Evolution As A Matter Of (Political) Survival

The White House press office reports that Obama's views on gay marriage are "evolving".  The great suspense is whether his pollsters will tell Obama that it is safe to publicly support gay marriage prior to the 2012 election.  I especaly like this Darwinian evolution towards a safer position in 2004:

In 1996, as a candidate for the State Senate in Illinois, Mr. Obama responded to a questionnaire from a gay newspaper. “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages,” Mr. Obama wrote, “and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.”

White House officials have said Mr. Obama was really referring to civil unions, which he does support. (On Friday, Mr. Obama’s communications director, Dan Pfieffer, caused a brief kerfuffle by telling a conference of bloggers that Mr. Obama had not filled out the forms himself; the White House later said he was mistaken.)

By the time Mr. Obama ran for the United States Senate in 2004, his position had become more nuanced.

Isn't it Wouldn't it be great having a President who leads from conviction rather than cynically manipulating an issue for political benefit?

Comments

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Wouldn't it be great if we had ice cream?

And ponies.

Unicorn ponies.

[Ignatz]

Speaking of cynical manipulation, here's Michael Barone describing (accurately) little Timmy Geithner's Treasury as gangster government for the special favors it doles out to cronies.

[Melinda Romanoff]

One word: Chi-Ca-Go

[Melinda Romanoff]

Nice link Ig, thanks.

[Cecil Turner]

Here's the real howler:

But when his Senate campaign moved into the general election against Alan Keyes, Mr. Obama told an interviewer for a black-owned radio station that religion was a factor.

Yeah, I know, he's not Muslim, he's Christian, and that doesn't matter anyway. And the truth is, it really doesn't. I don't care about his views about gay marriage or his religion (or so little it makes no difference). I have a vague curiousity of what he's going to do next, and hopefully it won't put more people out of work.

But I am getting tired of being lied to, especially in the breathless manner professional pols use to unveil their latest bit of social engineering which is made inevitable by the deep abiding religiously-inspired belief their candidate has in this blazingly important issue (at least to some constituency), and has nothing to do with polls (even though the story conveniently keeps changing to keep abreast of 'em). It'd be nice to see one of 'em who believed in something . . . even if it was wrong.

[Extraneus]

Wouldn't it be great having a President who leads from conviction rather than cynically manipulating an issue for political benefit?

Sure would. It would be interesting to rank the GOP hopefuls on this scale. I guess Ron Paul would top the list at this point.

[Extraneus]

Not that he's the only one with convictions... Otherwise, it might not be so great after all.

[boris]

Not if true believer is a different category from conviction.

[bgates]

Isn't it Wouldn't it be Wasn't it great having a President who leads from conviction

Bush did some things I thought were courageous and some things I thought were pretty stupid, but was there ever any doubt he was doing what he thought was right?

[Danube of Thought]

Precisely my sentiments, bgates.

[Jim]

o is still voting "present!"

[donald]

My money says Obama is an atheist.

[Rob Crawford]

My money says Obama is an atheist.

Naw. He worships himself.

[Threadkiller]

--"was there ever any doubt he was doing what he thought was right?"--

Only once.

"I've abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system"

[hit and run]

Wouldn't it be great having a President who leads from conviction rather than cynically manipulating an issue for political benefit?

Leading from (pulling stuff out of your) behind.

[Frau Vatertag]

"But I am getting tired of being lied to"
Joe Wilson sure got the heat for pointing that out, didn't he?

[Frau Vatertag]

TK, I believe Dubya had the total carp scared out of him by the financial situation so close to the final days of his administration. (A mistake to work closely with the incoming Obamanists?)

[hit and run]

He worships himself.

I'd say that's not much of an exageration.

Interviewer:Do you pray often?

OBAMA:Uh, yeah, I guess I do.
Its’ not formal, me getting on my knees. ... I’m constantly asking myself questions about what I’m doing, why am I doing it. ... Those are the conversations I’m having internally. I’m measuring my actions against that inner voice that for me at least is audible, is active, it tells me where I think I’m on track and where I think I’m off track.
...
Interviewer:Do you believe in sin?

