It Can't Happen Here; the 1st day

I might as well get my opinion down. The Liberal mind is totalitarian, now they've got their champion and he has immense advantages. First, the financial meltdown. Who can object to the government assuming powers it's never had before? Aren't we in bad shape? Don't we need a strong hand? Haven't we started already with our "Paulson Plan" and the Treasury's buy-in to major banks? Don't we need more?

And this is a man with an extraordinary armor: "I don't like his plan, it's an infringement on free enterprise, on personal liberties." --"You're a racist."

I don't see any possibility of argument, discussion, or opposition. Cowed by the charge of racism by those who would use race as a tool.

This is a bad time. The first black man to be President is the worst black man possible. This is a very bad day for America.

Oh well, conflict happens. Empires decline, nations decline, democracy ends.

There has to be a battle, and the first battle has to be the personal and collective one to speak out on policy, and to insist with all vigor and even anger that policy is a legitimate aspect of government. --Kind of strange, to have to fight to establish the right to speech as a part of governance.

But maybe I over emphasize my worry. I don't at all overstate the totalitarian mindset, perhaps I overstate the weakness of those who would oppose it.

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A few notes:

--In the Senate McCain might do a great deal of damage. He'll "reach across the aisle," meaning that he will immensely weaken, perhaps destroy, the already limited possibility of Republican opposition. His problem in Barack's words, is: "He doesn't know what he's up against."

--It's possible that our foreign allies, so delighted that we are no longer racist, will be the ones who will reestablish our right to free speech. There's no doubt that, as soon as it's again in their own interest, there will be no hesitancy in allowing their own speech to flow forth.

--And self-interest can be of great utility in the service of liberty. The great unity of the Democrat party has been their desire to regain power. They have power now, perhaps now they will shatter. --The problem, of course, is they want so much more power. I don't know if that can hold them together or not.

--Finally, for this post: It's now no longer necessary to seek out Barack's past to find his character. He's public now. Those he knows are not those he didn't know when he was only eight years old. He's Chicago now... right in front of us.

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623 PM
Back to my lonely home. Walk was gray, with occasional sprinkles but very nicely warm, maybe 65 degrees. No wild life this time, though I did briefly see an eagle at quite a distance. --Woods felt a little bit wild, sort of a mellow wild. That's unusual, maybe unique. I am pretty pooped, and I am feeling really down. I do see Barack as a Marxist and a revolutionary. The only thing I don't know is how much he'll be able to do.

I note "responsible" conservatives don't touch this concept with a ten foot pole. I'm thinking of Bill Crystal. That's reasonable. It's certainly a viewpoint just now shared by very few in the public. Crystal does hope Obama "won't go too far left." That's a reasonable formulation, in terms of being a politically acceptable statement. But he will go as far left as he can, and fast. I do think he's insane, his ego is immense. His rise to the most powerful position on earth has been rapid and with no effort but an aim toward this end. He succeeded. There's no reason to expect caution, or any personal sense of limits.

Note:

--If Republicans in the House don't become strongly conservative they'll have no cohesion and no force at all. Pelosi is going to be radical. Republicans have to at least hope they have a voice.

--Obama picked Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff. That means he's going hardball, which is his manner. Some Republicans think Emanuel will be a restraining force, in that he favors free trade and national defense... I just don't think Republicans have any idea of the ruthlessness they're going to face.

--A nice confirmation of my views on McCain as Bozo Bipartisan Man in the Senate.

Obama will get the most lavish and extended honeymoon in history. Everytime he walks to the podium without falling down will be trumpeted as the greatest accomplishment since MacArthur returned to the Philippines. It will be the natural tendency of Republicans to join in the praise, and worse, to try to be "bipartisan" when it comes to legislation that is manifestly bad for the country and abhorrent to conservative principles. This tendency will be magnified by the Republicans' fear that any opposition to Obama's policies will be portrayed as motivated by racism rather than principle.

Senator McCain is an American hero, a remarkable man. I can think of few I respect more. But he's likely to be the first to be leading the charge toward bipartisanship. This would be a mistake of galactic proportions. This must be resisted.

I could easily quote the whole thing. It's splendid.