The Blind Hen

Nice Guys Finish First

Andrew Sullivan just plain doesn't like John F. Kerry, but he goes on to say "politics shouldn't just be about likability." Take a look back to the presidential races since 1952 and consider which candidate the voters probably considered more "likeable." Ask yourself this question: "Which candidate would I rather have as a next door neighbor?"

Winner/Loser

Eisenhower / Stevenson
Eisenhower / Stevenson
Kennedy / Nixon
Johnson / Goldwater
Nixon / Humphrey
Nixon / McGovern
Carter / Ford
Reagan / Carter
Reagan / Mondale
Bush / Dukakis
Clinton / Bush
Clinton / Dole
Bush / Gore

In my personal view, the only losers who were probably more likeable than the winners were Humprey and McGovern (should throw them out of the mix considering they both got to run against Nixon) and Gerald Ford.

Separated at Birth?

John Edwards and this guy.

Listen (Doo Wah Doo), Do You Want to Know a Secret?

Let's see. Sandy Berger, who was Bill Clinton's National Security Adviser, has been caught stealing classified documents on terrorism from the National Archives. This is the same Sandy Berger who, until today, was John F. Kerry's top adviser on national security issues. The story goes that Berger stuffed some of the papers into his socks. Why put sensitive security documents in your socks, unless . . . unless . . . you-were-trying-to-pass-along-secrets-to-someone-in-your-socks. But who? Who else, but Berger's successor as Kerry's go to "man" on national security. It all makes sense now. Those weren't ordinary socks Berger was wearing.

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

For the most part I've always liked Elton John. I've seen him in concert several times and he puts on an outstanding show. But his latest remarks about the country which made him filthy rich really gall me. "Sir" Elton says that entertainers in America have been frightened into silence against making any statements criticizing the war effort in Iraq. I guess he missed the hate fest put on in Madison Square Garden 2 weeks ago in which a goodly number of entertainers spewed their venom at President Bush. Too bad they were all handcuffed by Tom Ridge's goonies and pulled from the stage. I wonder which gulag they are in now? Probably the same one where The Big Fat Stupid White Man was sent for his re-education. You know who I'm talking about, the guy who made that movie about President Bush, the one where all the prints were confiscated and burned by the Administration; the one which will never be seen by any American movie audience. Yessir, "Sir" Elton, too bad people can't speak out here.

UPDATE: Don't tell "Sir" Elton about this. What irks a lot of people about entertainers mixing entertainment with politics is this: if I buy a ticket to hear Linda Ronstadt I do it to hear her sing, not to tell me her stance on Iraq. Sure, she can say whatever she wants, but don't charge me money to listen to it.

The Big Fat Stupid White Man

For starters, I will assume that The Big Fat Stupid White Man is nice to his mother. Having said that, I think it might be fair to say that he did not receive enough attention as a child. How else to explain his penchant for telling whoppers ("lies" for those of you in New York) which can so easily be refuted? In this respect, he reminds me of someone else. The only thing as irritating as TBFSWM's documentary is the amount of frothing at the mouth attention some conservatives have given it. Get over it! Its mostly lies and we all know it is. The fact that a lot of people choose to believe those lies is unfortunate but no amount of logic and proof will change their minds. Think about it; this guy is so uncreative he lacks the talent to even come up with an original title. I'll give him this: he's good at telling one side of a story . . . which is sort of like playing tennis without a net.

The Winner of the New Car, the Trip to Paris, and $10,000 in Cash

Congratulations to George for being the first person to post a Comment to The Blind Hen. George, these prizes will be on their way to you shortly. Its fun to post on The Blind Hen! You never know when you could be the next lucky winner! By the way, The Blind Hen urges you all to read George's blog for news of the Permian Basin area, the state, and the world.

Da Senator

Word is that former football star Mike Ditka is considering throwing his helmet into the ring as a possible republican senate candidate from Illinois to replace Jack Ryan. If he runs and wins, Ditka would accept the baton from former Kansas Senator Bob Dole to become the official Republican Party spokesman in the U. S. Senate for erectile dysfunction treatment. Mike Ditka (R-ED).

Constitutional Amendment

Glenn Reynolds wonders why social conservatives are pushing for a vote on the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage when they know good and well they won't get the 2/3 needed. He sees their anticipated failure as turning into a green light to allow the states to authorize gay marriages within their borders. There's another scenario. Suppose the Pros don't get the 2/3 they need, but they DO get a majority. True, the amendment fails but as a national referendum on the issue it might well serve the supporters' purposes just fine.

Welcome

Welcome all to The Blind Hen. I have given some thought to the contents of my inaugural post. There's always Iraq (these days), George Bush, John Kerry, or maybe the latter's selection of Sen. John Edwards as a potential Veep choice. However, I will instead take this opportunity to tip my hat to Professor Glenn Reynolds whose Instapundit remains the most popular, most respected, and most linked-to blog. At one time his masthead read "The New York Times of Bloggers." Maybe someday the Times can rise to the level of calling itself "The Instapundit of Newspapers."