tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52405332011-08-16T23:08:03.110-04:00Vituperative but thoughtful observations on history, politics, religion, and society.Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.comBlogger10391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-51613356123765712622009-03-08T12:32:00.001-04:002009-03-08T12:36:22.967-04:00

An interesting item: historians think they have located a mass grave at the Bunker Hill battlefield in Charlestown, Mass. They'd like to use sophisticated radar equipment to make sure of their conclusions, but there is a problem -- it's underneath some lovely private gardens. "No wonder our plants grow so well," said one homeowner.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-31780955536998071182009-03-06T09:26:00.002-05:002009-03-06T09:39:04.818-05:00

It's your bear nowFinally, we see that the economy is called the president's own -- The Obama Market -- rather than the same "we inherited this mess" trope his spokesmen have used since inauguration. Although at last look, MSNBCers were still cawing about the nastiness of the previous president, as if to distract themselves as the walls fall around them. According to Bloomberg, the market has

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-50043453282257483932009-03-04T12:32:00.002-05:002009-03-04T13:00:51.597-05:00

Sons of NixonDrudge's headline says "New Enemies List" regarding the White House campaign against Rush Limbaugh.Funny, but I thought the exact same thing this morning, but in another context. Is it me, or is the Obama White House exceptionally prickly when it comes to criticism? The media has been swooning over them for so long that when any doubts are aired by the Fourth Estate, they can't

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-53390350812591174252009-02-28T10:02:00.001-05:002009-02-28T10:05:30.144-05:00

When I was at a bookstore about a week ago, a customer came in and asked for a copy of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I chuckled to myself, wondering if he wanted to read it or use the tome as a door stop. But apparently sales of Rand's opus are way up ... thanks to El Presidente?

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-80133158688124325232009-02-23T10:07:00.002-05:002009-02-23T10:11:24.421-05:00

If we can combine "enormous" and "gigantic" to get "ginormous," can we combine the same to get "egantic?"Just wondering.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-363525518539474962009-02-17T15:39:00.002-05:002009-02-17T15:41:19.442-05:00

Glad to see NRO sensibly casting a handful of presidential votes for Arthur, Harding, Polk, Fillmore, and Coolidge. I especially like the libertarian logic on William Henry Harrison being the greatest: he died before he could do any damage.Here, here.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-72970672586481535982009-02-16T16:20:00.001-05:002009-02-16T16:23:33.168-05:00

As it happens, I watched two Lincoln specials last night on tv, both on his youth and pre-presidential/legal career.I'd like to make that host of history videographers out there aware, that I'm more than available for any "Young Franklin Pierce," "Young James Buchanan," "Young Chester Arthur," or "Young Warren Harding" PBS specials you're thinking about. I bet Ken Burns has one of those in the

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-24525876479287293322009-02-15T18:26:00.003-05:002009-02-16T19:53:33.671-05:00

Doc's subjective presidential ranking and very brief explanation (Using C-Span's method)1. Washington – no surprises here, the virtuous standard is set2. Reagan – morning in American again, end of Cold War, economic boom3. McKinley – hugely popular, war president, economic boom, clear agenda4. Eisenhower – economic recovery, steady hand in early Cold War5. Lincoln – remember how many people voted

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-78397839921163819942009-02-15T15:01:00.003-05:002009-02-15T15:19:29.343-05:00

A Ranking RantC-Span completed a historians’ poll of the presidents, rating different categories of leadership and then averaging them together for a total ranking score. No big surprises given this system of ranking or the historians involved – all the usual suspects finished high: Lincoln, Washington, FDR, Truman, etc. Let me complain about the system of ranking first, and then (given THIS

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-18609845480900274282009-02-09T18:17:00.002-05:002009-02-09T18:20:26.129-05:00

Barack as BuckHard on the heels of the Doc's rousing defense of Old Buck comes an essay at the Ashbrook Center site titled "Lincoln...or Buchanan?" Unlike the Doc, if he set up such a title, David Forte is not complimentary when he compares President Obama to President Buchanan.Having lit the fuse, I will now dive into a convenient bunker.

The Ombudsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12215066609258086508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-50397173504165537122009-02-09T16:03:00.001-05:002009-02-09T16:09:25.204-05:00

Turns out Heath Schuler (D-NC) doesn't think much of the stimulus or the Pelosi-Reid team. He was one of the eleven who voted against the plan last week."Told you so," the Doc said, purring.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-67461911589355240392009-02-08T21:56:00.004-05:002009-02-08T22:00:21.287-05:00

OK, Peter Hitchens is great and everything...sometimes. Like his brother, he says things that makes you believe he is occasionally taking a hit on a crack pipe while trying to make deadline. To wit, way down by the pic of Michelle Obama and Tony Blair:By the way, I am struck by the thought that Barack could easily be The Last Black President, as well as the First.Having done their multi-racial

The Ombudsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12215066609258086508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-22508626259786170952009-02-08T17:52:00.004-05:002009-02-08T18:33:51.710-05:00

Buck OffYes, the Elbert Smith biography is in the University of Kansas presidential series. Elegantly written, interpretively dull and unoriginal. Saying James Buchanan is a poor president is like saying "disco sucks." It's a historical cliche. You want to be original, say something intellectually stimulating, and [gasp] move our collective historical understanding ahead a few steps?

