Most interesting about the unfolding Iranian turmoil is its crippling effect on American government.
Busy declaring concern for Iranians, U.S. President Barack Obama has been effectively sidelined from the pursuit of his various domestic initiatives.
Not that “declaring concern” is all that time consuming, it’s the anti-lock braking mechanism that the Iranian drama seems to have placed on the media’s affinity for the Obama collective.
Freedom is back, baby.
As a result, if only for a fleeting moment, we have what amounts to a libertarian government in this country. As long as Iranians continue to raise hell – neither the President nor Congress is seriously pursuing any sweeping legislation.
Indeed, since the beginning of the calamities in Tehran, Obama’s most significant move has been to write for Parade magazine a trite (but true) article about the meaning of fatherhood.
That Obama is stuck in a political freeze-frame is bad news bears for liberals, but worse news for conservatives.
No “change” means that the left is left stagnant and that the right has nothing to shoot at.
Libertarians, conversely, have lucked out. Iranian instability has helped the libertarian cause more than any development since the term was coined to replace the pesky “anarchy” tag.
For a change (!) the federal government is hands-off. There’s talk, as always, but everything’s effectively on pause. Nobody’s really doing much of anything.
Libertarian luck will eventually run out, of course, the timing of which is completely up to Iranian protesters.
How poignant that the citizens of another country – a despotic, theocratic country – are the ones who will determine the extent of this country’s hiatus from legislative oppression.
Who said libertarians don’t care about foreign policy?
Pic: Reuters
By Steve June 22, 2009 at 12:39 pm
The reason why Obama has not taken a firm stand on Iran is because he’s still awaiting the weekend polling data to be uploaded to his teleprompter.
By Pat Hendrix June 22, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Mande, do you have “the google” on your computer? Health care reform is moving through the process with 72 percent of the American public supporting a public option. A sweeping overhaul of the banking regulation was presented by the adminstration last week.
That constitute a respite from the agenda?
As for “something to shoot at” – ugh, the tactic has resulted in less than one in four Americans self-identifying as a Republican. The Republicans in Congress have even lower numbers, if that’s possible.
Yeah, keep shooting. Hopefully you can get those approval numbers down to single digits.
By Jethro June 22, 2009 at 1:16 pm
It is such a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing our federal government can “fix” any problem around the world.
By Mande Wilkes June 22, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Pat –
Take your own advice and get thee to “the google.” Searching my name should clear up a few things for you. Your inability to hear the tones – over- and under- – of my articles, together with your curious certainty that I’m Republican, bespeaks a blind fascination with me.
Just sayin’.
Besides, your preoccupation is making you miss my more radical innuendoes . . . pick up on and parse those, and then you’ll be on to something.
-Mande
By Pat Hendrix June 22, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Dear Mande,
First, “bespeaks a blind fascination with me.” Ugh, huh?
Second, like a good joke, the author of a post shouldn’t have to explain it. And having gone back and looked for the “tones”, I’m still at a loss. What was the point? Indulge me, please.
As for your political affliation, I hate to tell you this, but there are only two functiong parties in this country. My guess, and I may be wildly off the mark, you ain’t voting for Democrats.
In any event, I’m not going to google your name, but I will request you find a more flattering mug shot. You may be a lovely woman, but that’s like looking into a fun house mirror
By Dj June 22, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Hey Pat… I am willing to bet that “poll” where you got that percentage is the New York Times poll everyone is talking about. Unfortunately if you look at the how the poll was set up you can clearly see the bias in it to reflect that. If there is anything you learn from POLI 101 is that you never trust a poll lol. Oh and the obvious fact that its the New York Times…duh. That should give you a clue to look at polls from them with a grain of salt. It seriously wasn’t that hard of a Google search. And what polls are you getting the 1 in 4 Republicans thing from? I am willing to bet it too is biased. How about we look at the poll from Rassmussen that shows that the “honeymoon” period is starting to wane for the President?
The health care reform will die this year because Democrats know they are risking to much politically when it comes to the cost of it. The various sources are already reporting that its pretty much going down hill. The bank overhaul you speak of is very short on goals…when you break it down its business as usual for bankers, I wont go into detail with it, I have researched it, you can look for it yourself…but I think you really dont want to because you know there is a truth you refuse to look at. The credit card reforms are in the same vein, some changes but nothing of significance.
