This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Peter Robinson ·
Aug 2, 2011 at 9:08pm
Cong. Paul Ryan, writing in tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal:
The president tried to use the debt-ceiling negotiations to secure the first of many tax increases that his party needs to pay for its legacy of unfunded promises.
He failed.
Instead, Republicans won the policy debate by securing the first of many spending restraints we need to avoid a debt-driven economic calamity.
*Or should that be “neither”?
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Aug '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
"Neither" works better for me, in for a penny, in for a pound.
And that man should run.
Naviget.
Edited on Aug 2, 2011 at 9:25pmOct '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Judging by todays stockmarket action "ain't nutin neither" was not good enough.
Jun '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Most people think Obama is pretty smart, but seems that he's not smart enough to learn anything from Bill Clinton's reelection success. Clinton let, or maybe couldn't stop, the Republican House saving Clinton from himself. They steered Clinton onto the more moderate path that he promised to follow as a candidate. They had to hogtie and drag him there, but it worked to his benefit.
Jul '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
I'm going with neither, but noting that in my not entirely objective view the cred and the momentum is building. The market being a market, I am sure some got out because Obama failed and others got out because the Tea Party failed. I got out of domestic investments a month ago because I started reading Stanley Kurtz, and I am glad I did.
Dec '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
I'm a fan of brevity, and would drop it at "Nuthin." I agree with Sisyphus. Until the Federal Government drops it's role as arbiter of success and failure in the private economy, the market's fluctuations will be a poor indicator of how we are really doing.
Oct '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Not to quibble, but it’s not Obama’s intellect: it’s his worldview and experience or lack thereof. Clinton was never a Community Organizer or Alinskyite. He organized for the benefit of Clinton, not some socialist ideal, because he cared more for Clinton than for any ideology. Clinton sounds more ideological now only because it doesn’t matter and he has to garner speaking fees. But when it did matter, Clinton’s ideology had been tempered by electoral defeat (after first term as AK Governor) and his boundless ego. Obama has known only success amid the soft racism of lowered expectations. Obama embodies the entitlement ethos and passionately believes in it: race entitlement is what has propelled him to where he is and, along with economic entitlement, he just wants to spread it around. For Obama, the premise that we should forcibly take from one to give to another doesn’t even warrant reexamination. In his worldview, the economic and injustice consequences of that behavior do not nearly outweigh its presumed moral superiority.
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
These "spending restraints." Do we know what they are yet?
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Ryan is right. Grudgingly, bitterly, the Dems accepted the fact that -- at least for now -- there will be spending cuts without tax increases. This infuriates their base, and it moves independents our way. We have to win another election and win it big before we can do what needs doing. In the meantime, the markets will either swoon or move sideways, and there is every likelihood that the rating of our debt will be cut. That will do us damage and be a boon at the same time -- for it will remind people that what has been done is nothing in comparison to what needs doing.
What Boehner and company avoided doing is all-important. We did not accept the principle that there must be (real) tax increases to balance (phony) spending cuts. We are winning the argument. The President is plummeting in the polls as people focus their attention on the state of the union. All that we need is a standard-bearer capable of articulating the argument and prepared to do as he says. Ryan should enter the race.
Sep '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Paul A. Rahe
. Ryan should enter the race. · Aug 3 at 4:44am
Mr. Ryan is a bright, honest, detail oriented person who at present does not have the necessary leadership and organizational skill. He does however have the wisdom to know this. He also is not prepared to put his family through the ordeal. In 4 or 8 years these things may well have changed. It is one thing to sit in an ivory tower and coach and criticize, being in the arena is something quite different. I prefer to trust Ryan's judgement on this matter!
Jan '11
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
It is worse than nuthin', it is nothing disguised as something.
May '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
The ethos of the times has changed, just as Prof. Rahe predicted in Nov. 2009, from how to grow gov't to how to shrink it. That's a prerequisite to all that will hopefully follow. Patience.
"Neither" would be wrong, since, with the "but", an independent clause has been created in which "neither" would form a stand-alone double negative (e.g., "I'm not a saint, but I'm not a rascal, neither."). The "ain't nothin'" has no effect on which is correct.