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-34772782849305967912009-02-07T22:06:00.002-05:002009-02-07T22:12:19.898-05:00

Given the proclivities our our fearless leader, Dr. C., I feel obliged to link to a post on The Corner related to James Buchanan. A correspondent sends to John Derbyshire a quote from Elbert Smith's biography of Pennsylvania's President...and it makes me think, "damn, that Smith chap can write." Check this out:"Depending upon the national problems, crises, or mood, a president may become

The Ombudsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12215066609258086508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-68930768629637585002009-02-07T21:56:00.002-05:002009-02-07T22:01:31.415-05:00

And, since I am here turning the lights back on and looking in the fridge to see if there is beer left, what the hell has happened to the Obama administration in just two weeks? Weren't they supposed to be the uber-competent ones? Didn't they have the Best Campaign Ever?After two weeks, though, I refuse to draw any conclusions. I mean, I'm a historian not a blogger. But one thing is does make

The Ombudsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12215066609258086508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-42592531387220132372009-02-07T21:52:00.003-05:002009-02-07T22:04:11.937-05:00

Hmmm...does this make Jim Jones the most powerful man in Washington? And, B), what does the Secretary of State think?Really, I am genuinely curious about this. Dr. Potomac and I must ask our friend Professor Headache what he thinks. It seems to be a pile of good-management fluff. But if someone can explain to me how the NSC staff actually works, I am prepared to call it an act of Transcendent

The Ombudsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12215066609258086508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-57672862525954831242008-12-09T10:12:00.002-05:002008-12-09T10:19:37.753-05:00

Winter of DiscontentThings just keep getting worse for Fearless Leader-elect. First, the economy skids into oblivion, taking with it companies and jobs, and putting the country into a recession that's likely to last several years. Then, he hires cabinet members who most see as practical-minded, fairly competent people (most, at least), thereby ticking off the true believers on the far left, who

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-41479897337071836662008-12-02T14:08:00.002-05:002008-12-02T14:14:57.806-05:00

The Great Unwanted UnwashedHarry Reid says he's pleased the Capitol Visitor's Center is finished because he won't have to smell the summer tourists anymore. So the Senator is saying all that hot air comes from another source, other than the gum-flappers and media hangers-on?Smell thyself sinner.And here I was thinking the Democrats were the party of the people.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-70591063387774019792008-11-27T09:09:00.002-05:002008-11-27T09:15:51.460-05:00

Home for ThanksgivingCurrier and Ives

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-78306248649324789812008-11-26T16:47:00.001-05:002008-11-26T16:50:22.275-05:00

As to why the blogging has laggedOver the river, and through the wood, to Grandfather's house we go; the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow. Over the river, and through the wood, to Grandfather's house away! We would not stop for doll or top, for 'tis Thanksgiving Day. Over the river, and through the wood- oh, how the wind does blow! It stings the toes and

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-12329331003326419702008-11-17T15:46:00.002-05:002008-11-17T15:50:09.911-05:00

Intolerant toleranceGood column in the Chicago Tribune by John Kass, about a fourth grader's experiment in tolerance, wearing a McCain shirt to class and recording comments. Shock of all shocks, the inclusive Obamanaics became distinctly threatening when they saw her attire.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-15123790211818948492008-11-15T13:33:00.002-05:002008-11-15T13:36:37.163-05:00

Yet More From the NeighborhoodBelow is my take on the real causes of wage and income inequality and increasing socio-economic rigidity in the U.S. and whether tax policy can solve the problems:Huzzah for the middle class! But where does it come from and why has it been getting harder for the poor to move up the ladder? There are many who want to take the short-cut and use tax policy to transfer

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-20306981220096935422008-11-10T17:14:00.002-05:002008-11-10T17:24:09.478-05:00

Shelling Claims in Newburyport, Mass., circa 1909

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-91759711967326706122008-11-09T21:59:00.004-05:002008-11-10T07:04:06.281-05:00

The Rise of RahmboPresident-elect Obama has already made the most consequential appointment of his administration in choosing Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff. He's one tough S.O.B., and there's been a considerable amount of teeth-gnashing and sword sharpening among Republicans over the appointment. And for good reason: Emanuel likes his Republicans al dente and is THE toughest

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-38362663373487668332008-11-09T13:51:00.003-05:002008-11-09T14:33:39.775-05:00

New England RepublicansGood article in today's Boston Globe about the future of New England Republicanism, basically outlining how they can be relevant again by avoiding social wedge issues and emphasizing efficiency in government, thrift in budgets, and support for the variety of civic institutions people use in their daily lives. This last is the most vague, but it seems like a kind of

