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I have trouble understanding where Sullivan is coming from with a post like this one, criticizing Scott Brown's apparently "mindless op-ed" by cherry-picking everything he can find that casts Brown in a poor light.
Scott Brown and the critics
Seeded on Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:50 PM EST
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- Public Discussion (15)
Erik:
You literally lost me at literally the first sentence.
So allow me to explain why you have trouble understanding. It’s because your understanding of politics in general and the issues at stake here specifically are at the very least naive, and in this case, bordering on juvenile.
No matter how talented you are, and you are, or thoughtful, and you are that, too, and of sincere good will, also, I conclude, you don’t get it.
It’s not about Brown being the kind of candidate you’d like in isolation and all else being equal, or the fact that Coakley is a bad candidate. It’s about the system–or, better, systems. A political system that’s almost dysfuctional if it isn’t already trying to fix a health system that is already dysfunctional and utterly unsustainable.
Your argument reduces to this “Because Martha Coakly is a crappy candidate, therefore the health care system should collapse in five years or so.”
That is beyond juvenile, it’s crazy, particularly in light of all your other HCR blogging.
One substantive comment, and one kinda personal. On this:
… the good people of Massachusetts have worked hard to create a system that works for them and they’d rather not have a system they fear will be more expensive and less efficient rammed down their throats.
I happen to be one of those people and without reservation reject that argument. It’s fundamentally the same argument Ben Nelson used to defend the Cornhusker deal. You’re saying the people of MA should be as narrow-mindedly focused on their own parochial interest to the detriment of the best interests of the nation. And I reject that defense. Reform will NEVER HAPPEN if every stakeholder at a possible veto point zealously guards whatever interest they think is at stake.
Finally, I want you know that I really like your writing and thinking a lot–as I suspect Sully does, too. You gots yourself a future, man. But I’m wondering if one of the reasons Sully likes you is that he sees a lot of his young self in your writing: bright, thoughful, humane young conservative. And I’m wondering if he’s not so naive anymore himself, which is why you’re on opposite sides of this discourse.
- 5 votes
#1 - Sat Jan 16, 2010 2:52 PM ESTIt’s not about Brown being the kind of candidate you’d like in isolation
Hi, Jack
I agree.
teddy had my vote every election as do most Democrats.This time I will vote,and it wont be for her.
Humbly, submitted by an Irish Pagan, Zionist Poodle,Class WHORE. Who's interests include "EMPIRE BUILDING","IMPERIALISM",CRUSADING AND OCCUPYING foreign lands, war mongering,"SKINNY DIPPING IN THE MOONLIGHT", motorcycle riding AND PROPERLY "EXERCISING" MY NEW AMERICAN BULLDOG,SO HE DOES NOT EAT MY COUCH.
free eric
sorry about all the caps. I was told ? thats what was missing (LOL)
- 2 votes
kevin:
Shrug. He's proudly declaring he'll be the destroyer of Ted's life's work. So you shouldn't have bothered with all those other votes.
- 3 votes
So you shouldn't have bothered with all those other votes.
every one of thoes votes were in furtherance, of the Kennedy cult of personality. Not his goals as a politician
or perhaps,only Irish clannish pride.
As a human being, Teddy was a vile example or caricature of the corrupt drunken, Irish politician. but I loved him,and voted for him. Proving the stupidity of humans as a species. plus,He was one of ours.
- 2 votes
kevin:
Good answer.
Proving the stupidity of humans as a species.
Your next vote is positive confirmation.
- 4 votes
Humans as a species are irrational,prone to violence and unfortunately willing to believe the most outrageous things.
the bigger the government, the better the government.
Islam is a religion of peace
and high intelligence, leads to good decisions
smart people, do dumb @!$%# all the time, just like the rest of us.It's just more difficult for them to admit to it.
is there room in the new Democratic party for a conservative Pagan, with national security concerns ? the far left of my own party, scare me more than the Republican religious right awaiting a rapture (LOL),whats going to happen to all their pets ??? what will PETA say ?
I fear a harsh reality,jumping up and biting the country in the ass.
I find admitting your inadequacies,and follys is the first step to wisdow. We as a nation have yet to do that.
kevin:
I'd have a different list:
Populist rage is making sure the corporate elites can do anything they want without government interference.