OBAMA:Yes.

Interviewer:What is sin?

OBAMA:Being out of alignment with my values.

[Chubby]

((TK, I believe Dubya had the total carp scared out of him by the financial situation so close to the final days of his administration.))

By the opposite token, Obama didn't appear a bit surprised or alarmed by what was happening.

I'd like to know who was responsible for messing with the money markets at that time.

[narciso]

Leonard Pitts Garnell, proves that cluelessness is not a 'bug it's a feature,

[Chubby]

((OBAMA:Being out of alignment with my values.))

what a maroon. so if someone's values are that racism is where it's at, one is "sinful" if one is out of sync with that?

[narciso]

Soros bought into Lehman, weeks before it collapsed.

[Clarice]

He is in a real dilemma. Many of his black followers strongly oppose gay marriage and he relies on those black preachers to get the vote out. The democrat coalition is held together with badly rusted safety pins.

[hit and run]

with badly rusted safety pins.

My nose hurts just thinking about that.

[Rick Ballard]

It appears that the President will be allowed to demonstrate his reaction to a collapse in liquidity (this one may surpass the '08 collapse).

I wonder who is handling the sidewalk chalk for briefing the President on the meaning of liquidity? Quick - try and think of a good cartoon sequence that a thick 10 yo could understand.

[henry]

Anvil landing on head. -- labelled QE3. Caption?

[narciso]

H.T Narea, a Chilean born former JP Morgan principal, whatever that means, now a professor of finance of GeorgeTown, and Paul
Erdmann's son in law. sketches out a frightening thriller, involving derivatives,
sharia finance and terrorism, called the firm.

[narciso]

Sorry the Fund, And the Python like sample of absurdity, for the day:

http://bigpeace.com/elcid/2011/06/19/british-equality-chief-christians-more-militant-than-muslims/

[RichatUF]

henry-

It'd be Federal Reserve Swap Lines with foreign banks and opening the discount window wide open to foreign based banks with US operations. Should be interesting.

Rick-

Stick with the classics.

[henry]

RichatUF, that's bigger than an anvil! Plenty of self inflicted large objects in your classics link. : )

[PD]

Wouldn't it be nice to have a president who liked his own country?

[pagar]

"I'd like to know who was responsible for messing with the money markets at that time."

My guess is the same group backing the election of Barrack Obama.

A comment from the link Rick Ballard put up at 12:28PM

http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/03/17/us-markets-seizure-idUSL1710220420080317

"Bank-to-bank lending freezes; bankers ask "who's next?"

IMO, a good place to look would be the huge short players in the banks at that time.

[narciso]

Pagar, as you saw on other thread, they are sending to Managua, someone who the Wikileaks
showed openly disdained the dissidents in Cuba

[bgates]

How absurd is narciso's link?

“there is a more real issue that the conventional churches face that the people who are really driving their revival and success believe in an old time religion which in my view is incompatible with a modern, multi-ethnic, multicultural society,”

says the Head of Pretending Britain Doesn't Discriminate Against Christians. And who are these people whose views are incompatible with a modern, multi-ethnic, multicultural society?

African and Caribbean immigrants with “intolerant” views.

[mockmook]

Go Rory!!!

What a nice guy!!!!

(Please ignore that he advertises/promotes Jumeirah, a company owned by Dubai. Dubai, a country where a woman can be charged with adultery when reporting a rape. A country where gays can be put to death. A country where you can be imprisoned for promoting any religion except Islam. Etc.)

Where are the questions about this at his press conferences?

Where are the NOW types who protested the Masters?

Where are the LGBT groups?

[Ignatz]

--what a maroon. so if someone's values are that racism is where it's at, one is "sinful" if one is out of sync with that?--

You're not getting it. We are required to align our values with his not our own.
Otherwise what's the point of being a messiah?

[Jack is Back!]

mockmook,

Why don't you sent that comment to Mikey Bloomberg since he allows the same corrupt company (Jumierah) to own a hotel on Central Park South in Manhattan.

