Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Blue Yeti ·
September 17, 2010 at 10:21pm
We're all about the mid-terms this week and we're joined by one of the country's foremost campaign experts to help us sort through them: National Review's Jim Geraghty. We cover Delaware, the infamous Murphy post, and a host of other contests around the country. We also politely discuss the Ricochet Code of Conduct and how it works. Or doesn't.
And now, a fusillade of bullets:
- Jim Geraghty's Campaign Spot column is required reading. And while you're there, subscribe to his daily email blast. We do.
- The now legendary Mike Murphy Ricochet post Civil War in the GOP? A Peacemaker's Proposal...
- El Rushbo didn't care for it.
- The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 contributed to the start of World War I. More recently, he lent his name to a Scottish rock band.
- You can track the amount of money Christine O'Donnell has raised (and contribute) here.
- In the 90's, Christine O'Donnell took a stand against hands (so to speak).
- Sharron Angle's latest poll numbers against Harry Reid.
- In California, it’s close. Very close.
- Fiorina's Demon Sheep spot.
- The Ricochet Code of Conduct: Read it. Learn it. Live it.
Music from this week's episode:
- Wake Up by Arcade Fire
- Different Drum by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs
The direct link to this week's episode is here, but please do the polite thing and subscribe.
The Ricochet Podcast is sponsored by the Encounter Books Broadside series. This week's title: Obama and America's Public Sector Plague by EJ McMahon. Available at EncounterBooks.com
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Comments:
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
In sports there are many fans that just want wins. Everyone wants wins, it's fair to say. Aim for the win, you may get a win, but how is it achieved? Teams that emphasize winning above all else scream at each other when things don't go their way, scream at the officials and generally blame everyone but themselves. Success only comes with a score that is meaningless in the next game.
Teams that emphasize how they play understand that the only thing they can control is themselves, usually at an individual level. The player commits to something larger than a "win." They commit to principles of effort and determination. They also commit to each other. Success is in achieving goals as a team and giving their best. In other words, sticking to their principles is the most important aspect of how this team operates.
We've seen perspectives the last few days that emphasize winning. We've seen their reaction to loss. We've seen principled reaction to that perspective. Which seemed more positive about what can be achieved in the future? Would you rather play the blame game and give up, or fight on?
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
FeliciaB
What? · Sep 17 at 9:41pm
Felicia, a few weeks back, there was some suggestion about taking callers on the Ricochet podcast. I begged them not to do it.
They said they'll be thinking about it.
So each week, I remind them where that leads:
To madness.
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
I'm not so optimistic Rob. I think there are more "fiscal conservatives" than unicorns, but not many more. When push comes to shove most people opt for "somebody's got to fix my financial problem."
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Ah. I leave for Yosemite for one simple week and come back not understanding any of the inside jokes. Thanks for clue-ing me in!
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Yosemite - God's country.
When I was a kid, my dad was a lumberjack in the Sierra's. Yosemite was almost literally in our backyard.
I suspect each of us has a spiritual home. For me, it is Yosemite.
I lived for many years in Manhattan. Mingling among the sophisticates, I heard them tell of the wonders of Europe, of Bali, of Australia. But hardly any of them had ever been to Yosemite. Or to Montana, or Colorado, the Grand Canyon or New Mexico.
Open your eyes, I'd tell them, The real treasure is right here.
Right here at home.
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
We got what we got. Things are different now; maybe some on the other end of Penn Av get it, The alternative to having another run at it is . . .what?
Jun '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Kenneth
FeliciaB
What? · Sep 17 at 9:41pm
Felicia, a few weeks back, there was some suggestion about taking callers on the Ricochet podcast. I begged them not to do it.
They said they'll be thinking about it.
So each week, I remind them where that leads:
To madness. · Sep 17 at 10:14pm
Kudos to Kenneth for using the call-in template to skewer Rob. Only those who get the print version of NR would understand the parody of parody. Though for my money Rob's best efforts from NR are the ones picking on the French. More please.
Aug '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
I really enjoyed the podcast because I agreed with Geraghty and Lileks 100%. It has been driving me batty this week with folks like Levin and Laura Ingraham being effusive in their praise about Christine O'Donnell when the woman can't even handle her own financial house. I'm all in favor of strong Conservative (and Tea Party backed) candidates like Ken Buck and Joe Miller, but Christine O'Donnell just strikes me as, OK I'll say it... kind of a wing nut... not for what she believes (though her statements about masturbation are kind of out there), but for what she has done... or not done. Maybe she can win the Senate race, but I doubt it.
Sep '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Hi everyone, this is my first post.
One thing I've noticed is that Right-Center podcasts often start out with middling positions like, "Let's give Obama a chance--he' s not really all that bad," and later, when we learn how bad Obama turns out to be, they will say, "Well, he did turn out that bad. Hmm." The podcast hosts are smart, but Rush, Levin, etc., with their "extreme" views, usually get it right much sooner.
Rob, and others on this last podcast seem to start out with what I consider to be false premises, referring to Tea Party-backed candidates (a bit in jest in this case, I realize), as "the nuts," and to their backers as, "The pitchfork guys," and to Tea Party folks' views as "Extremist or fanatical," etc. I view drastically shrinking the size of government as moving away from fanaticism and extremism, not towards it.
Also, a candidate expressing negative views on TV about masturbation (O'Donnell) does not worry me nearly as much as someone voting with big spending Democrats all the time (Castle), since "getting away with" masturbation is much easier than getting away with not paying your taxes.
