Never underestimate the ability of GOP candidates to turn off voters who should be their natural allies. “Clearly, Sharron Angle’s ad depicting dark-skinned figures violating U.S. immigration laws angered many Hispanic voters in Nevada, especially after she clumsily tried to claim they might have been Asian. Similarly, the presence of anti-immigration hardliner Tom Tancredo on Colorado’s ballot as the de facto Republican candidate for governor helped fuel Hispanic turnout.”
A lot of conservatives wish Chris Christie had abided by the “never say never” rule and left just a crack open for a 2012 run. He has a “51-38 percent approval rating, higher than President Barack Obama or any other statewide leader, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.”
Never confuse Keith Olbermann for a journalist, says Michael Kinsley. “Does anyone doubt what Olbermann’s views are on politics in general and these races [in which he contributed to the Democrats] in particular? Most journalists try to suppress their biases — Olbermann gets paid to flaunt his biases.”
George W. Bush was never self-pitying or a buck-passer, writes Mark McKinnon. “Bush never complains. He never blames others. He takes full responsibility for his campaigns, his administration, his life. He accepts the cards he’s dealt. That’s the George Bush I know.” Get ready for the Bush nostalgia. (His approval rating is statistically identical to Obama’s. Says as much about Obama as it does Bush, huh?)
Never mind luring him to switch parties. The National Republican Senate Committee is already going after Joe Manchin.
Never think “no” means “no.” Rick Perry says he’s not running in 2012, but he sure is going after someone who certainly will be.
Never mess with Stephen Hayes. Especially if you don’t have your facts straight.
Never forget: in victory, minor spats tend to fade. “[Sen. Jim] DeMint is co-sponsoring an amendment [Sen. John] Cornyn plans to offer that would put the Senate GOPers on record in support of a constitutional amendment requiring the federal budget to be balanced and thereby force Congress to put the brakes on government spending and require a supermajority to raise taxes. … Funny, Cornyn and DeMint working together to stop earmarks, require a balanced budget and prevent future tax increases without a congressional supermajority. DeMint was the major force behind the Senate Conservative Fund that contributed mightily the victories of many of the incoming GOP senators, while Cornyn headed the Senate Republican Campaign Committee that made some moves earlier in the 2010 campaign that were strongly criticized by conservatives.” Victory tends to make pols magnanimous.
William F. Buckley
Tony Snow
Dean Barnett
Men of Words, Men of Ideas, Happy Warriors, All deeply missed this November. It’s unbelievable to think that none of them will be around to offer insight, wisdom and grace this time next week.
May they all rest in a peace that washes away every tear from this life.
Baruch Dayan Emet.
This a sad day with the loss of Dean Barnett. Keep him and his family in your prayers. Dean was a good egg. RIP Dean Barnett I am sure that Dean Barnett is peppering Ted Williams with numbered lists of questions.
Barnett Celebrating his 40th Birthday
Every tribute to Dean Barnett mentions how kind he was. I felt this kindness myself when I would write to him to comment on his writing.
He always wrote back.
I wrote to him most recently about three weeks ago and didn’t hear, for reasons that are now clear. Today, with his passing, I feel the deep loss of a smart, kind man, and am reminded of two important lessons…
Character is embodied in the smallest human gestures, and we all have less time than we think.
May we all learn from Dean to treat others always with kindness, and may we all live fully–with joy, energy and enthusiasm–today and every day.
Very well-stated, Max F. I had much the same experience with Dean, except for the last unanswered e-mail.
He certainly gave the impression that he was living his dream up to the end, that there was nothing he’d rather be doing than writing his lively, perceptive, frequently hilarious, cutting but never pretentious columns.
IsraelP- a goy cannot be a dayan, its a total contradiction
IsraelP- typical neocon am haaretz
Hmmmmm
Soxblog definitely was a great guy. Over the past few years he and I have had a few occasions to exchange emails and he always struck me as solid thinker.
I know I’m going to miss the guy.
I was surprised by how sad I was to hear about Dean’s passing. There was something very infectious about him. He will be sorely missed by those that followed him. I can only imagine how much his poor family will miss him. God Speed Dean…
I was incredibly saddened this morning to learn of Dean Barnett’s passing. Dean and I grew up together in Newton, MA and were classmates/schoolmates from grades K-6, and again in grades 9-12. We played little league, youth basketball and regular friday afternoon football games with a group of other kids in a rotation of backyards (back when kids did that) on Friday afternoons after school throughout our childhoods. As kids, we all knew of Dean’s illness, but it never seemed to outwardly hold him back at anything, and it was never a topic of conversation amongst us. We were friendly though not particularly close over the years and after high school we drifted apart and out of touch, as many do at that time of their lives. Many years later, when debating between looking for another sales job or going to law school, I became reacquainted with Dean during his tenure as a head hunter. He was as friendly as ever, and it was as if no time had passed as we conversed. He was very direct in his advice and ended up being very helpful in pointing me in the (eventual) right direction. We had not seen or spoken to each other in at least 7-8 years, except for a few emails here and there, as either part of a sports discussion/debate or a political one. I am sitting in my office thinking of my own mortality and cherishing my wife and kids and thinking of an old friend who was a good guy and truly deserved a better fate. My condolences to his family and sincerest wishes for eternal peace.
a factor, whether or not a goy can be a dayan is irrelevant, in this matter, because Dean was a devout Jew. I had several conversations with him concerning our shared experiences (Red Sox lovers, Conservatives and being Jewish). I will miss Dean greatly. I feel his loss personally and deeply.
This is very sad. I loved Dean Barnett guest hosting on Hugh Hewitt. So good natured and funny! A lot of the tributes have used the term ‘happy warrior’, which is very apt, and his writing and commentary reflected a wonderful sense of decency. My condolences and deepest sympathies to his family and friends.