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-48302709886440373112008-11-09T10:55:00.002-05:002008-11-09T11:04:36.346-05:00

In the mist of global huzzahs about the election of Obama, comes this ice water tsunami from the always reliably curmudgeon Peter Hitchens:Anyone would think we had just elected a hip, skinny and youthful replacement for God, with a plan to modernise Heaven and Hell – or that at the very least John Lennon had come back from the dead.The swooning frenzy over the choice of Barack Obama as President

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-28092008695034817252008-11-08T12:04:00.003-05:002008-11-08T12:29:16.207-05:00

That 70s ShowApparently, a group of conservative leaders met out in the Blue Ridge to "discuss conservatism's future," and that among the attendees were Richard Viguerie, Morton Blackwell, R. Emmett Tyrrell, and Brent Bozell. Are these veterans of the 70s wars really the ones to chart the future? Is there anyone out there who wasn't involved in the Reagan Revolution of thirty years ago who can

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-65894129311004236972008-11-07T20:00:00.003-05:002008-11-07T20:06:25.706-05:00

More From My Email In-BoxThe following is a response to a friend who was very politely and kindly incredulous that a sophisticated policy wonk such as myself could find any redeeming qualities in Sarah Palin.A couple thoughts on Sarah Palin. First, while I know a fair amount about politics and policy, my decision making process for choosing candidates is really pretty simple. I try to practice

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-48053513383675171852008-11-05T18:15:00.002-05:002008-11-05T18:36:53.476-05:00

This is a question for Dr. Potomac, since he's on the ground in DC and I'm stuck in God-forsaken fly-over country.I can understand why Adam Putnam is out of Republican leadership on the Hill, with Roy Blount right after him. But why is John Boehner hanging on? What has he done to improve the standing, organization, or public face of the Republican Party since he's been Minority Leader? Now, I

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-14998594419209149212008-11-05T13:08:00.003-05:002008-11-05T13:16:02.378-05:00

Democratic King-Makers: DixiecratsOne considerable balm to soothe conservative anxieties about a radical legislative program coming from the Hill are conservative Southern Democrats. If the Pelosi team turn rudder hard left, those Blue Dogs either won't vote for those bills (and form a coalition with Republicans) or, if they do, will be swept out by Republicans in 2010.The Heath Schuler

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-81558989435613563922008-11-05T10:38:00.002-05:002008-11-05T11:05:09.146-05:00

7 Victories Inside 1 Defeat1. The election of America's first African-American president. While conservatives cannot applaud his policies, they can appreciate and embrace the historic moment of Obama's election and how it will contribute to the nation's social stability.2. One word: cloture. The Democats' failure to reach 60 votes in the Senate means the filibuster is, theoretically, in tact

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-61943576788279790542008-11-05T07:40:00.002-05:002008-11-05T07:45:05.113-05:00

Palin for SenateThe good people of Alaska have decided to rally behind a convicted felon and re-elected Ted Stevens. Reid and McConnell have both said he is persona non grata and will be expelled from the Senate if he doesn't resign first.Under Alaska law, a special election will be necessary to fill the seat, and there's just one Republican for the job right now: Governor Sarah Palin. With an

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-40772704499215899252008-11-05T06:56:00.002-05:002008-11-05T07:03:42.824-05:00

The CarnageWell, it was an interesting evening but I have to say, "It could have been worse. A lot worse."Why? It appears Saxby Chambliss has avoided a run-off in Georgia. Al Franken is 500 votes behind Norm Coleman in Minnesota with virtually all the votes in. (Not having Franken in the Senate alone is cause for rejoicing this morning.) That will be hard one to overturn in a recount since

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-23368310638067702532008-11-04T21:52:00.002-05:002008-11-04T21:56:23.477-05:00

We''ll Meet AgainLet's say goodbye with a smile, dear,Just for a while, dear, we must part.Don't let the parting upset you,I'll not forget you, sweetheart.We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when,But I know we'll meet again, some sunny day.Keep smiling through, just like you always do,'Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away.So will you please say hello to the folks that I

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-4265942190947543082008-11-04T11:04:00.003-05:002008-11-04T11:14:27.729-05:00

The View from the Old DominionIt was similar to what Doc described in Indiana: a large, friendly, orderly crowd for the early voting. The restaurant we went to for breakfast was jammed with "I VOTED" stickers; lots of energy and excitement in the room. No matter how it turns out, this is an important day in the history of the country. Little Miss Potomac, Sr., went with me to vote and got a

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-75744996096361495952008-11-04T08:06:00.002-05:002008-11-04T08:14:26.633-05:00

Smooth voting in Indiana this morning at the dim hour of 6:10am. There was a healthy line, but nothing surprising. The whole process took about 20 minutes. Everyone was in good spirits except for one grumpy man who, seeing the line, walked out and declared to poll workers he'd come back later. Somehow I think the line will be longer later today.Hearing the pundits this morning, it looks like

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-39905726165896559132008-11-04T07:56:00.002-05:002008-11-04T08:03:44.699-05:00

I'll be the gadfly and predict a closer race.Obama: 278 EVMcCain: 260 EVSenate: 55 Dems, 45 Repubs (putting the two "I" Sens with Dems)House: 255 Dems

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-15839813414950189502008-11-03T20:42:00.002-05:002008-11-03T20:50:02.084-05:00

Final PredictionsPopular Vote: Obama 53, McCain 46Electoral College: Obama 378, McCain 160Senate: 58 D, 42 RHouse: No idea but at a net pick-up of 25 seats for Democrats; Murtha loses and is made US Ambassador to the United Nations.

