Moving and Aging

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Another light couple of weeks posting-wise, except for my posts regarding Sarah Palin, part of the now-winning McCain/Palin ticket. We’ve been looking for another Reagan-type leader for the conservative movement; who’d have guessed that it might be a she from Alaska?

But the point of this post is to explain that we’ve moved into a new home, and are still unpacking, as we will be for another week or two, I’m sure. That’s consumed my time, and then yesterday was my birthday, which consumed some more. It’s been a zoo of a summer, frankly, and doesn’t look like things will slow down for another couple weeks.

I plan to carve out some time soon, though, to do a post on a group/website that’s been sticking in my craw for several weeks now, a phoney-baloney PAC called “Matthew25.org”. It’s going to be a long-enough post, though, that I want to do it right, and that’ll take at least an hour of uninterrupted thought/writing to formulate my response to these lefties well, and that free hour is a luxury I really haven’t had, at least when I was in the frame of mind/body to write. Stay tuned.

10 Comments

  1. Dave Carlson on September 11, 2008 at 9:46 am

    umm, i hate to rain on the Palin parade, but all we really know is that she has had two years as a governor and can give a good speech. Reagan had 2 terms as gov and gave speeches. I will take a wait and see for when she is off the script – in debate and in actual interviews and the like. I am not anti-P, just not ready to get all excited.

  2. Byron on September 11, 2008 at 4:42 pm

    Respectfully, Dave, I think we know more than the minimal things you mention. She has a track record–albeit a short one–but one of accomplishment. We know she was willing to take on corruption, even in her own party. We know that those who know her best love her, to the tune of 80%. We know that she lives out her respect for life with more than just words. Yes, we will learn more of her when she is “off-script”; if this campaign has proven anything, it’s that when the “eloquent” get “off-script”, they sometimes aren’t all that impressive. But I believe that the reason so many people are fired up about Sarah Palin is that, at least from all we know of her now, she sounds/acts a lot like that other guy, the one with two terms as governor who gave speeches…

  3. Jack Brooks on September 11, 2008 at 7:36 pm

    Consider Teddy Roosevelt. The only real executive experience he had prior to becoming McKinley’s VP was as president of the New York Police Commissioners from 1885-1887, then as governor of New York from 1898-1900. Four total years of elected executive experience. In 1901 he became McKinley’s running mate. Roosevelt became President nine months after McKinley was inaugurated, due to McKinley being assassinated.

    Fitness for the office really does depend on the talents and temperament of the person.

  4. Dave Carlson on September 12, 2008 at 1:10 pm

    TR was also assistant secretary of the Navy, which in the day meant that he was the day to day manager of the navy department, giving a lot of insight into Washington DC. FDR interestingly followed a similar path. Asst Secy of the Navy, NY house, Governor, vp candidate under Cox, and then after a delay President (or was he vp candidate then governor…)

    So we know long term Washington hounds that lack judgment for the top job. Longevity may only mean he has been there a long time. Herb Kohl, nice guy, long experience in Wash DC, but not presidential. (I live in WI). However some experience is useful – one main reason Obama is sinking in the polls.

    JFK was not that experienced, had a good personal narrative (PT Boat hero, etc) and was not quite ready for Khruschev in Vienna, and was severly tested with Cuba.

    According to Steven Ambrose Ike kept us out of an asian land war with China, despite the urgings of his Chief’s of staff. His experience as supreme allied commander of Europe certainly was a benefit.

    So don’t diminish experience, but it needs to be matched with judgment and character, adn the ability to hire a good staff.

  5. Jack Brooks on September 12, 2008 at 1:47 pm

    But FDR, unlike Teddy, is an example of a bad president, due to his deceitfulness, immorality, and lust for centralized government power.

    JFK was even less executively experienced in government than Palin is now. Oddly, however, JFK would be unacceptable to the Democrat party of today.

    Obama is the perfect storm. He has less elective executive experience than Palin, he’s some sort of Socialist with antinomian social views, and he’s in bed with the Daley Chicago Democrat machine.

  6. Eric on September 12, 2008 at 8:42 pm

    Hey, I love it that Sara, has been selected as VP. I knew her a bit when my sons hockey team wreaked Wasilla. It was a fun game with kids in the 12 year old range. They were bantams. Sara, was very present there, but as a mom. I didn’t have a clue she was the mayor, let alone a future VP candidite. She was a very nice fun type of parent. I suspect she would be a very fiesty fighter for our constitutional rights!

  7. Eric on September 12, 2008 at 8:43 pm

    Oh by the way I used to use Ricky, as my name, my real name is Eric

  8. Laurie on September 13, 2008 at 11:07 pm

    Happy Birthday, Byron.

    People are going continue to talk about Sarah’s experience, or lack of, for the next few months; after which, hopefully, we’ll get to see her in action.

    In the meantime, let’s not forget that the Democratic presidential nominee has no executive experience – zip, zero, nada – so let everyone keep talking about her, at least there’s something to talk about.

  9. Graham on September 15, 2008 at 4:13 pm

    Which part of Matthew 25 do these people concentrate on?

    Is it the parable of the bridesmaids, where the wise ones stocked up on oil (which means they would not be caught out when oil prices go sky high)?

  10. Byron on September 16, 2008 at 9:27 am

    Ha! Today, the first part of the post gets…posted…

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