The most embarrassing thing about this Open is the scoring. The USGA doesn't like it much when the winning score is below par and they must be apolectic that McIlroy is at minus 14 and it could get lower. But the good news for me is that it is going back to Shinnecock (where I learned to play) in 2018. I guess the USGA relented and gave the membership what they wanted since they turned them down flat for the 2014 Open.

[Gmax]

You just thought the proper greeting for today was Happy Fathers Day. But the older holiday is in fact, Juneteenth. So happy juneteenth everyone. Look it up, its a Texas thang...

[mockmook]

Well, JiB, we are in worse trouble than I thought if Bloomberg can unilaterally decide what companies own hotels in NYC.

Meanwhile, Rory can unilaterally decide to not advertise for Jumeirah (Dubai).

[Jane]

I really hope the gays get sick of being used like a ping pong ball. They really should be conservatives.

[Frau Vatertag]

Trevor Phillip from narciso's link:
"In contrast, Muslims are less vociferous because they are trying to integrate into British “liberal democracy”, he said."

[pagar]

"A country where you can be imprisoned for promoting any religion except Islam"

Anyone been to Dearborn Mich, lately?

[Agent J. (formally known as "J"..]

[email protected]:12, Did you ever notice that people with a low IQ have a tendency to smile in all situations..I would think that he had no idea at the time what was happening, and he has not gained any knowledge since.

[mockmook]

BTW, Rory does seem like a nice guy.

I doubt he has thought through the symbolism of his promotion of Jumeirah.

But, the "liberal" reporters at his press conferences are supposed to be a bit more worldly aren't they?

[mockmook]

Anyone been to Dearborn Mich, lately?

Posted by: pagar | June 19, 2011 at 02:50 PM

As the "great one" himself might say, Heh!!!

[pagar]

Narciso, Thanks for the 01:40 note.

I would be really surprised if any Obama Admin employee would be allowed to believe that Castro or Chavez had any credible opposition.
---------------------------------------------"A country where you can be imprisoned for promoting any religion except Islam."

Anyone been to Dearborn Mich lately?

[Captain Hate]

I really hope the gays get sick of being used like a ping pong ball. They really should be conservatives.

Tammy Bruce often addresses this, about how teh "ghey agenda" has been hijacked by the lefties.

[Chubby]

((You're not getting it. We are required to align our values with his not our own.
Otherwise what's the point of being a messiah?))

Lefties are moral relativists in that they believe that right and wrong are not universal values, but culturally determined. So he inadvertantly could have been speaking from that pov.

But you are right, the truth under the mask is they are not laisser faire relativists at all, but absolutists who believe that everyone must think and act exactly as they think and act.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Via Powerline:

Pledge of Allegiance recited by kids at the start of US Open on NBC left out the words "under God". Shame on you NBC. #USOPEN

[Jack is Back!]

mockmook,

Tongue in cheek comment about Bloomberg. My actual point is that Rory plays on the European PGA Tour which owes its new affluence to Dubai and both tournaments there especially the year ending "Road to Dubai" (much like our FedEx Cup. I think at one time it was a $10 million jackpot. And most pro golfers are apolitical especially when it comes to their wallets. I mean they even play in China which is still Red and really do persecute religions - all religions.

[Chubby]

((My guess is the same group backing the election of Barrack Obama.))

Goldman-Sachs was Obama's second largest campaign contributor and I know many stockbrokers who hated Bush with a passion. Did they hate the 52 consecutive weeks of growth under his presidency? Is Wall Street masochistic and/or suicidal?

[Chubby]

((Pledge of Allegiance recited by kids at the start of US Open on NBC left out the words "under God".))

it is signs like these that scare me about the future

[Chubby]

not 52 weeks, 52 months

[Jane]

Is anyone else watching the Open? The hosts are drooling over Rory - according them them is the bloody Messiah.

I like the kid but the rhetoric is over the top.

Funny thing about it tho - I keep thinking they must have done the same thing in the beginning of Tiger's career, and I didn't even notice. And I think that is probably because I followed Tiger as an amateur so I was already gaga over him when he turned pro.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

They are desperately seeking another Tiger-like star, Jane.

