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OBAMA, Hillary And The CNN Debate
By Ann Coulter
Fox News ought to buy a copy of Monday's Democrat debate on CNN to play over and over during the general election campaign. For now, the Democratic candidates need to appeal only to their nut-base. So on Monday night, the candidates casually spouted liberal conspiracy theories that would frighten normal Americans, but warm the hearts of losers blogging from their mother's basements.
B. Hussein Obama got the party started by claiming he couldn't get a cab in New York because he's black. This line was a big hit with white liberals in the audience who have never been to New York.
Even writers for The New York Times don't drag this canard out anymore. Last year, a black writer in the Times pointed out how things had changed in New York in the 10 years since he had been out of the country. Not only did he have no trouble getting a cab, but he cited statistics from taxi sting operations that showed a 96 percent compliance rate among cabbies in picking up blacks. (Remarkable, considering that New York cabbies' compliance rate on daily bathing is less than half that.)
As the Times writer noted, even 10 years ago, "most of the drivers who refused to pick me up or take me to my destination during that time were of African descent." When he asked one cabbie — 10 years ago — why he avoided picking up black customers, the driver displayed a scar across his neck, a souvenir from a black customer who had robbed him. "I have to choose which is worse," the driver said, "a fine or death."
Thanks to Rudy Giuliani, cab drivers in New York no longer have to make that choice. Under his mayoralty, New York City became a lot safer for cab drivers — and everyone else. The murder rate went from about 2,000 murders a year under Mayor David Dinkins to about 700 by the end of Giuliani's term. The last time a cab driver was killed in New York was in 1997.
In addition to making it safer for (mostly African-American and Muslim) cabbies to pick up African-Americans, Giuliani made it costly for them not to. He started "Operation Refusal" in 1999, sending out teams of black undercover cops and taxi commissioners to hail cabs and give fines to those who refused to pick up blacks.
Even back in 1999, in the first 12 hours of "Operation Refusal," out of more than 800 cabs hailed, only five cab drivers refused to pick up a customer — one of whom was a white woman with children. And by the way, I've had dozens of cabs refuse to stop for me on Fifth Avenue. Sometimes they forget to turn on the "off duty" light, or they're daydreaming or maybe they've read my columns on Muslims.
Next time, B. Hussein Obama ought to tell us the one about Kool cigarettes being owned by the KKK and causing impotence in black men. There may not be overwhelming evidence disproving that one as there is for the yarn about blacks not being able to get a cab in New York.
Overall, Hillary appeared to be the only Democrat even dimly aware that there will eventually be a general election. But she too played to her audience with wacky conspiracy theories. Oops, I mean she "discussed the Democratic platform in detail." No need for me to get judgmental.
Hillary raised the Bush-stole-the-2000-election fairy tale, saying: "I think it is a problem that Bush was elected in 2000. I actually thought somebody else was elected in that election, but ..." (Applause.)
On Nov. 12, 2001, The New York Times ran a front page article that began: "A comprehensive review of the uncounted Florida ballots from last year's presidential election reveals that George W. Bush would have won even if the United States Supreme Court had allowed the statewide manual recount of the votes that the Florida Supreme Court had ordered to go forward."
Another Times article that day by Richard L. Berke said that the "comprehensive review of the uncounted Florida ballots solidifies George W. Bush's legal claim on the White House because it concludes that he would have won under the ground rules prescribed by the Democrats."
On Nov. 18, 2001, notorious pro-abortion zealot Linda Greenhouse wrote in the Times that the media consortium's count of all the disputed Florida ballots — in which the Times participated — concluded "that George W. Bush would have won the 2000 presidential election even had the court not cut the final recount short."
If three prominent articles in the Treason Times isn't enough to convince Hillary that Bush won the 2000 election, forget the White House: ABC ought to hire her to replace Rosie O'Donnell on "The View." I know that's a big seat to fill, but maybe she can finally convince Elizabeth Hasselbeck that 9/11 was an inside job.
Ann Coulter is a syndicated columnist with Universal Press Syndicate.