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-2803226241866000222008-11-01T14:54:00.001-04:002008-11-01T14:56:28.302-04:00

The Hard-Bitten Reporter's LatestThe hedonists’ reckoningBy Christopher CaldwellPublished: October 31 2008 18:14 | Last updated: October 31 2008 18:14We are in for a time of austerity. Are we ready for it? The US Department of Commerce has just released its advance third-quarter gross domestic product figures. They do not look good. The economy contracted over the past three months, due to the

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-48759433021876360492008-11-01T13:21:00.002-04:002008-11-01T13:24:11.085-04:00

John Zogby: Most Irresponsible Pollster in AmericaHe does this every two or four years. He finds some data set that will allow him to generate a headline about how the race has suddenly "tightened" to generate publicity for his firm. In the 1996 New York Senate race, he gave such numbers to the New York Post which was more than happy to run a headline saying "AL STORMS BACK!" just before

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-66454230713401065532008-11-01T12:49:00.002-04:002008-11-01T13:18:38.529-04:00

A Driving Tour of Fairfax County With Three Days to GoMrs. Potomac and I were out running errands across a wide swath of Fairfax County this morning and a couple things popped out. First, the McCain-Palin and Obama-Biden presences in the county seem roughly equal, which is what makes this place one of the pre-eminent purple areas of the country. People talk about the Beltway mentality all the

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-16684573622355102572008-11-01T10:00:00.002-04:002008-11-01T10:39:41.863-04:00

Death of the Rockefeller Republicans?The Boston Globe prints an interesting article this morning about the disappearance of Republicanism from New England, pointing to the embattled Christopher Shays of CT as the political equivalent of the passenger pigeon. The fact that the Republicans are becoming regionalized is hardly a startling new fact. The flip of the "Solid South" began in the 1960s (

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-24170393686625317442008-10-31T12:22:00.002-04:002008-10-31T12:26:48.671-04:00

This is the kind of thing that wants me to let out a primal scream about the religious left. It is ahistorical in its view, irrational, unbalanced, bursting at the seams to create analogies that don't exist, and self-serving politically all at the same time. Jim Wallis would be very proud.

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-72508328098767355652008-10-30T18:52:00.003-04:002008-10-30T19:16:41.951-04:00

A Sign of the TimesThere's some rumbling among DC Republicans about "the polls are wrong; the models are over-sampling Democrats; cellphone users don't vote; the moon is in Aquarius," etc., etc. Let's set aside that polls (with the exception of network exit polls of actual voters which aren't worth the computer screens they appear on) are notoriously accurate, not in exact outcomes but giving

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-49840544427053420902008-10-29T10:40:00.005-04:002008-10-29T14:27:43.806-04:00

My Scary Halloween CostumeI've decided I will give the neighborhood children a lesson in politics and economics this Halloween by dressing as a wealth-spreader. The costume is a simple, bureaucrat gray suit, starched white shirt and blue tie. When I answer the door, rather than dropping candy into the bags of the little darlings, I will apply a carefully developed protocol for determining

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-90544978623678974832008-10-28T16:31:00.002-04:002008-10-28T16:35:16.967-04:00

Food for Democratic ThoughtOnce every so often, a New York Times reporter says something useful. This is one of those times. For all my Obama-supporting friends, just bear this in mind as you take the reins of power in January: in this environment, things can turn on a dime. The failure to govern from and for the center of American politics invites backlash, as this article so ably points out.

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-79849605407969084602008-10-27T19:25:00.001-04:002008-10-27T19:27:43.177-04:00

Vileness in AmericaThis is the kind of thing to make you believe that regardless of the consequences, voting for Senator Obama just might be a moral duty. It is difficult to comprehend this kind of sentiment in America.