[hit and run]

Rory two under after four?!!!??

Really. I'm not watching -- I'm just looking at stats online.

But the USGA officials involved with course set up should be subjected to whatever Captain Hate can imagine for them.

Sixteen Under.

In the US Open.

Steve Stricker is five under through eleven holes today?

Peter Hanson,Louis Oosthuizen,Charl Schwartzel,Johan Edfors and Sang-Moon Bae at four under?

On Sunday at the US Open.

That's it. I give up. We are doomed.

[Clarice]

bgates: "Bush did some things I thought were courageous and some things I thought were pretty stupid, but was there ever any doubt he was doing what he thought was right?"

Not to my mind bgates. I always think he played it straight.

[MarkO]

Rory's swing is so near perfection as to invite these swoons. That he can come back from the disaster at The Masters says only good things. The pretender, Tiger (ask about why his knee is breaking down) can exit until another American player with some integrity arrives.

Worse yet is that NBC has managed to foul Fathers Day and this amazing display of golf by an Obamaesque edit of the Pledge.

That's why I think we're doomed.

[sbw]

How does reduced liquidity in Europe ripple in the US?

How reliable are the reports of US investor banks backing European credit swaps and who pays if they fail?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Rory sure is a cutie. He looks like he came right out of central casting. I don't know much about golf as a player, but I do recognize a sweet swing due to 2 lessons I took, both of which were concentrated on getting the swing right and the instructor showing us clip after clip of the best of the best and their swings, analyzing as he went along.

[daddy]

Here's a shock. Another Democratic Congress critter may be a Tax cheat:

Disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner's 2010 tax return shows he took $40,521 in unspecified itemized deductions on an income of $156,117.

[Jack is Back!]

Sara,

Rory has a classic swing for a young man not an older man. He is incredibly flexible even though he may look a little chunky. Believe me there is more muscle there than fat. His move through the ball onto his left side is even faster and more controlled than Tiger's. Tiger only wishes he could drive the ball as straight and long as McIlroy. A lot of the success of these young guys (including guys like Kuchar, Johnson and Watney) come from Tiger no longer dictating every tournament before it starts. Now the young guns feel they can develop without having to worry about where Tiger is and what he is doing.

But its his distance control with his irons and his trajectory control that is giving him all these freakish 2 footers for birdie. Quite a demonstration of golf. And he will be around for a long time.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

JiB: Chunky? Huh? He probably has a 29" waist, he looks like a long drink of water to me.

[Rick Ballard]

"How does reduced liquidity in Europe ripple in the US?"

SBW,

That depends entirely upon what bobs to the surface after Greece sinks. I've seen estimates of from 50 to 70 per cent recovery when the default occurs and that's the difference between a near miss and a direct hit. At 50% the big French banks are in grave danger and that's where the exposure risk for wholly American firms gets dicey.

I don't believe we'll see any more Wall Street bailouts - Too Stupid to Live is going to replace Too Big to Fail. This Congress will not authorize spending dough to save dolts.

[hit and run]

Schwartzel finishes with a five-under 66.

Hanson and Chappell can par 18 to also shoot 66.

Oosthuizen,Edfors and Bae shot 67.

On Sunday at the US Open.

Doomed.

I Blame Obama.

[glasater]

SBW-

Mr Ballard in a previous thread had a link to Zerohedge referring to ICE-9 regarding the European Banks not loaning monies to each other.

[Old Lurker]

JiB...what did you mean about Tiger's knee?

[Jack is Back!]

OL,

Its his left knee and for a pro golfer that is the most important joint on his body. Why?

Because, on the downswing his weight thru mach speed torsion must shift on to the left side with his shoulders and arms following. It is how the tour guy generates so much club head speed and energy to drive it long and accurate. Never have I seen a guy like McIlroy do both at the same time in a US Open. There is the bomb and gouge crowd that Tiger basically started and ruled for years that didn't care about fairways as long as they were long because with the old groove rules they could spin the ball out of the rough.

