There’s been a lot of grumbling behind the scenes here about how tiring we find the primary season (by me mostly, if truth be told). I’m so tired of endless debates with little substance and pundit prognostications that I just can’t wait until the election is over and done with and we can start focusing on what really matters: Iraq, the economy, health care, etc.
But leave it to the universe to send the most unlikely person to give an attitude adjustment. Conservative, former Nixon speechwriter, Ferris Bueller attendance taker, game show trivia expert and most recently, evolution denier Ben Stein reminds us just how historic this election is.
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If you look at it up close, this presidential campaign looks like a swirl of bragging and rallies and shouts and money. But if you step back and look at this election through the prism of history, it look pretty darn impressive. Breathtaking, even. [..]
Now let’s be clear. They’re politicians and human beings, and not saints. None of them. They wear pants, not halos. But if you can see the forest for the trees, this is an election about some fine things in humanity: courage, determination, idealism, forged in the still red-hot crucible of the human spirit, the U.S.A. It’s a great sight.
Full transcripts below the fold
If you look at it up close, this presidential campaign looks like a swirl of bragging and rallies and shouts and money. But if you step back and look at this election through the prism of history, it look pretty darn impressive. Breathtaking, even.
Just for example, when I was a child in Maryland in the mid-1950s, if you had started a story about a black man who was running for president, it would have been a set up for a racist joke. Believe me, I heard plenty like that and I hated those not funny “jokes.” But in Barack Obama, we have a self-confident, capable, eloquent man who grew up with terrible burdens: little money, an absent father, and mostly his own extraordinary abilities. From this, he became a U.S. Senator and now a juggernaut heading for the White House. What is this if not a stunning triumph of the human spirit? What is it if not an amazing story of how this magnificent country still offers unlimited opportunity to those bold enough to seize the moment?
And what about John McCain? When I was a law student, blithely playing bridge, he was a prisoner of the North Vietnamese, tortured and tormented for six years of horrifying captivity. His life was in danger every moment. Now he is a U.S. Senator from Arizona, a world symbol of courage and the candidate of the GOP for president. This is an even more astounding story of human strength and heroism, and of the country, which he says inspired his survival in chains.
What about Hillary Clinton? She went through a terribly difficult childhood, with a drill instructor of a father, a harrowing, endless public torment by her famous husband, and still has a shot—to be sure, a long shot—at being the nation’s first distaff president. This too is a personal triumph.
Now let’s be clear. They’re politicians and human beings, and not saints. None of them. They wear pants, not halos. But if you can see the forest for the trees, this is an election about some fine things in humanity: courage, determination, idealism, forged in the still red-hot crucible of the human spirit, the U.S.A. It’s a great sight.
No Trackbacks To “Ben Stein On Election ‘08“
Honestly, given his involvement in Expelled which has revealed his supreme ignorance and dishonesty, I don’t give a damn what he says.
Ben Stein is an idiot.
Psycho America
60 Minutes’ report on the upcoming Ohio primary had some interesting moments on the campaign process. It got me thinking about dogwhistles and I wrote about that at my homeblog this eve.
They’re politicians and human beings, as you note. And it’s already been a grueling process for all of them far beyond anything we’re receiving. And each has a drive to win. But there are lessons to be learned in watching their campaigns in the process.
Sometimes the deniability is plausible, and sometimes…not.
Abbie @ 1:
Nor do I. It’s like Glenn Greenwald interviewing Bill Donohue: I don’t give a shit what that ass thinks!
L.A. Confidential @ 3:
And we’re the Good Guys!
Sheesh
With so many Republicans praising Obama, I have a sinking feeling that they are going to weasel their way into quite a few positions. Without a Democratic House and Senate, Obama will be blocked at every turn by the GOP. Maybe that is why they seem so self-satisfied now.
