Beautifully put Colin. Obama: there's angry and then there's TelePrompTer angry. 

I get the impression that Stewart is just embarrassed by these scandals. It doesn't seem to be criticism of Obama for the wrongness of the scandals so much as a frustration that the "tin-foiled" are given undeserved credibility. 

Thank you James. It was my honor and privilege to serve.

I have to say that I find Fitzgerald's use of adjectives very amusing. They come out of nowhere and are so unrelated to the nouns they modify. A couple of examples: bleeding fluently; throbbing taxicabs. My favorite quote thus far: "Americans, while occasionally willing to be serfs, have always been obstinate about being peasantry." 

I worked on F-16s on the flightline and even worked an alert mission for a few months. 

Getting the aircraft there isn't really the problem. Even from Italy, the flight is no more than 2 hours or so. It's a question of whether you have aircraft ready to go at the time the order would be given. If Aviano has F-16s on alert, and given the air campaign that took place in Libya I imagine so, then we could have had 2 jets up in the air within 8 minutes. 

Along with some mashed potatoes at that.

The stories I hear from relatives paint a picture of chaos on the streets, especially in Addis Abeba. It's every man for himself. Because Ethiopia is both modern and primitive people cross freeways like they're neighborhood streets. You'll also see herds of goats, sheep, etc. The city also has a smog problem and I know someone who started a nonprofit to get more catalytic converters into the cars to reduce pollution. 

On the flip side, I've been told that the roadside courtesy is much greater. If you're broke down on the side of the road it is not uncommon for the next person to stop and help you. 

Given the state of the economy over the last few years, especially the difficulty that young people are having finding jobs after college, I fear that a risk averse attitude is going to set in with young folks. To the extent that happens it will be a challenge to make the case for free markets for decades to come. Many people are going to look to the gov't intervening in the hope of finding some security, whether it be jobs or healthcare or some other kind of public assistance. 

I agree with what you said about gravitas. I also agree with Schrodinger's Cat that there's an element of influence there too. It's the influence that comes with having stature but I don't think it applies to voters. The influence is one that can get results. Maybe an example to add to your list is Frank Underwood from House of Cards. 

It's important to note that Reagan said In this present crisis, that gov't was the problem. 

Maybe one of these days we can do a donation drive and appoint an ambassador for Ricochet to send the president a mock-up of the White House made out of straws, since he loves to make use of such arguments. 

Completely agree, as Jonah has said, that Obama the great Orator is more hype than reality. You reminded, though, of another thought I had about that message. It shows that in the Left's ideology people are dehumanized for the good of the whole. Margaret Thatcher lays out the contrast in the way that only she can. This should be on your list of favorite videos. But the point is that we lose value as individuals. We're just a number, a file, a chit in a herd of so many others that are identical to us. 

What bugged me: it was such a terrible speech. I mean, this was a graduation ceremony. It wasn't even a good speech just by judging it on that criteria alone. Those ceremonies are boring enough as it is and usually there's some speech filled with banalities or over-the-top attempts to be different and exciting. 

Did he ever really talk to the students? Did he talk about what was important in life? Did he give them advice as one who has walked that path? Did he give them something to take with them as the commence from university? It just plain sucked. That was the worst part of it.

I've been reading through 1 John and I think it addresses this question. To summarize, the test is whether a person confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and is the Son of God. In addition, that person proves that they're a Christian by the love they show to God's people. They walk in obedience to that commandment and hold to the teachings that are based on the foundation that the Apostles laid. They show that love through deeds. 

Is it the professorial type or the ADHD type? Or could it be the "TED" factor, in which there's a desire to always present the most exotic ideas in the conversation, a la space colonies? I do agree, though, that there's a lack of focus. 

I wonder how much this is shared with Obama. They're both academics. Their political careers have been legislative although Newt has had some leadership experience but he wasn't solely responsible for making decisions.

This is one of many things that have to come together. Even then, it will take time. As I said, candidate recruitment is also important. You gotta run good candidates at the local level and push them up the ladder. 

I think the reason Newt is a bad candidate and not suited for gov't work anymore is that he's like those young guys that Peter mentions in the podcast. They see too many possibilities and enjoy the opportunities that await them to go work for the gov't in a stale, backwater environment that is oblivious to the outside world. I was talking to a friend at the California GOP convention who's in the startup world and we were discussing what things were coming in the next 10-15 years. My friend would then say that the political world just isn't capable of moving at a pace fast enough to anticipate sweeping changes. They suffer from paradigm paralysis.