So if you are Tiger and have had over 4 scoped surgeries on his left knee (which has now affected his achilles tendon) you are in big time trouble as a tour golfer. That is why he is changing his swing and that is why he is done like a 5 minute burger.

What you are seeing today is the future of new groove rules golf. You have to keep it in the fairway (like Rory has done) in order to ge the spin need to take the ball past the hole (distant control) and bring it back for an easy putt. When the stats come out - he will win this tournament because of his total driving (distance + accuracy) plus, as a result of that, his greens in regulation and distance from the cup.

No one else is close in those categories.

[glasater]

JIB-

Are you talking about the square grooves versus v grooves?

My understanding is the square grooved club has been banned from competition for some time.

[Old Lurker]

Thanks for explaining that, JiB.

My wife and I are trying to learn the game...she is an athlete and I am the opposite, but we both are shocked at how hard it is!

BTW in some of the blimps views today you can see my house with all the golf ttraffic surrounding us.

[narciso]

one would suspect, would they say anything different;

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=which-turks-hate-israel-most-2011-06-17

[Jack is Back!]

glasater,

Groove rules only came into effect for the pros last year. USGA is giving us amatuers a few years break. This is only the second US Open with new groove rules. Some companies like Cleveland have done some innovative things like in metallurgy and finishing to compensate but this Open is showing how you need to play with the new rules - keep it in the fairway.

OL,

Golf is not an easy game to play simply because to make a perfect swing takes as much athletic ability as to hit a 90mph ball in baseball. It really doesn't matter how pretty it is as long as the club is square to the target when it strikes the ball. Good luck and enjoy - it is a game of a lifetime. I play with a guy who was on the Missouri when McArthur accepted the terms of surrender from the Japanese and he shoots his age from time to time.

[hit and run]

Heck,I can shoot my age in fewer than 9 holes.

[Jack is Back!]

OL,

Mean't to ask - is Sargent Shriver's place up for sale? You must be close by. I used to be a member at Avenal and played Congressional many times. I was down in DC in Chevy Chase (DC).

[glasater]

JIB-

I have a set of Tommy Armour beryllium T-line clubs that I just love and will never get rid of but the irons have the square grooves.
I obviously haven't kept up with golf happenings for a long time.
Thanks.

[narciso]

'Just when you think it's safe to go into the water'

http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/06/18/virginia-takes-eric-holder-for-a-ride-florida-about-to-learn-why/#comments

[glasater]

Gosh that Congressional clubhouse is gorgeous. Can't say I'm all that impressed with the course but I'd play it if I had to;-)

[Jack is Back!]

glasater,

It has more rooms than your average Holiday Inn. We used to hold our retirement parties and employment anniversary's there. Great course. Not a real US Open course like Shinnecock, Winged Foot or Oakmont but okay if you want to see birdies instead of bogies.

[hit and run]

With six players still on the course,it looks like we will have 32 players shoot under par on Sunday of the US Open.

In 1974,Hale Irwin won the US Open at Winged Foot shooting +7 for the tournament.

Don't even get me started on Oakmont in 1935.

[Old Lurker]

JiB, the Shriver place sold pretty quickly and is nearby. We were here first.

[hit and run]

Rory can go double - double on 17 and 18 and still tie the Open record 272 by Nickalaus, Janzen, Tiger and Furyk.

He won't,of course. He'll break the record.

[Old Lurker]

There is so much money in these big tournaments that Congressional dug up their clay tennis courts to make room for the TV guys. Mrs. OL was upset because it was their turn to host the Ladies Tennis match for their league but this year the match had to be played elsewhere because of that. Ah the problems of suburbia...

[Jack is Back!]

Hit,

I can flat guarantee that when they play Olympic and Merion they will not be going this deep under par. It wil, first, take the driver out of the bag and it will put more emphasis on the short game instead of hit and wedge it in.

New Open Champion, Rory McIlroy from Holywood, NI. Congrats for putting on a clinic.

[Jack is Back!]

You cannot believe how great that putt was on 18.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

My Great Uncle and his son, both dentists in Pittsburgh, were lifetime members at Oakmont. I think I've been to at least 10 parties there over the years, a couple of them wedding receptions for family. Al once said life wouldn't be worth a damn without golf and Pitt.