Edited on Aug 3, 2011 at 8:47amJan '11
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Ryan's editorial is right, but I think we need to anticipate the response.Liberals will rebel against any restriction on government spending because spending is what they think government does for a living. They think spending is the whole purpose of government, especially of Congress.
One wonders what Democrats think Congress is for. After all, what does a congressman do, if not spend money?
The reports of Michael Doyle's griping in a closed-door session among Democrats is revealing. Doyle whined that the tea party people are terrorists because they prevent Congress from spending money.
By gosh, to prevent a congressman from spending money is like telling a surgeon not to slice! What's he supposed to do with himself, if not come up with Ralph Kramden-like schemes to spend money?
Feb '11
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Peter Robinson: Paul Ryan, writing in tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal:
Maybe I remembering wrong, but I thought the president initially wanted a "clean" debt ceiling increase; he didn't try to secure tax cuts via this fight until the Republicans demanded deficit reduction (spending cuts). The deal we ended with gives the president his debt ceiling increase while spending still increases dramatically - albeit at a slightly slower rate than previously planned.
When it comes time to fight over an actual budget, the president will certainly not back down from his "balanced approach" (i.e. tax increases) position, and without the debt ceiling drama he may have more success at it.
This was a bad deal for us and a decent deal for them. Why must we try to spin this as a victory for Republicans or as a failure on the part of the president?
Jul '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Scott Reusser: ...
"Neither" would be wrong, since, with the "but", an independent clause has been created in which "neither" would form a stand-alone double negative (e.g., "I'm not a saint, but I'm not a rascal, neither."). The "ain't nothin'" has no effect on which is correct.
WARNING! DIDACTIC SPELL AHEAD: The double negative was a standard feature of Chaucer's English, where it was used for emphasis, and in Shakespeare's, where it was logical in nature. The grammar school crusade against double negatives is all well and good, but adult practitioners can and will break the style guide for effect. And ain't nothin', defeating a "correct" logical interpretation, clearly defaults to the emphatic usage and is obviously for effect. I have even seen attempts to write neither...nor constructions entirely out of the language.
Breaking the rules, done properly, can be a very good technique to focus the reader's attention while loosening their minds for difficult points. In school, it is more important that students learn to write clearly because most will never learn to write well. It is devilishly hard work.
Sep '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
You cannot drop your 'g's and then use the word 'neither'. You've got to pick a persona and go with it.
Sep '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
What am I talkin' about? It is too neither!
Sorry for the lapse, I think the Rico-tini has muddled my brain.
Mar '11
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Once you've started dropping 'g's and using "ain't," you have sailed past the grammatical Pillars of Hercules. You can do as you please out there, but there be dragons.
Bruce in Marin
What am I talkin' about? It is too neither!
Sorry for the lapse, I think the Rico-tini has muddled my brain. · Aug 3 at 1:54pm
Arguing with yourself might be a sign that that Rico-tini needs more vermouth.
May '10
Re: This May Not Be Everything, But it Ain't Nuthin', Either*
Sisyphus
Scott Reusser: ...
"Neither" would be wrong, since, with the "but", an independent clause has been created in which "neither" would form a stand-alone double negative (e.g., "I'm not a saint, but I'm not a rascal, neither."). The "ain't nothin'" has no effect on which is correct.
WARNING! DIDACTIC SPELL AHEAD: [...] The grammar school crusade against double negatives is all well and good, but adult practitioners can and will break the style guide for effect. And ain't nothin', defeating a "correct" logical interpretation, clearly defaults to the emphatic usage and is obviously for effect. I have even seen attempts to write neither...nor constructions entirely out of the language.
Breaking the rules, done properly, can be a very good technique to focus the reader's attention while loosening their minds for difficult points. In school, it is more important that students learn to write clearly because most will never learn to write well. It is devilishly hard work. · Aug 3 at 11:10am
True, dat, and that's why one should never fuss over obscure grammatical issues ... unless asked, as here.