At the Santa Barbara retreat organized by David Horowitz, I met David Keene, the Chairman of the American Conservative Union. Mr. Keene is a big, burly guy who likes his tobacco in a pipe, old school style.
Cutting to the chase is not my style, but it is Mr. Keene’s style. Therefore, I shall present his remarks forthwith.
“Democrats only win elections when republicans screw up. This was the case in 1974, 1992, and 2006.”
In this last election, just as in 1974, republicans were seen as crooks. Democrats then made the mistake of completely misreading the results. It was not just Iraq or Mark Foley. It was everyone’s fault.”
“Losers blame winners, and winners claim false mandates. Hillarycare was only one sentence in 1992.”
“In 2006, democrats claimed a false madate. They claimed a mandate for higher taxes, a mandate for government run health care, and a mandate to move to the left. Congresswoman Maxine Waters even claimed a mandate to have government take over industry.”
“The taxes on gasoline come to 18 cents per gallon. The profit they earn is only 8 cents per gallon. Government produces zero, and then collects the tolls.”
“John Kerry could not win because the United States is optimistic. Obama gets this. Kerry was incapable of giving an optimistic speech. The question is how Obama will stand up when the pressure hits. Obama often voted “present,” to stay clean on issues. He has a glass jaw. He kept failing to put Hillary away, when most democrats don’t even like her. Yet Obama gets credit for running a good campaign.”
“In 1972, I worked for Spiro Agnew. George McGovern told a reporter to ‘kiss his @ss.’ Agnew, despite being on the other side, identified with McGovern.”
“The rules change after winning the nomination. Americans see more than a thematic speech. Unlike primaries, in the general election voters are not in synch with government solutions.”
“Young people are economically libertarian.”
“McGovern warned the democrats about 2008 becoming 1972, if they treat Iraq as they did Vietnam.”
“Democrats argue that their is one bad world actor, and that is the United States. Americans do not believe that the world is pleasant. America is a peaceful island in a dangerous world. They will vote for John McCain because of the world we live in.”
“It is about the War on Terror. A republican screwup gave us Jimmy Carter, who surrendered to Iran. We have too much at stake to do that again.”
David Keene was nice to talk to, and like me, he is a supporter of the National Rifle Association. My family also supports GOAL (Gun Owners Action League), as well as JPFO (Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership). Mr. Keene understands that liberty is vital, and that starts with respecting the Constitution as it was originally intended, free from liberal activist and spin.
I do not agree with Mr. Keene on every issue, but in terms of liberty, the Second Amendment, and the national inclination for Americans to lean towards conservatism, our synthesis is solid.
eric
“Young people are economically libertarian.”
LOL! He said that right! Libertarianism: The political phiosophy of adolescents.
“Democrats argue that their is one bad world actor, and that is the United States.”
Nonsense. The rightwing laps this stuff up. Too bad it’s a bold faced lie.
“…Jimmy Carter… surrendered to Iran”
Ludicrous. Surrendered what? What? Did we own Iran? Insanity.
And that gun nut stuff is just loony.
Mr Keene seems to have his rightwing rhetoric down. I’ll give him that. I expect to hear plenty more of this stuff over the next few months.
JMJ
Carter surrenderd whatever dignity he had left in this country
Carter pulled the rug out form under the Shah allowing Khomeini to rise to power. He also surrendered the Panama Canal.
Adoescents like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, etc
The Panama Canal deal is not a problem. It really never was. I spent a decade in the container line industry. Please, God, believe me, the Panama Canal deal never was a problem. Even the invasion was almost completely unnecessary. And since when is keeping your word a bad thing?
I still can’t fathom exactly what Carter did wrong with Iran back then. What was he supposed to do? Invade Iran? What happened back then was blowback from the 1953 CIA coup – over oil, as usual. That was what started it all. Had we not done that, in all likelyhood, the hostage situation and overthrow of the Shah would certainly never have taken place. And since when is national self-determination a bad thing?
I call Double Hypocrisy!
And if you think you can get away with comparing modern American libertarians to Jefferson and Franklin (well, maybe Franklin, but he really doesn’t count) then you’ve got another thing coming from anyone any knowledge of American history. Silliness. Adolesecnt silliness.
JMJ
I don’t share this guy’s optimism. Americans may well need a reminder of how real Democrats govern. Clinton was positively right-wing, compared to the current lot. Expect a 1960s reprise on foreign policy, and a 1970s rerun on economics. Wrapped in a shiny new charisma package. One hopes it will smack the GOP hard enough to realise that it’s not only young people who are libertarian. People don’t vote conservative because they want moral relativism and a big, wasteful, overweening government.