[Jack is Back!]

Sara,

Oakmont, great club, great course. No other club in America has as many single digit members as they do. Their member-guest is harder to get into than Augusta. You must be a player to belong there or you will be suicidal after your first few rounds.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

JiB: Early today they were talking about how wet the course and greens are and how low they had the ruff cut. Wouldn't that have something to do with the lower scores today?

[Danube of Thought]

"I doubt he has thought through the symbolism of his promotion of Jumeirah."

Me too. The kid is 22 and from Northern Ireland.

Just watched him wish his dad a Happy Father'sDday after sinking the final putt.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

JiB: I don't know how good cousin Al was, but I know he played in pro-am 4-somes with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, so I figure he must have been able to hold his own. He kept his home in Oakmont Borough, but on retirement and selling his practice, he bought a condo on a golf course in Florida, so he could play sunup to sundown.

[sam]

Golf is difficult because of two things:

1) The long distances. A 1/2 degree deviation at impact can result in being 30-50 yards off target because the ball travels 250-300 yards. The same degree of deviation at impact in tennis would still keep your shot within the lines.

2) The stationary ball. Human eye-hand coordination and reaction is better for a moving ball than a stationary ball. It is easier for humans to hit a moving tennis ball than a stationary golf ball.

[hit and run]

Sara:
Al once said life wouldn't be worth a damn without golf and Pitt.

Angelina's not so bad herself.

sam:
Golf is difficult because of two things

I would add one more thing. Holes 13-18 are made more difficult when you are faced with an active beer cart girl.

[hit and run]

when you are faced with an active beer cart girl.

Especially one who carries herself with the poise and confidence of a seasoned athlete.

[Cecil Turner]

Heyy! Lighten up there, Francis.

[sbw]

Thanks, glasater. I should have been more clear. It was the ice-9 reference that prompted the question. I wanted to understand the cascade better and how to explain how -- i.e. big insurance and/or private banking ... and hence the rest of us would likely be hurt by it.

[hit and run]

So last fall I went to San Francisco for a conference. DrJ and I had a wonderful dinner together (I'm going again this year,but hope to make it out to his place this time).

On the last night of the conference last year,my buddy from work and I hit a few bars. I know,I should have warned you to sit down before revealing such a shocking revelation.

Anyway,in the course of conversation with another bar patron,we discovered that we were partying with Eddie Money! No,wait. That's not true. But it was Eddie Money's keyboardist.

Behold the power of tequila shots to bring people together.

So Eddie's in town next week for a show. He's one of mrs hit and run's favorite artists and we're going. Now I'm trying to get my new bestest drinking buddy keyboardist dude via email to see if he's coming and will be there.

I believe in the power of the memory of tequila shots to bring people back together.

It's a small world afterall.

[Jack is Back!]

Hit,

Eddie Money lives here in my "community" which is a gated golf community in Florida. See him all the time. Want a picture and autograph? Steve Berry lives here also. Vijay wanted to join us but his divorce wouldn't allow him to draw the dollars down to pay for his condo.

But we have a bunch of old ball players, managers, GM's and NFL guys here.

[hit and run]

Does he like tequila?

[glasater]

i.e. big insurance and/or private banking ... and hence the rest of us would likely be hurt by it

I knew that sbw and should have added reading Zerohedge for a time makes a person have to extrapolate;)

[Extraneus]

I think Eddie Money was a NYC cop in the late 60's before turning to a life of rock. It almost goes without saying, but I did "Two Tickets to Paradise" hundreds of times when I was a budding rock star guitar legend.

I also run into Joe Piscopo once in a bar, and made believe I didn't know who he was. This apparently got him to drink with me and my date for the rest of the night.

Oh, and I stood on stage behind Chuck Berry with my hands on his shoulders while he played the lead break to "Johnny B Goode."

[narciso]

What did Twain say about a lie going around the world, before the truth can get up:

http://www.thejerusalemlife.com/news/when-a-dog-runs-wild-in-court