Ben Stein is a fool, but here’s some late breaking news that could really make a difference:
Celestial Choirs Going ‘Heavenly’ for Obama
Black and female presidents all over the globe. Don’t be myopic and proud of it. Sheesh.
To my mind however, the election is the only fun part. Watching them jump through hoops, the intellectual exercise of going over and over all the delicious details of who said and did what, and how it might impact the race. All that is enjoyable. Once they get into office and the downward slide of this country’s reality comes back into focus, that is the depressing part. Cause I do believe it would take a president with a halo to fix the mess Bush leaves behind.
Dave @ 7:
He can imitate Bush and say hey Fu*k you I make the rules around here.
L.A. Confidential @ 10:
I’m the Decider now not Bush
Fuck Ben Stein. Sorry for the language but Ben Stein is a facist idiot.
If you want an example of a conservative dipshit you don’t a have to look father that Ben Stein.
He’s the poster child for Republican stupidity.
L.A. Confidential @ 11:
Sad fact is unless bush becomes the Convict, (a dismally low chance of that happening) then the damage of his presidency will be permanent.
Old Ben is just trying to set himself up as a “reasonable voice” when the Republican ship sinks due to the burning Bush collapse. Sorry to be negative about him but his body of work through the years shows his true colors…mostly unreasoned, and unbalanced red. Ok points today, but he has no credibility left.
I hate to ignore a person because of one issue, but after watching the trailer for Expelled I cannot take him seriously and it has been revealed to me that he was a former speech writer for Nixon. I thought he was just a guy who did Clear Eye commercials!
“endless public torment by her famous husband”
Come on, seriously? You went from being a speechwriter to a guy who does Clear Eye commercials.
yadda, yadda, yadda
here is what i want
i want a country where what we are seeing during this primary season is not a “great” sight….it is commonplace
we are in the 21st century and we are excited that a black, a woman and an old man can be president?
40 years ago, a man said, “i have a dream”
40 years later, we are close to that dream coming true….but not quite
it comes true when we stop seeing colors and only see human beings
Chris H. @ 15:
ben stein gotta eat
he was able to market his dead pan voice
he also sees himself as some type of economist……hahahahahahahahahaha
“Bueller…..Buelller……Bueller….”
but i did like him as the boring teacher in wonder years
Dave @ 7:
I’m kind of confused here. The Democratic party DOES have a majority and there are 29 republican incumbents that aren’t running for re-election as well as more GOP seats up for grabs this fall.
If anything, I would say that the GOP has painted themselves into a wonderful corner of loserdom. It suits them too.
I noticed that old Ben managed to get a dig in at Bill Clinton. They can’t help themselves, can they.
Ben Stein is insignificant.
Also, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was a really shitty movie.
Filthy Harry @ 9:
Really. The U.S. kind of missed the boat some time ago when it comes to giving women power in the government. We’re WAY behind.
It’s harder to gauge minority participation in other countries. Nevertheless, I feel that it’s a sad fact that it’s taken us almost half a century after the takeoff flight of the Civil Rights movement to where we as a nation are seriously facing a credible minority contender for President. What took us so embarrassingly long? We’re the seedbed of modern Democracy. We’re the leaders of the free world. We’re the Great Social Experiment, the Giant Fucking Melting Pot.
Well, I’m glad I’ve lived to see these days. I will be proud to cast my vote for Obama.
Ben puts me to sleep. What a bore.
lj @ 14:
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Don’t be sorry, at all. And you are hardly being negative!
I have to agree with your take that Ben Stein is trying to be seen as a “reasonable voice.” And now, please allow me to be negative:
I have had the terrible misfortune of hearing this serpent lecture, and in addition to his lizardly record of vain, egotistic, darwinian, selfish failure passing as “resume”, I have a good deal of reasons to despise this Gollum-like beast.
Progressives everywhere: be careful of this snake and do not give him any of the press his vampire heart so loves.
