"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." -- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
"A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth's atmosphere." -- New York Times, 1936.
"Reagan doesn't have that presidential look." --United Artists, rejecting Reagan as lead in 1964 film "The Best Man"
Everything that can be invented has been invented.. -- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Patent Office, 1899
The quickly congealing conventional wisdom claims that President Obama tried to do too much and was too liberal. Wrong. The reality is that the administration and conservative Democrats were too timid ... The president might consider the dramatic use of executive power to rebuild the economy. -- The Nation, 11-03-2010.
"The dramatic use of executive power!" That's like the header in The Onion: "War torn Beirut -- would bombing help?"
"The dramatic use of executive power!" Arrest the Congress! Declare martial law! Or sharia. Shut down Fox News. Jam Rush Limbaugh! Confiscate the guns! (No more clinging.) Name Keith Olbermann your press secretary, Michael Moore your communications director, John Nichols your chief of staff.
That's just one example of the hilarity that abounds in the politisphere from a ruling class mugged by ungrateful voters.
What tells you that the deluge went deep is that Republicans picked up over 675 state legislative seats across the nation -- more than the Dems took post-Watergate, the Wall Street Journal reported today.
In no state was the capsizing of the Democrats' tugboat so complete as in Wisconsin. Both houses of the legislature, the leaders in both houses, the governor's office (with the treasurer to boot), two House seats and -- most painful -- U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, the hero of Fighting BobFest.
Blogging brother James Wigderson asks: So does this mean Secretary of State Doug La Follette is the de facto leader of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin?
Let's see: Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker gone. Senator Judy Robson retired. Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan defeated but still available, ladies. State Representative Tom Nelson gone.
Why, I guess it does! That evil genius! Doug Lafollette's plan is working! Here is a round-up of reaction -- national, state and local, that tells me our prog-lib friends are lost in the desert on a horse with no name.
Hire Pelosi!
Republicans picked up 60 or more seats in the house -- their greatest comeback since 1938 (when they were much further down). What to do? Well, how about rewarding Nancy Pelosi with another term as Democrat leader? Makes sense to me. As of noon today, the on-line voting at DailyKos favored Pelosi being re-elected as the voice of the diminished House Democrats with 80%. Those opposed: just 15%. Yes ... please!
Dig in your heels
Rep. Alan Grayson, who has become a YouTube sensation with his unhinged tirades on the floor of the House, auditions for Keith Olbermann's job as MSNBC primetime jester:
Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson ... says that the losses suffered by incumbent Democrats are an outcome of the party's "strategy of appeasement." [Democracy Now: Bipartisanship ... appeasement]
Grayson was no "appeaser." Then why did he lose his Florida House seat?
Wage class warfare
Bob Herbert in the New York Times plays the rich-get-richer card:
The Democrats are in disarray because it's a party that lacks a spine.
Unfortunately, at the bottom of the very same column is this hilarious and telling correction:
My column on Tuesday incorrectly described the situation of the small group of Americans earning $50 million or more annually. Their incomes declined by 7.7 percent between 2008 and 2009; they did not quintuple.
Obama wasn't liberal enough
Progressive magazine editor Matt Rothschild is "crushed by Feingold's defeat" and blaming Barack Obama.
Obama failed to deliver the change he promised, failed to deliver the jobs he promised, and cozied up to Wall Street, so voters across the country took it out on Democrats with a vengeance.
What election results?
Still the heavy-weight champion of the world:
The Capital Times weeping over Russ Feingold's defeat:
"The Wisconsin progressive tradition is too rich, too vital, too important to this state and this nation to let it be diminished by election results."
Election results? We don't need no steenkin' election results!
Looking on the bright side
Although the new regime will not be sworn into office for another two months, some immediate good has already been achieved. At Paul Soglin's Waxing America, UW Prof. Barry Orton says "I'm too depressed about the loss of Russ Feingold as Wisconsin's US Senator to write a post about it." [Feingold's loss is Wisconsin's loss]
Madame Konkel declared a Moment of Silence. Being Brenda, that moment was very brief -- barely perceptible -- but welcome nonetheless.
Keith Olbermann is off the air! (or cable, more precisely) was off the air for a couple of days. Sorry, Grayson.
One down and ... Liberal Milwaukee blogger Mike Plaisted has seen the light:
You can't fire me -- I quit. ... I'm out. The dream of progressive government in Wisconsin is dead for now and it's not looking so good in Washington, either. ... Good luck, Wisconsin. We're going to need it. [The end of PlaistedWrites]
Perhaps the most welcome news is that blogger Chris Liebenthal, a well-fed, unionized social worker for Milwaukee County with an unhealthy obsession with his county executive, voluntary went off-line and is apparently holed up at an undisclosed location in northern Wisconsin. (Ribble Country or Duffy Country?) The Election Is Over, Now Leaf Me Alone
Ed Garvey says: Fire state Democrat chairman Mike Tate! (Pictured above.) Actually, that's pretty good advice.
During their lunch break
Before clocking back in at work ... or returning to school?
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 2:20 PM
To: XXXX
Subject: Street Brawl on Leland
As I drove by during lunch today at 12:40 on Raymond I noticed a lot of people running from the mall, across Raymond to Leland. First there was a group of about 8, then another 6 and then one ran right in front of me just as I got to Leland. I looked where they were running and there was a full street fight underway. At least 3 people were on the ground with 3-5 people pounding on each of them in separate groups, plus a few other clusters with fists flying all over. I will estimate on the low side at 20 people. All black, males between 15-25 with either white t-shirts or dark shirts, all looked like the thugs you see wandering the streets.
I had to slow down because a white car in front of me started to back down Raymond towards me VERY fast looking to also engage in the fight. They ended up running over the bump out curb and just missing me. One of the ladies in the car got out and started yelling and dove into the mess. I believe the driver was also a woman.
By this time I had 911 on the phone and they asked me to stay and report. I could not hold back a loud cackle and told her I did not want to get shot. The operator asked if I had seen a gun, and I said no, but it was only a matter of time in that area. Just then about 8-10 started walking across Raymond with their hands in the air. Hmmm wonder why, that is the action most people do when confronted with a gun. They made it almost across Raymond, then they all turned and re-engaged. By then I was past the lights at Whitney Way and was glad to be out of there.
Things are heating up again, get the body bags ready.
Looking sharp on the sidelines
Accompanying a picture of storied Cowboys football coach Tom Landry, standing on the sidelines in sports coat, tie and fedora, Caffeinated Politics makes this observation:
This picture seems so refreshing in this era of blue jeans at funerals, or untucked shirts on just about everyone too lazy to poke it in, or unable to as the case may be.
Understand why I think clothing matters? Deke Rivers could have mentioned that our Vince Lombardi was equally well dressed. Now, that kind of businesslike dress is actually prohibited by the NFL. Can anyone tell me why?