Shot in the Dark

Month: June 2011

  • “Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago?”

    Nate Silver talks a little history, noting that well into the 1980 campaign, Jimmy Carter seemed to be defying the bad economy.  Carter was…: …holding his own against Ronald Reagan. Some polls, even well after Labor Day (that’s Labor Day 1980, not 1979), showed the horse race to be tied or even had Mr. Carter…

  • Preaching To A Smug, Ill-Informed Choir

    One day last winter, I went out to eat at this Vietnamese joint I’ve been eyeing for years. The next day, there was an epic earthquake in Japan; the quake led to a tsunami killing thousoands, and the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear reactor. I guess I won’t eat at that restaurant again.  God only…

  • And The Winner Is…

    Yid with Lid on the big winner of the Wiener kerfuffle – Andrew Breitbart: After ten days of being vilified by left wing media reporters, those same reporters were tripping all over their underwear trying to ask him questions about the story they had doubted until today. Not only that, but at the behest of…

  • Touchable

    ABC/WaPo poll shows Romney in a dead heat with Obama: New Post-ABC numbers show Obama leading five of six potential Republican presidential rivals tested in the poll. But he is in a dead heat with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who formally announced his 2012 candidacy last week, making jobs and the economy the central…

  • False Idol

    The DFL and media (pardon the redundancy) have got a new buzz phrase, “quality negotiation”.  It’s what they supposedly want out of the current impasse in Saint Paul. Let me just say for the record that if the DFL aren’t whinging like a bunch spoiled ten year olds, it’s not a “quality negotiation”. Speaking of…

  • Whilst On Grand Avenue

    I was out at Grand Old Day yesterday.  I took a stroll down the avenue from Fairview to about Victoria, and then back.  With about 200,000 people out there in high-80s heat and tropical humidity, it was warm out there. But the Saint Paul GOP booth was set up in a nice bit of shade…

  • …This Great And Noble Undertaking

    I first wrote this piece three years ago.   Ive updated it a bit; I’m reprising it today: ———- It was sixty-seven years ago today that the Allies started taking Western Europe back from the Nazis. The first, inevitable step was to get past the Westwall – perhaps the most immense set of fortifications ever built, with…

  • From Planet Lori

    Lori Sturdevant complaints that “It’s hard to get a fix on today’s politics”: Duane Benson — former NFL player, former state Senate GOP leader, former CEO of the Minnesota Business Partnership, now head of the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF) — was describing the “funny thing” he was experiencing this year as a lobbyist for…

  • Style Points

    The citizens of Grand Rapids, upset at being called a “dying city”, responded with the gift of music video: If you’ve ever worked on a film shoot – and who hasn’t? – the wild part is the whole thing was done in one take. Roger Ebert called it the best music video ever. That’s an…

  • The New Tone

    Ozzie envirofascist calls for tattoing “deniers”: Surely it’s time for climate-change deniers to have their opinions forcibly tattooed on their bodies. Not necessarily on the forehead; I’m a reasonable man. Just something along their arm or across their chest so their grandchildren could say, ”Really? You were one of the ones who tried to stop the…

  • It’s A Fine, Fine Day

    Today, the Northern Alliance Radio Network brings you the best in Minnesota conservatism from 9AM-3PM. Ed is off on assignment.   I’ll be on from 1-3PM Central. Join us at 3PM for the debut of Brad Carlson’s show!  He’ll be on from 3-4! The King Banaian Show! – King is onAM1570, Business Radio for the Twin…

  • Joel Rosenberg – RIP

    I’ve been off the grid for the past couple of days. I was shocked to hear from friends this morning that Joel Rosenberg has died. Joel was accomplished at many things; a science fiction writer with dozens of book credits, he was best known to civil liberties advocates in Minnesota as the beating heart and…

  • Just Another Night On The Other Side Of Life

    Today is Ian Hunter’s 72nd birthday.  We touched on this a couple years ago. Of course, one of Hunter’s great proteges – Ellen Foley – will be 60 (huh?) on the 5th. I’ll reprise this piece on the subject from two years ago. To observe ’em both?  Their greatest moment together: Happy Birthday, Ian and Ellen!

  • The Incredible Shrinking Governor: Through The Years

    Let’s go back in time: 2005: Confronted with a nonspecific threat of terrorism, then-Senator Mark Dayton shuts down his Senate office in DC, leaving the job of doing the nation’s business to the 534 other Congresspeople who, for whatever reason, didn’t. His idea of leadership – to lead the run away from doing his job.…

  • The Hangover

    Posting will be light-ish today. Enjoy the breeze!

  • Limousine Liberals

    Number of federally-owned limousines Limous soars on Obama’s watcha; Limousines, the very symbol of wealth and excess, are usually the domain of corporate executives and the rich. But the number of limos owned by Uncle Sam increased by 73 percent during the first two years of the Obama administration, according to an analysis of records…

  • Same Sex Marriage: “Shut Up”, They Explained

    I’ve written about this before; I think the bill requiring a referendum on a Marriage Amendment is…: …a bad idea because I don’t think it’s the sort of stuff that should be in the Constitution. …a great idea because it’ll undercut the DFL in the 2o12 elections.  “But you’re playing politics with civil rights, Berg!”…

  • Just The Facts

    Moving MN Forward just released an ad to counter “A Better Minnesota’s” latest round of Dayton family and union-fundeed “spend more or we kill this dog! ads: Pass it around.

  • Chanting Points Memo: The Cult Of Compromise

    In anticipation of tonight’s game against the Detroit Tigers, who are ten games ahead of the Twins in the AL Central, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire gave a press conference early this morning. “We’ve done our best to be bipartisan in the run-up to the game”, said Gardenhire, whose team has a .321 record so far…

  • The Boor War

    On the one hand, I guess conservatives should be happy the Strib actually published Michael Brodkorb’s a takedown of the Strib’s systematic bias in covering political rhetoric: …I’m always impressed by the speed in which the Star Tribune editorial page will throw the foul flag on comments from [State GOP chair Tony] Sutton and me, while…