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Obamamania
By Ann Coulter
NEW YORK - I've caught Obama fever! Obamamania, Obamarama, Obama, Obama, Obama. (I just pray to God this is clean, renewable electricity I'm feeling.)
Only white guilt could explain the insanely hyperbolic descriptions of Obama's "eloquence." His speeches are a run-on string of embarrassing, sophomoric Hallmark bromides.
In announcing his candidacy last week, Obama confirmed that he believes in "the basic decency of the American people." And let the chips fall where they may!
Obama forthrightly decried "a smallness of our politics" -- deftly slipping a sword into the sides of the smallness-in-politics advocates. (To his credit, he somehow avoided saying, "My fellow Americans, size does matter.")
He took a strong stand against the anti-hope crowd, saying: "There are those who don't believe in talking about hope." Take that, Hillary!
Most weirdly, he said: "I recognize there is a certain presumptuousness in this -- a certain audacity -- to this announcement."
What is so audacious about announcing that you're running for president? Any idiot can run for president. Dennis Kucinich is running for president. Until he was imprisoned, Lyndon LaRouche used to run for president constantly. John Kerry ran for president. Today, all you have to do is suggest a date by which U.S. forces in Iraq should surrender, and you're officially a Democratic candidate for president.
Obama made his announcement surrounded by hundreds of adoring Democratic voters. And those were just the reporters. There were about 400 more reporters at Obama's announcement than Mitt Romney's, who, by the way, is more likely to be sworn in as our next president than B. Hussein Obama.
Obama has locked up the Hollywood money. Even Miss America has endorsed Obama. (John "Two Americas" Edwards is still hoping for the other Miss America to endorse him.)
But Obama tells us he's brave for announcing that he's running for president. And if life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
I don't want to say that Obama didn't say anything in his announcement, but afterward, even Jesse Jackson was asking, "What did he say?" There was one refreshing aspect to Obama's announcement: It was nice to see a man call a press conference this week to announce something other than he was the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby.
B. Hussein Obama's announcement also included this gem: "I know that I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change." As long as Obama insists on using Hallmark card greetings in his speeches, he could at least get Jesse Jackson to help him with the rhyming.
If Obama's biggest asset is his inexperience, then if by the slightest chance he were elected and were to run for a second term, he will have to claim he didn't learn anything the first four years.
There was also this inspirational nugget: "Each and every time, a new generation has risen up and done what's needed to be done. Today we are called once more, and it is time for our generation to answer that call." Is this guy running for president or trying to get people to switch to a new long-distance provider?
He said that "we learned to disagree without being disagreeable." (There goes Howard Dean's endorsement.) This was an improvement on the first draft, which read, "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."
This guy's like the ANWR of trite political aphorisms. There's no telling exactly how many he's sitting on, but it could be in the billions.
Obama's famed eloquence reminds me of a book of platitudes I read about once called "Life Lessons." The book contained such inspiring thoughts as:
"When was the last time you really looked at the sea? Or smelled the morning? Touched a baby's hair? Really tasted and enjoyed food? Walked barefoot in the grass? Looked in the blue sky?" (When was the last time you fantasized about dismembering the authors of a book of platitudes?)
I can't wait for Obama's inaugural address when he reveals that he loves long walks in the rain, sunsets, and fresh-baked cookies shaped like puppies.
The guy I feel sorry for is Harold Ford. The former representative from Tennessee is also black, a Democrat, about the same age as Obama, and is every bit as attractive. The difference is, when he talks, you don't fantasize about plunging knitting needles into your ears to stop the gusher of meaningless platitudes.
Ford ran as a Democrat in Republican Tennessee and almost won -- and the press didn't knock out his opponent for him by unsealing sealed divorce records, as it did for B. Hussein Obama. Yet no one ever talks about Ford as the second coming of Cary Grant and Albert Einstein.
Maybe liberals aren't secret racists expunging vast stores of white guilt by hyperventilating over B. Hussein Obama. Maybe they're just running out of greeting card inscriptions.
Ann Coulter is an author and is legal affairs correspondent for Human Events, where this article originally appeared.
