Watcher's Council Nominations, 11/12/08

The Watcher's Council is a group of some of the most incisive blogs in the`sphere. Every week, the members nominate two posts each, one of their own and one from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council.

A full list of entries, including some excellent non-Council ones can be found here.

COUNCIL NEWS: This week, the Watcher's Council welcomes two new members, Mere Rhetoric and The Provocateur. Please take a moment to visit their sites.

So, let's see what we have this week:


Joshuapundit - From The Beginning - You could say that my piece this week deals with hope and change - the real stuff, not the amorphous pink clouds peddled to the masses from the teleprompter of our president-elect. We are talking renewal here, a return to what I consider to be the founding principles of this country and a reverence for what the Founding Fathers envisioned for America, the things that have made it such a special place. The way I see it, that has very little to do with the Republican Party or conservatism as such ( although it likely will, ultimately) and everything to returning these principles, which cross party lines…or so they should.

The first of two parts...the second part will go into detail in how I see this getting done.


The Colossus of Rhodey - That ‘ol “kindred spirit” argument - In the last election, Colorado became the only state in the Union to vote down a bill outlawing race based preferences, albeit by a 50-49 margin. Hube analyzes some of the tactics that were used to defeat it, namely the fact that the KKK supported the bill and that fact was emphasized in the high profile ads that were used by bill's opponents.


The Glittering Eye - A Prospective Obama Administration (Updated) - Dave Schuler has an amusing piece this week, in which he tries to read the tea leaves to characterize what the incoming administration will be like by comparing it to classic films. Me, I'm leaning towards GoodFellas...or maybe Rashomon.

Bookworm Room - Reaching new demographics - This week, Ms. Bookworm focuses on the challenge for conservatives to reach out blacks and Hispanic constituencies. Frankly, I think it depends on which conservative principles we're talking about, and which blacks and Hispanics. For example, like their white and Asian counterparts, few blacks and Hispanics who work in government as public employees are going to endorse conservative economic principles, although they might endorse conservative views on foreign policy and social issues, like Propositiuon 8 in California as Ms. Bookworm mentions.


Mere Rhetoric - Noted Democratic Shill Begs Nutroots Not To Viciously Attack Emanuel For Being Too Jewish - In his debut piece for the council, Omri focuses on the spectacle of a Leftist self-hating Jew begging his fellow Leftists not to give vent to their normal anti-Semitic tendencies where Rahm Emanuel is concerned. These are the sort of folks to whom 'neocon' is just code for 'dirty Jew', and they are unfortunately alive, well and an important constituency of the Democratic Party.


Hillbilly White Trash - The Great GOP Civil War - Lemuel writes about what he sees as a struggle for control of the Republican party between those he dubs as conservatives and those he refers to as RINOs and moderates.


Soccer Dad - Overcoming idiocy - Soccer Dad fisks a piece by Slate columnist Timothy Noah that postulates that we still have a serious problem with white racism because the Chosen One didn't get the majority of the white vote. As Soccer Dad muses, I wonder what Noah would classify the monolithic black vote for Obama?

Unfortunately SD, you can't overcome something that's inherent in some people...



Cheat-Seeking Missiles - Valor and Patience - Laer shares a personal reminiscence, in honor of Veteran's Day.


The Razor - Return to First Principles - Scott examines the various parts of what he calls the Republican coalition and what principles they might join together around.


The Provocateur - Fraud, Corruption, and Power: What Our Bailout Tax Dollars Are Really Going To - In his debut Council post Mike Volpe gives us one example of the same point I've made on this site...that the bail out represents an unparalleled looting of the Treasury and a rape of the taxpayers for the benefit of Congress' favorite Wall Street cronies.


Rhymes With Right - Something That Must Be Said - Greg's piece this week deals with the First Amendment and efforts to shut down some aspects of it as so-called 'hate speech' by the Left. As an example, he cites supposed death threats directed at Obama that were shouted out at Palin rallies. Aside from the fact that it never happened ( per the Secret Service personnel who were actually at the rallies) the point he raises - if I follow him correctly - is that no one man's life, regrettably, is worth curtailing our freedom of speech.

I agree with him to a point, but I would also point out that as I wrote in a different context, the SCOTUS has been quite clear that speech deliberately designed to incite violence is NOT covered by the First Amendment, and that threatening the life of the President or any other officer of government has long been a felony ( TITLE 18, PART I, CHAPTER 115, § 2385) even though it's a felony that's rarely prosecuted.