Dan
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Jim Geraghty was great. Rob and James excellent as always.
I love Rove but the people who gave the nomination to O'Donnell are right. No point electing RINOs.
Aug '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
I have my own personal issues with Apple, and I don't really want to invite Itunes onto my machine, so I am unlikely to do the polite thing and subscribe to the podcast.
Unfortunately, the direct download link is to podcast 33, not 34.
Here's hoping that you can update the link for us applephobia sufferers.
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Nothing surprises me about Levin anymore. His ego grows in tandem with his ire.
But I would have expected better of Laura Ingraham .
I understand they're irate about the "smearing" of O'Donnell, their pet candidate.
But O'Donnell did it to herself.
Now they feel they have to defend her or else dampen her already-slim chances. Better to remain silent.
But, oh, those delicious ratings!
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Hi Mark,
This is now fixed. Thanks for the catch. Too much copying and pasting.
There are numerous ways to subscribe to the podcast without going through iTunes. Visit our Feedburner page for a complete listing of the services we use.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Palaeologus
EJHill: Geraghty and Lileks seem to have amnesia. Don't they remember that just ten short years ago we had 100% control of both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. And we got what? · Sep 17 at 4:04pm
Edited on Sep 17 at 04:05 pm
I'm more pessimistic about government than you EJ. What didn't we get? Nearly every proposed bill that didn't pass was a victory. · Sep 17 at 9:27pm
With such low standards for victory, we're doomed. By that measure, it's good when Republicans slow our decline, rather than stop it and restore healthy limits.
The longer we merely tread water, the farther we drift from shore.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
1) Geraghty, the lousy no-good Jets fan, and "royalty"? He is in Alexandria. What are the two biggest East-West streets in Alexandria? All about royalty, I rest my case (forgive me, Kennedy) ;-)
2) Scott, remember, O'Donnell is a conservative. She advocates positions by persuasion, not government coercion. She will never ban masturbation, she will only use her bully pulpit to try to persuade everyone..... I agree with Mickey Kaus.
3) After the ugly 2007 immigration debate between Linda Chavez (I'm a fan) on the one hand and Ingraham, Levin (and Mark Krikorian), et al on the other, how could anyone be remotely surprised at the bomnbastic and ugly comments now regarding the Delaware race? I find myself agreeing with Conor about Levin, and I very much wanted it to be different when he started his show. For me, it is back to Dennis Miller and Michael Medved- intelligent civility.
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Aaron Miller
With such low standards for victory, we're doomed. By that measure, it's good when Republicans slow our decline, rather than stop it and restore healthy limits.
The longer we merely tread water, the farther we drift from shore. · Sep 18 at 9:45am
It depends upon what you mean by healthy limits, I suppose. I don't expect to see the sixteenth amendment repealed. There are opportunities for significant reversals, Reagan's tax cuts prove that.
But... sure we're doomed. Shining cities on hills are no more permanent than other cities.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Duane Oyen:
2) Scott, remember, O'Donnell is a conservative. She advocates positions by persuasion, not government coercion. She will never ban masturbation, she will only use her bully pulpit to try to persuade everyone..... I agree with Mickey Kaus.
Phew!
(Actually, I knew that; I was just making a joke. But I'll alert my teenage son so he'll stop sending his lunch money to the Coons campaign.)
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Actually, we do (sort of) know that there is gold in Ft. Knox. The History Channel did a documentary on the Ft. Knox focusing primarily on the bullion depository.
It included a vignette on a time, I think it was in the mid '70s, when the press was invited in, the Treasury Secretary broke the seals, everybody got a chance to look in the room where the gold was stored, and the room was sealed up again.
Obviously one nanosecond after the room was re-sealed the conspiracy theories and Ft. Knox "Truthers" started up again.
Questioning whether or not there's gold in Ft. Knox is an absolutely unscratchable itch like the demand for certain politicians to produce a birth certificate.
Even so, the amount that's officially listed as being on deposit is 147.4 million troy ounces, which at $1000/oz would work out to $147,400,000,000 which is really just sofa change in comparison to the current $13,552,816,000,000 (more or less) which is the national debt figure as of about a minute ago.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
@ Geraghty
Yes, we'd like to change policy. We won an election in 2000, and Jim Jeffords jumped. We won an election in 2004, and got electible Arlen Specter as chair of the senate Judiciary committee; thank G*d Arlen remained a loyal Republican when it came time to vote on Obamacare, wait, what?
We've learned that winning with guys like Jeffords, and Specter, and probably Castle just affects who gets to hand out the graft (that's the way it works here in Illinois too where we have just one political party, The Combine, but that's another post).
Speaking of Illinois, getting to 51 is of paramount importance so I'm holding my nose to vote for Mark Kirk. If we get the majority, I'll risk the RINO.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #34: The Squishy RINO
Speaking of O'Donnell's anti-M stance, does that make Coons the pro-M candidate? Would that make shaking the Coon's hand problematic?
The good news for Coons is when O'Donnell wins, Obama can appoint Coons as the M czar. With fed workers downloading porn on company time we seem to need one.
The Obama administration will take a "pro" stance. We'll be seeing public service announcements brought to us by the Bureau of M and the Ad Council featuring the mascots Jokin' Chiken and Spanky Beaver. Narrated by Keith Olbermann and Bill Mahr.