Sorry Nicole, you may see this as a “shining moment” for the Stein, but he is way beyond any reconciliation…
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What he’s saying is the United States’ influence on the planet is clearly diminishing, and will continue to diminish because that influence in the future rests only on one pillar — that the United States could continue to project sufficient military power to intimidate nations it borrows money from. The U.S.’s ability to do that is diminishing and will continue to diminish.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Could someone please give Ben Stein an enema? It might clear his mind, and put a little more life in his being. When I hear him, I think of a whining piece of barely animated phlegm.
I also think of the character from Rainman.
Stein is better off sticking to voicing monotone cartoon characters on Cartoon Network and being a Fox News contributor (in both cases, catering to an 8 year old level of mentality). booyah!
lj @ 14:
Exactly so.
After the 2006 elections there was a flurry of publiciized pseudo self-reflection in conservative circles ( an article called “Neo Culpa” poss. from the NYT or some ’serious’ magazine serves as an example, search on that name, can’t be bothered with the link right now). Perle, Rumsfeld, those that have gone from the administration have simply retired to the holes of the AEI and other neocon/GOP welfare clubs to regroup.
Note Kristol, Brooks and others have lately offered “advice” to Dems in the media because they take the Dems seriously (as a threat) instead of calling them traitors and america -haters and whatnot. These Cons are trying to sound reasonable now to try and stay in the game, to not be completely wiped out. They are trying to write today;s hiostroy now so they can point to their words in 2010 and pose how even-handed and reasonable they were in 2008, hoiping everyone will forget the crap and bile they spewed for 8-years.
Stein is doing the same.
He’s over…done…finished.
And what about John McCain? …blah blah blah..tortured…blah blah blah…Now he is a U.S. Senator from Arizona, a world symbol of courage …blah blah blah…an even more astounding story of human strength and heroism…blah blah blah…
Nice build up. Left out liar, cheater, grafter, thief etc. A blowhard blowjob - yummy…
What about Hillary Clinton? …drill instructor of a father…public torment by her famous husband…a long shot…distaff president…
Code for ‘that’s why she’s so shrill…Bill will be a national embarrassment as First Husband…she’s gonna lose…she’d be a dickless president anyway. He really knows how to turn on the flattery, a regular RepMacattack. HRC must be swooning…
…They’re politicians and human beings, and not saints. None of them. They wear pants, not halos…some fine things in humanity: courage, determination, idealism…blah blah blah…
Translation: McCain has had his problems, but they’re just as bad, and he’s more of a hero… Nice false equivalency, you-think-your-so-smart ‘n’ slick-asswipe.
Note to droll fascist hasBen Slime: You may fool some low-info undecideds out there with your snide nuancing, but you ain’t fooling us with with your pseudo-intellectual superiority complex shtick, motherfucker.
Oh yeah…to borrow from Ben Stein:
What about the inspiration, and personal triumph’s of the man Obama, Clinton and McCain seek to replace? The one that Ben and Ben Stein and his cronies championed? What about the spirit of Ben Stein’s “intellectual” and dogmatic friends and associates who called liberals traitors, Bill Clinton a murderer and reprobate, Hillary a cat-murderer (!), lesbian, slut and bitch? Who called Edwards a fag? Who defended Abramoff and Duke Cunnigham and Mark Foley and Robert Novak and Scooter Libby and Karl Rove and praised Powell and Petraeus and cheered rendition and torture and spying? Who called Cindy Sheehan a puppet and the New Jersey Girls self indulgent attention-whores? These are Ben Stein’s people, his friends and colleagues.
How dare this suited, bow-tied turd lecture us on the human spirit and the transcendent magnificence of US society and its institutions, the very things that he has helped try to destroy from his pulpit of privilege? I prefer not to swear in my comments on any site, but fuck him and his unctuous verbal and mental diarrhea!