Ten thousand Al Qaeda members can take over the USA unless we destroy ourselves in an endless and all-encompassing of global war.
Common sense is always right..
is there room in the new Democratic party for a conservative Pagan, with national security concerns ?
No. Seriously. No. If you're more afraid of Russ Feingold than you are of Pat Robertson then there's no room for you.
- 3 votes
Populist rage is making sure the corporate elites can do anything they want without government interference.
I am a sub contractor. I work out of one pickup truck by myself. At one time I had four full time and two part time workers.When they passed the law mandating health insurance I was down to two workers, the home building and remodeling was slow and I could not afford the fixed prices of health care and workers comp, paid quarterly when I dont know what I will make quarterly.My general construction liability insurance(I still have that), increased each year even though I personally have never had a claim, it's like a no fault thing, that rewards incompetent fools,doing @!$%#ty work. Even if you are a bad contractor and you @!$%# up,you cant lose your liability insurance, the cost is shared by all.State mandate. I want State work to go to people who know how to do the work.not to friends who know the people who give out the work. I have never in my life, met an honest housing authority rep. All of them should be in jail I @!$%# you not.
corporate elites
thank you for the complement
Ten thousand Al Qaeda members can take over the USA unless we destroy ourselves in an endless and all-encompassing of global war.
do you have a death toll,on the number of Americans that can be killed in the ongoing Islamic jihad.That would be acceptable to continue keeping it in civilian courts.As opposed to an all out war. say less than fifty, one hundred a year on American soil.
should we get used to small attacks, killing no more than a few dozen, as the price of diversity.Because killing jihadists with drones does not make them like us any more, than when Bush was in the white house.
what do we, as a nation do if attacked in a manner approaching 9 11 casualties and destruction ? Do you think jihadists no longer wish to do this ?
Common sense is always right..
I agree.
killing jihadists with drones does not make them like us any more, than when Bush was in the white house.(see your comment above)
No. Seriously. No. If you're more afraid of Russ Feingold than you are of Pat Robertson then there's no room for you
I have always respected you. You seem honest.You dont really think Feingold is the far left of the Democratic Party do you ? I was referring to the lunatic fringe Chomskites who inhabit online forums such as newsvine (LOL)
kevin:
Well then why don't you move to some state like Alabama where the workers are cheap and semi-illiterate, there's no legal requirement to carry general liability, no zoning and no building codes. You could try Texas, too, where conditions are the same except the workers are literate--in Spainish.
I don't understand the bed-wetting. We're a continental nation-state with a 16 trillion-dollar economy and over 300 million population against a band of losers holed up in some no man's land in central Asia. Should we be there and should we get bin Laden, et al.? Yes. Do we need to prosecute global war to to do it? No.
I agree.
You replied above with your list of stupid falsehoods. I rejoindered with my list. That was one of them. Common sense isn't always right. It might not even be 50/50.
Dude. Feingold is in some respects the the most left-wing member of Congress. The Patriot Act vote was 99-1. The lunatic fringe of Chomskyites aren't in the Democratic party, and in any event Chomsky is a hellava lot more right about things than Pat Robertson. Take Haiti.
- 3 votes
One for the Gipper? That's why we should vote for Coakley? That is not a reason.
The Royal Family of Massachusetts deserves no preference. This is about the voters of Massachusetts electing someone that will represent THEIR ideas and concerns, not those of Ted Kennedy and Barack Obama.
The Party...is over.
- 1 vote
#3 - Sat Jan 16, 2010 6:38 PM ESTrareety:
Nah. It's about the voters of Massachusetts looking for some way to express their discontent. There's not one chance in a thousand Brown will represent their interests.
- 2 votes
Brown has already declared himself to be the '41st Vote' in his campaign, in which he will help filibuster a health care bill out of existence. Why would MA voters consider this to be a good thing? To think that New England, the birthplace of our nation, could be the final stumbling block in our efforts to effect a health care plan is too ironic.
- 3 votes
There's not one chance in a thousand Brown will represent their interests.
And for some, as yet unproven reason, you believe Coakley will? She will do what the Party Bosses tell her to do.
- 1 vote
I still say if Brown gets in we should go to Boston for Independence Day
- 1 vote
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