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-2216060754884216902008-10-24T14:22:00.003-04:002008-10-24T14:53:38.150-04:00

Beware the BathwaterThe forthcoming electoral deluge is already laying the groundwork for electoral reaction a few years down the road. The liberal commentariat has been chaffing under the burden of the center-right quality of the American electorate, since, oh, say, President Kennedy's short term of office, and even then it had to accept the idea of what looks today suspiciously like

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-3326121980577167162008-10-24T00:03:00.003-04:002008-10-24T00:20:05.830-04:00

Time to Buy GOPThe Republican Party is like a great American standard - say IBM - that has fallen on hard times. A few engineering errors, a bad marketing plan, the arrival of Microsoft all seem to herald the collapse of an institution. The thing is that political markets are just as brutal and efficient as any other. The company, in this case a political party, has tremendous underlying

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-86191224910630410422008-10-21T23:03:00.002-04:002008-10-21T23:24:37.974-04:00

Why I'm a RepublicanMy oldest daughter, let's call her Miss Potomac, Sr., asked me two pointed questions this morning on the way to school. First, what's a neo-conservative? Second, why are you one?I've got a checkered political past. My first political involvement was to hang a Mondale-Ferraro sign on my dorm window as an undergrad. My second political involvement was to be a volunteer on the

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-42995349545253284962008-10-21T10:24:00.004-04:002008-10-21T22:56:11.637-04:00

A Question of RaceIn my soundings among Democrats, there is tremendous nervousness, a sense that victory is imminent but that the train might, at the last minute, jump the track. As one friend said, "It's happened to us before, you know." A good point, that.At the base of this nervousness, I think, is the fear that America is so deeply racist that a giant "Bradley effect" is about to put McCain

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-37915367697559193992008-10-20T21:35:00.000-04:002008-10-20T21:37:31.535-04:00

Creepy

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-33683206142532842092008-10-20T21:22:00.002-04:002008-10-20T21:32:52.509-04:00

Joe Biden: God's Gift to the Next Four YearsHe really is living up to his billing as an eight-cylinder, dual-carb gaffe machine. Vroom! Vroom-vroom!! Today's offering is of the "if you elect Barak, I guarantee some tin-horn dictator will toss the world into a Cuban missile-style crisis just to see if he's as weak as he looks" variety. I think we can anticipate that this wasn't in David

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-59938469159582042612008-10-19T19:09:00.003-04:002008-10-19T19:23:51.692-04:00

Today, at a gathering of the bright lights of my workplace division, I served up Creole Contentment*1 pony cognac1 pony of madeira1/2 pony maraschino (The original recipe calls for a pony but the author of the book recommends half that amount and increasing the cognac, which worked well for me as I has plenty of cognac and was cleanng out the maraschino bottle.)dash of orange bitters ( lacking

The Style Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13779810941473640223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-52720517433763633882008-10-18T10:26:00.003-04:002008-10-19T19:26:16.887-04:00

The Style Editor has not been posting because she has been trying to ignore the world.This technique hasn't gotten her very far, except in the expansion of her drinking habits. She recommends the Jack Rose1 1/2 oz applejack1 tsp grenadinejuice of 1/2 a limeShake with ice. Serve up in a manhattan glass with a lime twist if you want swank, without the twist if you just want to get to the business

The Style Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13779810941473640223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-24368737353657952892008-10-18T10:13:00.002-04:002008-10-18T10:21:11.109-04:00

File this under the obvious and the ominous: Hawaii's governor scraps their seven month old universal child care system because the state can't afford it. Wow, really? Here's the money line:"People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free," said Dr. Kenny Fink, the administrator for Med-QUEST at the Department of Human Services. "I

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-37892341117257866882008-10-16T13:15:00.002-04:002008-10-16T13:24:22.118-04:00

McCain Surge or Dead-Cat Bounce?Today's Gallup tracking poll has Obama's lead down to two points among likely voters -- as those voters have traditionally been defined and screened. Gallup's second model, which attempts to adjust for heightened voter interest among young people and minorities, has Obama with a six point lead which is identical to his lead among registered voters. All the

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-57406527470964162762008-10-16T00:28:00.004-04:002008-10-16T00:40:19.454-04:00

More From the Neighborhood Email ChainOne of my Obama-supporting neighbors sent this Bill Ayers apologia around.Here's my response, written but not sent to keep the neighborhood peace:Before we all give Bill Ayers a great, big group hug take a gander at this. Mr. Ayers convicts himself more eloquently than anyone else ever could. And note the publication date: 9/11/01. One of the planes, as I

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-1465023430102603822008-10-09T10:14:00.003-04:002008-10-09T10:42:17.923-04:00

Questions for the OmbudsmanI have heard the Ombudsman hold forth eloquently on the nature of true conservatism. He has made the point repeatedly to me (a political practitioner and occasional trench warrior) that real conservatism is non-ideological. Traditionally, conservatives like, say, George Washington, were foxes (who knew many things) rather than hedgehogs (who knew one big thing.)

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-57601429993363791412008-10-09T06:43:00.002-04:002008-10-09T06:53:12.263-04:00

The State of the RaceIt will come as a shock to almost nobody when I say, "It's over." By my count, Obama will win with at least 375 electoral votes by sweeping the Northeast, industrial Midwest, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada. He will also make serious inroads in the GOP's Southern base by capturing Virginia, North Carolina and Florida and I wouldn't take Georgia completely off the table

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-2215534848213124682008-10-08T21:31:00.001-04:002008-10-08T21:33:40.076-04:00

What My 11-Year-Old Said TonightOn the tendency of political campaigns to make candidates focus on what's wrong: "You'd think listening to these presidential debates that we lived in North Korea or something."