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The Damage Done By Howard Dean
By Florida Insider
Florida Insider has for months been writing what newspapers are just now getting around to: Democratic candidates and causes will likely be severely wounded by the Democratic National Committee’s decision to strip Florida of its delegates to the national Democratic presidential nominating convention next year.
There are hints from national Democratic officials that all will be well by convention time next summer; that the presidential nominee may allow Florida’s delegates to be seated after all.
This shortsighted, self-congratulatory perspective proves how badly the DNC still misses the point. Sure, nominee Hillary Clinton may be shrewd enough to let bygones be bygones at the convention. If she can, she may seat the delegates in a grand gesture.
So what? The damage will have long been done in Florida.
On the January 29 Florida primary day is also the vote on the property-tax constitutional amendment. Most Republican officials, including Gov. Charlie Crist, want the amendment to set up a new “super exemption” to pass. It needs a 60% vote. The Democrats and their union allies want it to lose.
The “no” partisans probably hold a slight advantage, if only because they need only 40% plus one vote. But if the Democratic presidential primary counts for nothing, then anti-amendment voters may stay home.
The Democrats likely will be hurt in January 29 municipal races too. Because the Democrats are the minority in Tallahassee, the state party needs to build power at the local level.
This minority status also means the Democrats’ best strategy against the Republicans is to take advantage of when the GOP overreaches. Democratic victories in Florida are less likely than self-inflicted Republican defeats. A loss by the Republicans on the property-tax amendment likely would compound problems for the Republicans just when the presidential election begins in earnest. Finger-pointing among Republicans would combine with a dizzying array of follow-up tax-reform proposals to hamstring the GOP. Now this has less chance of happening.
A nonbinding Democratic presidential primary here also jeopardizes what might be the party’s best chance to reclaim the allegiance in national elections of GOP-leaning registered Democratic voters in North Florida. Vigorous grassroots work and high-profile campaigning by Democratic presidential candidates are probably the prescription for winning these voters back. Now that may not happen.
It’s remarkable how DNC Chairman Howard Dean and the national party have played to script. That script was written roughly a year ago by Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio’s strategic team, almost surely in consultation with Jeb Bush.
Media seems to be swallowing whole the notion that the bumped-up presidential primaries have been all about making candidates spend time here, and forcing them to promise sweet policies for the state if they’re elected president.
What’s being missed is that the Rubio team saw three moves ahead last summer in knowing it could force the national Democratic Party into this awkward position. (As far as unintended consequences of the Rubio move, it likely will help force eventual reform to the whole presidential nominating process.)
The Republican maneuver also will water down the favorite presidential campaign ploy of Democrats in Florida – the perpetual claim since the 2000 presidential election that because of those sneaky Republicans, everybody’s vote doesn’t count in our state. That campaign pitch may sound hollow this fall, given that it’s the Democrats in January that will effectively disenfranchise its own voters.
Meanwhile, the Republican presidential primary here likely will be big news, and draw big money. There’s some “told-you-so” reportage and rhetoric in media and Democratic circles in Florida that the state GOP made a mistake in moving up the primary; that now Michigan may move ahead of Florida, rendering our state’s vote less important than planned. (South Carolina will precede Florida too.)
This is unlikely, unless GOP front-runner Rudy Giuliani is so far ahead by then that he is the presumptive nominee already. More likely is that the expected entrance into the race in September by Fred Thompson will muddy the waters enough to create real drama by January.
Florida may not be the first primary, but it’s likely to be the last major one before most states vote in what may amount to something close to a national primary in early February.
Note that Florida senior Sen. Bill Nelson (D) is point man for the state party’s open skirmish with the national Democratic Party over the Florida primary. He and others in the state Democratic congressional delegation have threatened legal action against the DNC.
Can anyone see presidential nominee Hillary Clinton next summer magnanimously seating the Florida delegates – and then sending them into paroxysms of ecstasy by naming Nelson as her vice-presidential nominee?
Florida Insider is a publication of the Internet News Agency. See http://www.floridainsider.com/ FlCopyright 2005 Internet News Agency.
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