and his name is Dennis Miller. Although I would never think to say something like, "To me Dennis Kucinich's politics are more scrambled than Rod Steiger's dream journal". Rod Steiger's dream journal. That is funny to me on such a deep level that I don't even know how to talk about it.
Great piece on Miller in the New York Times, discussing his conservative transformation after September 11, which appears to be identical to my own.
I agree with all that he says - and better yet, I love what he says, because it is done with wit. I relate. I like how he speaks. Although - again - I also would never ever ever think to call John Madden "the Pliny the Elder of football announcers". WHAT?? So freakin' FUNNY.
The man is insanely brilliant - and right-on-the-money.
People say I've slid to the right. Well, can you blame me? One of the biggest malfeasances of the left right now is the mislabeling of Hitler. Quit saying this guy is Hitler. Hitler is Hitler. That's the quintessential evil in the history of the universe, and we're throwing it around on MoveOn.org to win a contest. That's grotesque to me."
Also:
I think abortion's wrong, but it's none of my business to tell somebody what's wrong. So I'm pro-choice. I want to keep my nose out of other people's personal business. I guess I fall into conservative when it comes to protecting the United States in a world where a lot of people hate the United States."
And:
Everybody should be in the protection business now. I can't imagine anybody not saying that. Well, I guess on the farthest end of the left they'd say, `That's our fault.' And on the middle end they'd say, `Well, there's another way to deal with it other than flat-out protecting ourselves.' I just don't believe that. People say we're the ones who make them hate us because of what we do. That's garbage to me. I think they're nuts. And you've got to protect yourself from nuts."
Yeah - like NUTS. You don't need to understand why NUTS hate you because they are not rational and they are NUTS.
Dennis Miller is my psychic twin and that's all I'm saying.
But still - Rod Steiger's dream journal??
(via Vodka Pundit)
Bah. It's such a black and white point of view for him to become a 'conservative'. (Which he really isn't.) Are the only alternatives "support Bush" and "compare Bush to Hitler"? Bush is clearly not Hitler, by any stretch of the imagination, yet, in my opinion his administration is pretty bad, and I would be thrilled to see him voted out of office this year. It's actually a microcosm of where I find myself. I find many on the left to be in outer space, but much of what the right wants to be really bad ideas. Things like the Patriot Act don't protect American citizens, they take away their rights. So I guess I'll sit here and hope someone reasonable comes along.
Posted by: Ron at January 15, 2004 4:27 PMWell, remember though, it came from the New York Times.
If you listen to his actual WORDS, Ron, it is much more ambiguous.
As I am. That's why I like him. It's not about labels. It's about common-sense.
Posted by: red at January 15, 2004 4:33 PMYeah, his words are ambiguous. And I feel that way too. But I can't imagine someone who feels ambiguous going out and performing at a fund-raiser for Bush. Voting for him because you feel there is no better choice out there is one thing, (as much as I disagree with that), but going out and helping raise money for him is a whole other story. But hey, its his personal choice.
Posted by: Ron at January 15, 2004 4:40 PMHe ought to try living in Dennis Kucinich's district for a while....
Posted by: Ken Hall at January 15, 2004 4:42 PMKen -
Do you live in Kucinich's district? Would you describe it as Rod Steiger's dream journal?
(I just can't get past that phrase. I don't even know what it MEANS - but I know Rod Steiger's acting, and I think the image is hilarious)
Posted by: red at January 15, 2004 4:44 PMYes, I live in Kucinich's district (the west side and part of the east side of Cleveland, along with its western environs...I'm in the environs, specifically Fairview Park).
Cleveland, though I love it dearly--I can best describe it as 85% of New York for 50% of the cost--and would defend it down to the last unbroken bone in my body, is nothing like Rod Steiger's dream journal. Believe me. It's a pretty unpretentious place with a lot going for it...albeit with an inferiority complex upon which I could float the Sixth Fleet, aircraft carriers and all.
Dennis's world, on the other hand, yeah, "Steiger's dream journal" covers it adequately. The Peace Department, for pity's sake. Did you ever run across that joke making the rounds of the 'Net a few years back, the one purporting to be a list of comments culled from personnel reports about British army officers? The one that best applies to Kucinich is, "His men would follow him anywhere, but only to see what happens next."
I guess it's what happens when you convince yourself you're the Hororable Representative from Planet Walter Mondale (which is a swipe, and I wish I could remember from where).
He also flip-flopped on abortion when he announced for President. That's not a hot-button issue for me--I personally oppose it, but am disinclined on principle to boss around other people--but the flip-flop was egregious, as if he were sure no one was paying attention.
He also allowed as to how a Kucinich administration would establish a commission to study reparations. If he said it because he believes it, that's bad enough but at least it's bad and honest. If he said it because he was looking over his shoulder at Sharpton, well, I have altogether little tolerance for that kind of pandering.
Much of his district is blue-collar, so he makes a lot of hay by bashing the eeeevil corporations. Maybe I'm stretching a bit, but his act since he decided to run smacks of contempt for the voter (something I see quite a bit from the left, actually) where it ain't just plumb loco.
I've been a Democrat all my life (well, I split the ticket every which way and I voted for Harry Browne in 2000), but I'm thinking of volunteering for whoever runs against him, assuming the Republicans can find somebody with a brain and a pulse. That's been kind of a problem for them in this county.
Posted by: Ken Hall at January 16, 2004 11:28 AM