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This week, two giants grace us with their presence and wisdom. First the great Norman Podhoretz (or as we like to call him, “The Podfather”) stops by to talk about Syria and the Obama Administration’s fumbling toward a resolution. Then, our old friend, David Limbaugh, joins to school us on the fundamentals of the conservative movement. Bracing!
Music from this week’s episode:
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother by The Hollies
The Ricochet Podcast opening theme was composed and produced by James Lileks.
No, you may not look at our notes, EJHill.
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Wow- two of my favorites. As soon as I finish listening to this interview with Josef Mueller in Evangelischer Rundfunk, I’ll listen here.
Regarding Obama and Syria, it seems very simple:
Do not attribute to malice that which can be attributed to stupidity.
All these ideas about Obama’s nefarious intent are off-putting and, more importantly, completely miss the point. If he’s a bad President, then he’s a bad President. Period.
For example, every time I hear the names “Ayers” or “Alinksy,” I roll my eyes and move on. That point’s been made, and people in the middle immediately tune out. If it had traction, then he wouldn’t have been elected — wait, check that — he wouldn’t have been elected twice. The horse is not just dead; it probably never existed.
Deal with his poor performance on its own merits, which at this point has huge mass appeal, simply because it’s obvious to everyone. Thank you for reading.
And an additional comment: Recent events are not a sudden indication that Israel is on its own with respect to Iran. It’s been clear that that’s been the case, even going back to Bush. His administration as much as ruled it out (whether wisely or not).
The recent developments don’t help that impression, but they’re not new.
Peter,
Sorry.
I was inferring (rationally but wrongly) that you had opposed congressional authorization of force because you did state back on August 28th you opposed Obama using force against Assad.
Yes, I understand it’s possible to have opposed Obama using force, but then later to support a congressional authorization of force. But it requires contortions to reconcile:
I can hold those two ideas in my mind for almost two seconds before getting dizzy.
You say, “Well, if I were in congress, I would support the president, even though as a (prominent) private citizen, I myself do not support him.” . . .
As if being in congress makes the difference?
How can you tell congressmen they should support the president’s use of force contrary to the wishes of their constituents, when youyourself are one of those constituents who does not support the president’s use of force?
I think you were wrong first and right later, after the request for congressional authorization helped concentrate your thinking.
I’m getting that new kind of coffee James mentioned. Sounds yummy.
David has a distinct (but just as good) style from his brother and always gets me fired up!
The Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes of American Conservatism. That’s how I think of them, anyway.
Thanks, Sal! What I was going to say after that will be forever lost to generations to come, alas.
Dear Astonishing,
Can’t recall what I might have said during the podcast this morning that would have led you to suppose otherwise, but I was in favor of giving the President authorization to use military force. I believed that the President’s timing, the way he had permitted us to get backed into using force by announcing a “redline” without apparently having given it much thought, the lack of clarity about the military goals involved, and the administration’s overall incompetence made the use of force dubious at best. But the President of the United States had given his word that we would attack, and if I’d been in Congress, I’d have voted to give him the authority to do so if only to uphold American credibility.
Kind of a complicated, unsatisfying position, I admit. But that was my position all the same.
A great podcast. I anxiously await, and fervently hope for, a Podhoretz piece on American character.
Peter,
Knowing what you know now (viz, that finding himself alone and naked without congressional support, Obama would take whatever fig leaf Putin and Assad would offer him, with horrible implications unfavorable to our efforts to restrain Iran’s nuclear program), would you still oppose authorizing Obama to use military force against Assad?
When the opportunity presents itself (as it soon will), the GOP should be pushing for a “do-over” on the authorization of military force.
Me too.
Please, please, please! Invite Greg Gutfeld and Pat Sajak to the next podcast. They’ve been having an epic twitter fight (in jest, I think). It would make a great segment.
Regarding Ted Cruz -I thought the move was doomed from the start simply because we cannot over-ride the veto, so symbolic measures like the Cantor plan were what was available.
But I believe the relevent phrase now is Alea Jacta Est.
And as for supporint Bevins against McConnell, Peter knows better than anyone that McConnell is one of the best parliamentary knife fighters in the party, and we need him. Especially if Cruz -much though I love him -turns out to be lousy at whipping votes.
Stay tuned…In the meantime, look here.
I thought what James said about being “job number 40” was spot on. This sounds to me like a good idea to develop for a campaign ad – 2014?
1) I’d love to know what was in the water in the Limbaugh household in the 50’s and 60’s.
2) David Limbaugh is 100% right.
Great podcast. David might be my new “go to” guy. Loved him! Also, though Rob refers to himself as the “RINO squish,” I still really appreciate his viewpoint. I also agree with the point that there isn’t any great clamoring for fiscal conservatism in the general public. The Tea Party is all over that argument, but the average Joe is not.