Peter Hitchens Miscellany
Great piece from Peter Hitchens’ blog on Obama, Palin, and the US media.
Excerpt:
How many of my critics have actually read David Freddoso’s measured, forensic ‘The Case Against Barack Obama’? Or, come to that, how many of them have opened David Mendell’s earlier but still telling critical study ‘Obama – from Promise to Power’? Or how many have read the Chicago Tribune’s interesting and revealing pursuit of the vague and partial stories in Mr Obama’s own interesting and engaging but not wholly candid memoir, ‘Dreams from my Father’? Anyone can do this. I do, admittedly, have the slight advantage of having spent some fascinating days in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois, speaking to individuals (some of whom wished to remain anonymous) who had encountered Mr Obama early in his political career. But I didn’t keep it to myself. The results of this were published in the Mail on Sunday in February and can still be found on the web.
So, for instance, my views have nothing to do with Sarah Palin, and her (deserved) evisceration by Katie Couric. It’s good to see that an inadequate and ill-prepared candidate can still get herself disembowelled by the US media, but shouldn’t people ask themselves if they’ve ever seen Mr Obama subjected to this sort of treatment? Most Americans don’t even known that Barack Obama smokes cigarettes, so how can they be expected to know what his grasp of foreign policy is like? How would he cope with foreign potentates in the hurly burly of real life? See Freddoso again, for some hints.
D 1:37 pm on October 13, 2008 Permalink
Austin,
Speaking as someone with definite single-issue voter tendencies, I still can’t quite agree with you. A few questions (since Chris is out, I must fill this role):
1) If abortion is “the issue this election,” why have we not heard a single question about it at ANY of the debates, Pres or Vice-Pres?
2) If Palin’s pro-life stance is so affronting, why did she get such astounding props from the female demographic right after her pick? Couldn’t it be the backlash was caused, not by her pro-life beliefs (which were never a secret), but by her horrible performance on network television?
3) Sounds great, but on what grounds is Obama the “most pro-abortion candidate in history.” I have no interest in defending him, ala Chris, but why is he any worse than ANY of the recent DNC candidates? Kerry? Edwards? Clinton(s)? Really and honestly. No propaganda necessary on HPN. He’s bad. But he also makes a point of talking about the need to reduce abortions (for self-serving reasons, obviously). Cf. the new DNC platform.
4) Seems that picking a pro-life VP was the least of McCain’s mistakes. But really… aren’t we just missing the big point here: the US is weary of Bush, and McCain doesn’t have a personality big enough to keep us from associating him with “W.” Which, btw, is the name of a movie that Brian and I want to watch with you this Friday.
A 5:15 pm on October 13, 2008 Permalink
1) Mainstream Media Conspiracy
2) No
3) His voting record
4) Yeah, you may be right. Alas, I will be in Houston, TX for the rest of the week.
wonderyak 8:36 pm on October 13, 2008 Permalink
I’m probably not your target audience — being a strong-Agnostic liberal — but ever since Chris turned me on to this site, I’ve really enjoyed reading it.
But…this is the first time that something has been written that so deeply offends me that I just had to say something.
Because someone is Pro-Choice does not mean they are “Pro-Abortion” or believe that “abortion is necessary” (to paraphrase your post).
Quite the contrary, in fact! I think abortion should be used ONLY as a last resort. If I were ever in the position to council someone on this issue, I would strongly urge them to choose life.
I know this is where we fundamentally disagree, but I do believe that everyone should have the RIGHT to choose. Not that they SHOULD choose, but that the option needs to exist.
I am only myself, and to think that I can dictate what other people do with their bodies is presumptuous and conceited.
Here’s the Big Thing, for the record: everyone I have ever talked to about this believes the same thing. The idea that liberals are abortion-loving fiends is offensive, just as is the idea that conservatives are ignorant rednecks.
I know we’ll never see eye-to-eye on abortion, but that’s okay. Disagreement is healthy. I just want to make sure you’re not propagating a stereotype that is patently false and vile.
And now back to your regularly scheduled program.
Thanks for writing, guys!
P.S. The EMP is awesome.