His stance of semi “neutrality” towards Iran may help him or maybe not, its too early to tell but from the sources I read (both Left and Right), Iranians aren’t to thrilled. But here is the point…I GET MANDE’S ARGUMENT. It is something to learn from and also to add to, not to berate or talk down to. This the problem with this whole left/right mentality of our country…it gets to the point where you dont even have to think, you just espouse whatever gibberish is fed to you from your “side.” It is why I left and became an independent. I CAN THINK FOR MYSELF AND FIGURE IT OUT. Something you should think about.
Mande… you should make a pic or video where your wearing kinky medieval undergarments or whatever they wore to be sexy back then…and with a huge sword say… bespeaks a blind fascination with me!!!!! All World of Warcraft like.
um…just sayin’
maybe the Leia outfit in Revenge of the Jedi?
ok i’m done
By flipnut June 22, 2009 at 6:43 pm
They(our dear leaders, Obama, Pelosi, and Read) have been working on choo choo trains, just read the new DOT bill.
All aboard, whoo whoo……
By Pat Hendrix June 22, 2009 at 9:57 pm
DJ,
Speaking of flawed polling, Rassmussen is considered the absolute pits and not surprisingly the favorite of conservatives. As for the predictable New York Times canard, the poll was done by EBRI, a conservative business research outfit. Nice try. I can understand why you folks keep claiming that the polling is skewed or intentionally biased. It’s comforting, but entirely wrong. Want evidence, take a look at the election results over the past four years. Really, you still doubt the credibility of the polling? Really?
And please, the lectures on blindly following the talking points of the left are so baseless it’s laughable. I believe in the death penality, gun rights, balanced budgets except in the event of national emergency, a strong military, judicious use of military power and I thought TARP was a national disgrace. So spare me the bullshit about being an indy, hombre.
By Pat Hendrix June 22, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Oh DJ
The poll I cited about one in four being identified Republicans was wrong. It’s one in five. The polling was done by Rupert Murdoch’s WSJ. Nice try.
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/political-media/the-incredible-shrinking-gop-only-one-in-five-self-identify-as-republican/
By madcock June 24, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Mande, interesting thought. It seems to have no basis in fact. Almost as though you are writing about some parallel universe. Obama,like him or not, believes he has the ability to do more than one thing at a time. There just isn’t a shred of evidence that the Iranian crisis has paralyzed the adminstration at all.
BTW, I’m new to this site. I have seen your bumper sticker on what I assume from the license plate is your vehicle outside the Market Common Barnes and Noble. Being intrigued and amused by your bumper sticker slogan “Move Over Ann Coulter” I visited your site.
Between it and your writings I gather you consider yourself a libertarian.
I used to have a lot of respect for libertarians until I learned that many of them like Loverboy Sanford, are all for small govt. except when it comes to abortion rights and telling consenting adults they can’t get hitched because they are of the same gender.
As Bill Maher said about the GOP “they want to get government off your backs and into a woman’s uterus where it belongs.”
Do you indeed consider yourself a libertarian? And what are your positions on abortion rights and laws concerning gay marriage?
By Mande Wilkes June 24, 2009 at 11:56 pm
“Madcock” -
First, welcome!
You’re right that I’m a libertarian. Not a right-leaning libertarian, or a fiscally conservative/socially libertarian libertarian, or a libertarian who votes for Republicans. Those people – the people who, as you said, “are for small government except when it comes to” this or that – are not libertarians. (So says me, the preeminent authority on libertarian labeling.)
To be a libertarian is to be cold, or at least to seem that way. It’s the coldness of clarity . . . and clarity is really the whole point.
That’s my indirect answer to your question. I trust you can infer the rest.
But in case you can’t or won’t, I’ll break it down: I care not at all about “rights” – abortion, gay, or otherwise. I care only that people can do what people do, without governmental interference or input. As such, I oppose any governmental input on abortion, marriage, and just about all the rest of it.
I know, you’re so welcome!
PS: Say hey if you see me at B&N again.
-Mande