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-68997933074723477832008-10-08T20:04:00.003-04:002008-10-08T20:30:33.667-04:00

Defender of the Old NorthThe Fourteenth President of the United States, Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire, died on this day in 1869. Pierce aficionados are few and far between, but the Man from Hillsborough deserves a better fate. A hard-working Bowdoin graduate and one of New England's finest attorneys, Pierce came to the presidency in an impossible time. He tried to conserve the Union, the

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-31839222150282943422008-10-04T10:48:00.002-04:002008-10-04T17:06:07.391-04:00

St. Marie Church in Manchester, New Hampshire, circa 1907St. Marie Church was built in the 1890s by Monsignor Pierre Hevey of St. Hyacinthe, Quebec. He was ordained in 1857, came to Lewiston, Maine in the 1870s, and eventually to Manchester in the early 1880s. A small Catholic enclave rose around St. Marie's over the next two decades, including a hospital, orphanage, rectory, and school. In

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-48460088003354090622008-10-02T23:29:00.002-04:002008-10-02T23:34:39.868-04:00

Phew, I'm AwakeJudging by the focus group's (aka Mrs. Potomac's) reaction, I'd say Our Sarah had a pretty good night. She was real and down-to-earth and, in the words of the Weekly Standard, "smart as hell." Biden was just about what you'd expect from a senator with 32 years experience: well-versed and smooth. But (and it's a big one) he was talking to Ifill, with all the Sunday morning talk

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-79169008271194671662008-10-02T20:15:00.003-04:002008-10-02T20:31:39.133-04:00

Why Am I At School Without My Pants?I've been having this recurring dream that Sarah Palin turned out to be well...not so smart. In my dream, she does interview after interview with Katie Couric where she, well, blathers mindlessly. And it just keeps going and going and you think, "I'm never going to get out of this dream", and there are six or seven or eight interviews, each one worse than the

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-79954871298664888692008-09-30T19:15:00.002-04:002008-09-30T19:17:47.337-04:00

From the Neighborhood E-Mail ChainOur purple neighborhood has been debating the financial meltdown. Here's my contribution.I think it is pretty silly to look for a single explanation (or party) responsible for inflating the housing market and the current mess on Wall Street. Who's to blame? Just about everyone. Greenspan, trying to find his way through the post-9/11period, held rates too low

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-30465864125626420212008-09-29T16:54:00.002-04:002008-09-29T17:16:26.340-04:00

Martin Hutchinson lays it all out here, in much greater detail.An investment bubble is created, with too much money chasing too many bad investments (and too few good ones). It pops and the market radically dips. First, the air comes out of unhealthily inflated stocks, companies with share prices far away from an actual measure of their earnings. But people/brokerages are so leveraged, they

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-33440943877312454222008-09-27T14:09:00.002-04:002008-09-27T14:13:37.186-04:00

Bad News. Traveling Fast.This is one strange fall. The Europeans, who spent last week smuggly suggesting that only Americans have a problem in their banking sector, appear about to be about to get a taste. Hope folks on the Hill are paying attention to the pitter-patter of threatening economic news from across the sea.

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-73398449153018708922008-09-27T09:54:00.002-04:002008-09-27T09:59:09.727-04:00

One Morninng-After ThoughtThe Obama team seems a little to content to jump to the conclusion that the debate was a tie and that tie's go to the one who is currently leading in the polls. Like it or not, Obama has some hurdles to clear to persuade the public that he's ready. If you accept the premise that last night was a tie (I don't -- McCain won by demonstrating that as a 72-year-old man he

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-35736009924955520012008-09-27T09:42:00.001-04:002008-09-27T09:44:55.117-04:00

No-Spin ZoneThe partisans are out trying to tell you who won. This is the best summary from the most objective source I have found thus far.

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-66462745332745511252008-09-26T22:18:00.002-04:002008-09-26T22:20:54.548-04:00

Best Presidential Debate -- EverThis is a very substantive exchange. In depth, clarifying and vigorous. I never could stand watching Bush debate because it was always like a circus: would the guy fall off the high-wire? This debate is between the old bull champion and the nimble challenger.Like I said. The best. We are a fortunate nation to have men of this calibur running.

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-31405882671204138732008-09-26T22:16:00.004-04:002008-09-26T22:21:43.597-04:00

Ok, I take it all back. At 1:16 into the debate, McCain has hit his stride and has that glint and ease he showed against his competitors in the primaries. Obama looks dazed and hesitant. He's not at ease with his words.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-21189676093062257302008-09-26T22:03:00.001-04:002008-09-26T22:04:39.022-04:00

Iran is an "existential threat?"Jean-Paul Sartre is in Tehran?Bomb right now!

