify laws to restrict or prohibit these.

Good review by Hitchens in NYT Book Review.

Good review by Hitchens in NYT Book Review.

Jennifer’s answer to the question “what turns you off?” from the Proust questionnaire on Inside the Actors Studio: “It starts with ‘George’ and ends with ‘Bush.’”

I just got back from the Brazile Brooks brawl–actually it was very civil. Donna Brazile was her usualy saucy self but David Brooks, whom I had never seen speak, was brilliant, witty and nothing short erudite. It’s a shame, or not?–I can’t decide–that he’s not the least representative of his party.

I’m going to post the schedule of events I’m going to be attending at the fair later on; After I eat, which is now my top priority.

On an unrelated note, this is a very good post by James Wolcott on Andrew Sullivan.

Just got back from the Miami Book Fair opening ceremony. They had free wine so I enjoyed myself. Going to go back for the Donna Brazille/David Brooks debate in about 30 min. I’ll probably be blogging the goings on at the fair especially my harassing of Tom Wolfe so check back.

I wish I had something intelligent and insightful to say–a graceful and inspiring dictum to the American left. Imagine if you will the losers’ St. Crispin’s Day speech. But I neither have the energy nor the desire to think of anything of the sort.

I wish I had something intelligent and insightful to say–a graceful and inspiring dictum to the American left. Imagine if you will the losers’ St. Crispin’s Day speech. But I neither have the energy nor the desire to think of anything of the sort.

With 95 percent of precincts reporting in FL and Bush five points ahead, I think it’s safe to say that the state is going to Bush again.

Kerry now needs to win these states: OH, MN, IO, MI and WI, or OH, MN, IO, MI, NV and NM.

Things are looking grim for the senator boys and girls.

With 95 percent of precincts reporting in FL and Bush five points ahead, I think it’s safe to say that the state is going to Bush again.

Kerry now needs to win these states: OH, MN, IO, MI and WI, or OH, MN, IO, MI, NV and NM.

Things are looking grim for the senator boys and girls.

Again from USA Today:

9:30 p.m. ET: No breakout for youth vote

It’s not turning out to be a breakout year for the youth vote, with 18 to 24-year-olds making up about the same proportion of voters as in 2000, exit polls indicate. But total numbers of young voters appear up with turnout. More significantly, exit polls indicate that voters aged 18-29 favor Kerry over Bush by 12 percentage points, while their counterparts favored Sen. Al Gore by only 4 percentage points in 2000.

From USA Today (scroll down):

7:24 p.m. ET: Youth turnout high

Younger voters are turning out in larger proportion this year, compared with 2000. Seventeen percent of those surveyed in early exit polls were between 18 and 29 years old, compared to 9% in 2000.

One result of having such stark issues: people made up their minds earlier. In 2000, 69% said they had made up their mind more than a month before the election. This year, 79% had made up their minds a month before the election. Late-deciding voters broke in Kerry’s favor, and those who decided sometime in the first few weeks of October (think debates) broke strongly in favor of Kerry. Early deciders were split.

Early exit polls showed women going to the polls in disproportionate numbers: 57% of the voters are female, 43% male. In each of the last three presidential elections, the proportion was 52% female, 48% male.

More voters listed moral values as the issue that mattered in their presidential vote, followed closely by those who listed the economy/jobs and terrorism. Seventy-nine percent of Bush voters said moral values mattered most, compared to 22% of Kerry voters. Kerry voters were mostly likely to cite Iraq and the economy.

From USA Today (scroll down):

7:24 p.m. ET: Youth turnout high

Younger voters are turning out in larger proportion this year, compared with 2000. Seventeen percent of those surveyed in early exit polls were between 18 and 29 years old, compared to 9% in 2000.

One result of having such stark issues: people made up their minds earlier. In 2000, 69% said they had made up their mind more than a month before the election. This year, 79% had made up their minds a month before the election. Late-deciding voters broke in Kerry’s favor, and those who decided sometime in the first few weeks of October (think debates) broke strongly in favor of Kerry. Early deciders were split.

Early exit polls showed women going to the polls in disproportionate numbers: 57% of the voters are female, 43% male. In each of the last three presidential elections, the proportion was 52% female, 48% male.

More voters listed moral values as the issue that mattered in their presidential vote, followed closely by those who listed the economy/jobs and terrorism. Seventy-nine percent of Bush voters said moral values mattered most, compared to 22% of Kerry voters. Kerry voters were mostly likely to cite Iraq and the economy.