Ben Stein is creepy and untrustworthy because he plays ‘both sides of the fence’. Let us all keep our eye on the ball and listen carefully to what men like Ben Stein, Carl “why did you quit if things are sooo wonderful’ Rove (oh yeah, using the middle name is bad strategy, shame shame, say that middle name again), and Liar-in-Thief spout (he has pissed on The Constitution of the United States, you realize that, right?).
Always bring a bucket of water to put out the ‘ignorance fire’ ignited at Faux/CNN.
I’m waiting for someone to ask Obama’s campaign manager why he wont appear on Faux, just so that they can state in a press release what we all know is true:
“Because Faux is not a journalistic news channel with the public interest at the heart of their reporting.” … and their hosts have said as much! They live for salacious ratings! They are not interested in fact, just provocative, divisive, exacerbating WORDS and SOCIETAL HOT BUTTONS to increase viewers, advertising, and profits.
This is an extremely important presidential race and I could care less if FAUX gets an interview or not. I think they are highly over-rating themselves and if at all possible, i would like to send out some positive vibes into the universe that ‘FOX News Network are not professional journalists and do not care about the American People, no matter how much ‘red, white, and blue’ they have in their backgrounds.
Yeah, we regular people notice all the propaganda too! :-)
phew, cripes, what a rant … you dont have to post this if it’s over the top, but GAWD, what a world we are obliged to change, eh?
# 31–proud to be humble….
YEAH! All that too—thank you.
curiousme @ 2:
Abbie @ 1:
#1 plus #2 = my post.
I could not have put it better!
Britisher @ 34:
Thanks…If hasBen Drollbitcher was half as smart as he thinks he is, he’d be a progressive. But like most contards, his entire world-view is rooted directly in his ego, generating concentric circles of isms - egotism, tribalism, fasci-nationalism, et al outward from his center-of-the-universe unconsious. Just a douchebag sittin’ on a hairless monkey torso, really…
;-}
L.A. Confidential @ 3:
Speaking of which:
Ohio Voter On 60 Minutes: I Hear Obama Is Muslim, Doesn’t Know National Anthem
Proud2bHumble @ 31:
Now THAT is EXACTLY what I was thinking!
You got Vulcan Blood?
How else could you have known?
Britisher @ 32:
That’s TWO of you who read my mind?
The force is strong with you tonight.
lj @ 14:
Benny was here in the Antelope Valley, CA, on Friday morning to give a keynote address to our local “Business Outlook Conference,” aka Republican circle jerk. In defiance of actual direct observation of what is happening not just at the state level, but in our own community, they said on the front page of our local fishwrap yesterday that we are not following the rest of the state into a recession. Horse shit. Tell that to the former employees of companies large and small closing their doors. Tell that to the ~300 educators in this valley being given pink slips a week from this Friday, just before they go on spring break. Meanwhile, the only workers with any sort of confidence right now, are the ones still working defense jobs. They’re getting overtime to design the latest version of flyswatting sledgehammers 17 years after the only adversary remotely in competition threw in the towel, siphoning away money that could be used to equip and maintain our troops and their families at home with the items and services they actually need. Where am I going with this? Oh, yeah. Ben Stein did make rather grown-up sounding comments, but the truth remains that the Republicans in charge of energy and military-industrial spending are still laughing all the way to the bank.
CoIntelPro @ 38:
As a matter of fact, I have some I just got in the door of the fridge right now. Thanks for reminding me. Hold on, I’ll be right back………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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…………………………………………..Ahhhh, that’s better! Hey coitus! I’m back, get off the porn window and talk to me……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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……………….hope everything came out allright…lol… things seem to be slowing down here; I’m moving up to the OT and would love the company… ;-}
I can’t believe that crooksandliars.com would consider Ben Stein’s opinion in such high regard! The last timed I listened to Ben Stein is when he said “GEORGE BUSH IS THE GREATEST PRESIDENT OF ALL TIME”. Ben Stein is just another DIRTY REPUBLICAN!!! Shame on you crooksandliars.com!