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-12325635633267506642008-09-26T21:58:00.001-04:002008-09-26T21:59:39.310-04:00

McCain seems more relaxed, and is far, FAR more comfortable now that the topic is international affairs. Obama seems out of his league here.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-21536230074924116652008-09-26T21:24:00.002-04:002008-09-26T21:37:12.843-04:00

Maybe in another hour my opinion will change, but my first reaction after watching this presidential debate for 37 minutes is mortification that either of these men will be the next president.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-18441914535708960922008-09-24T19:16:00.002-04:002008-09-24T19:26:43.975-04:00

True PatriotismCareful readers will remember that when Senator Obama was asked why he didn't wear a flag pin (BTW, does he or doesn't he?) he talked about how true patriotism didn't involve anything prosaic as sporting the nation's colors on his lapel. Real patriotism, he said, was "speaking out on issues."So, I guess doing the job you are being paid to do as a Senator from Illinois is not real

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-55716279193477003592008-09-24T12:21:00.002-04:002008-09-24T12:27:34.348-04:00

1913 Postcard of New York CityI may post some antique postcards here periodically.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-83555719050925717062008-09-23T13:55:00.002-04:002008-09-23T13:59:54.922-04:00

US History according to Joe Biden:"When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the princes of greed," Biden told Couric. "He said, 'Look, here's what happened.'"Um, no. The television was yet a dream in the eye of American consumers, and Herbert Hoover had been elected less than a year before. But hell, Al Gore invented the internet and

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-31466962919512192072008-09-22T10:17:00.001-04:002008-09-22T10:19:53.365-04:00

Six of the top ten most wealthy members of Congress are Democrats, with John Kerry leading the way. Feinstein, Kennedy, Lautenberg, and Rockefeller right behind.Party of the People.

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-32409867246892217242008-09-21T21:13:00.002-04:002008-09-21T21:16:14.495-04:00

I actually prefer Doc's version; "There's a Wildness in God's Mercy" sounds theologically right-on to me.Tonight I had a related disconcerting song experience: three or four kids sang their pre-meal prayers, something like "We thank you God! For our food!" to the tune of the Indiana Jones theme. Innovative, I guess.

The Ombudsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12215066609258086508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-91945872326007286182008-09-21T13:47:00.002-04:002008-09-21T13:52:19.296-04:00

Have you ever noticed that "Lift High the Cross" sounds remarkably like "Oh Canada?"Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim...Oh Canada, our home and native land...And I always thought "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" was actually "There's a Wildness in God's Mercy." Whoah! Look Out! Here it comes!

Dochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259845076953281166noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-43011858169095380702008-09-18T18:11:00.001-04:002008-09-18T18:13:28.101-04:00

Our Secret WeaponThis is more like it. Go, Joe, go!

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-67781972189216261742008-09-18T07:16:00.005-04:002008-09-18T21:32:58.760-04:00

Hoping for the WorstIn the valley-of-the-shadow-of-death days of the Iraq war Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (always good for a laugh) rather famously said the Iraq war was lost. In fact, it was disconcerting during the bad old days to wake up to headlines in which the Reid, Pelosi and others felt compelled to point out just how badly things were going and how our paramount need was for a

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-61101348761055139332008-09-17T07:11:00.002-04:002008-09-17T07:14:49.618-04:00

How to Defuse the Blackberry MessVery simple. McCain goes on Letterman and while he's joshing and answering questions with the host he keeps looking down at his watch. Letterman asks whether he has somewhere else he needs to be and McCain says, "I have an appointment with Al Gore in a few minutes. We need to fix the Internet." Laughs all around, McCain gets points for a sense of humor about

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-44497126628741158952008-09-16T15:16:00.002-04:002008-09-16T15:24:58.724-04:00

A Breath of Fresh AirGeoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children's Zone appeared yesterday with Terri Gross on the always annoying, Fresh Air. Canada's group serves about 8,000 kids in a 97-block catchment in Harlem with a pre-K-through-high school program that is integrated with a wide-range of support services that kids in poverty typically need. At one point in the interview, Gross began to

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-76074565897229890252008-09-16T15:06:00.002-04:002008-09-16T15:16:27.462-04:00

Two Days, Two Mistakes, The Race Is OnIt is amazing the difference 36 hours can make in a presidential contest. The Obama team has definitely shown resliency by cleverly taking advantage of McCain missteps on the economy and his staff's overreaching on technology issues. Of course, McCain is right about the economic fundamentals: the melting of the Wall Street wax-works bears little immediate

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-52002305666467473472008-09-15T14:38:00.001-04:002008-09-15T14:41:31.300-04:00

Why the Swift Boats Won't Sink McCain It is amazing how clumsy liberals can be in attempting adapt conservative campaign tactics. A new independent ad out has someone who knew McCain during the war saying that being a POW is no qualification to be president and that McCain's temper is a disqualification. Cue the sound of speeding Swift Boats coming in for a kill. Here's what they don't

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-57585922861401272952008-09-14T16:25:00.002-04:002008-09-14T16:27:02.934-04:00

I Apologize Deeply for How Funny This Is

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-18319371989772761852008-09-14T09:00:00.002-04:002008-09-14T09:13:21.260-04:00

Minnesota SwingsA new poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) released this morning shows McCain and Obama all tied up in Minnesota at 45 percent each among likely voters. The previous poll, by the thoroughly unreliable Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota, had Obama up by 12. PSRAI polled over a thousand adults which is a very large sample for a state

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-60150173790833846562008-09-13T19:17:00.006-04:002008-09-13T20:02:51.676-04:00

The Importance of Hating EarmarksGail Collins is in high tut-tut mode over the earmark question. She makes the quite correct point that earmarked projects account for an infintessimal amount of the federal budget and are therefore very much below the concern of anyone who's "serious" about dealing with the real federal spending problems, Social Security, Medicare and the rest of the entitlement

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-54297741504878064872008-09-13T13:50:00.002-04:002008-09-13T14:10:55.635-04:00

Judith Warner, The Haidt Research, etc.I must say I found the Judith Warner piece that Dr. Potomac mentions below to be somewhat bizarre. As an academic with, uh, very different metaphysical and political opinions than most of my colleagues, I am used to not just meeting but being with very different types of people. Ms. Warner, on the other hand, obviously felt way outside that ol' comfort

The Ombudsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12215066609258086508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-84720080997477212422008-09-13T12:04:00.004-04:002008-09-13T12:08:21.278-04:00

From Whence the Anger ComesMore on the theme of who-gets-whom between liberals and conservatives.For those of us who can’t tap into those yearnings, it seems the Palin faithful are blind – to the contradictions between her stated positions and the truth of the policies she espouses, to the contradictions between her ideology and their interests. But Jonathan Haidt, an associate professor of moral

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-62500769140344704282008-09-13T09:51:00.002-04:002008-09-13T10:04:54.168-04:00

Just What is a "Likely Voter"?Gallup issued some interesting details on its polling methodology yesterday. "Registered voters," they say, are those who give a positive repsonse to the question of whether they are "registered to vote in their presinct or election district." This is the number that Gallup most frequently reports which split 50 percent for Mcain to 46 percent for Obama in the most

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-34976745102037923392008-09-13T09:44:00.002-04:002008-09-13T09:50:41.036-04:00

The Ohio PollThe University of Cincinnati issued its poll yesterday showing McCain with a 48 to 44percent lead over Obama. Two significant sub-findings bear noting. First, 23 percent of respondents indicated that they could change their minds before election day, which is a fairly big number in a Palin-polarized electorate and a measure of how cross-pressured the electorate is due to the

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-49422477512028708022008-09-12T11:09:00.003-04:002008-09-12T11:10:45.595-04:00

To My Reading Public -- Both of YouIf you would like to reach me with comments or questions or just to talk smack, I've set up a new email account drpotomac@gmail.com.Would love to hear from you. If you exist that is...Sincerely,Dr. Potomac

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-84024574589341097282008-09-12T10:57:00.000-04:002008-09-12T10:58:18.802-04:00

Dear Ombudsman:I report. You decide.Dr. Potomac

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-46145448255087260442008-09-12T10:42:00.002-04:002008-09-12T10:48:45.101-04:00

Peter Robinson with Andrew KlavanUncommon Knowledge, the webisodes in which Peter Robinson speaks with some notable is always interesting, but this current series of interviews with Andrew Klavan is particularly fascinating to me. Why? Well, for one, I know about Tom Wolfe, Shelby Steele, Thomas Sowell, etc., etc., but Klavan is a new face and a new mind, and it's a delight to be introduced to

The Ombudsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12215066609258086508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-73647677456711685632008-09-12T10:40:00.002-04:002008-09-12T10:41:39.332-04:00

Dr. Potomac, please! You tell us to be calm, to be restrained; you are glum about the first Palin interview; and then you spring this Gallup info on us?What kind of bizarre mind game is this?

The Ombudsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12215066609258086508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-372895314465053492008-09-12T07:34:00.002-04:002008-09-12T07:36:38.604-04:00

A Tasty Tid-Bit From Our Friends at GallupThe positive impact of the GOP convention on polling indicators of Republican strength is further seen in the operation of Gallup's "likely voter" model in this survey. Republicans, who are now much more enthused about the 2008 election than they were prior to the convention, show heightened interest in voting, and thus outscore Democrats in apparent

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240533.post-46405810000947799862008-09-11T20:29:00.002-04:002008-09-11T21:05:11.636-04:00

The Race TodayIn a word: close. Much closer than it was two weeks ago but no breakout thus far by the McCain-Palin team. The biggest development is the way that the Republican convention bounce has probably moved several states that Obama had hoped to compete in out of reach. Florida ($5 million in media spent so far) and North Carolina ($1.6 million) are probably gone for good. Obama has

Dr. Potomacnoreply@blogger.com0