The Patriot Post, Brief, Monday, February 1, 2010
The Gipper
“Conservatism is the antithesis of the kind of ideological fanaticism that has brought so much horror and destruction to the world. The common sense and common decency of ordinary men and women, working out their own lives in their own way — this is the heart of American conservatism today. Conservative wisdom and principles are derived from willingness to learn, not just from what is going on now, but from what has happened before.”
–Ronald Reagan
The Last Word
“Obama is addicted to utilizing language that he has carefully tailored or perverted to obfuscate the truth. In other words, he uses double talk on a routine basis. In order to understand what Obama truly tells us when he speaks to us, it is necessary to grab our Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring and decipher precisely what he means when he uses his pet phrases. This, then, is a list of his favorite linguistic flourishes — and just what he means when he uses them:
‘Hope and change’: Socialism at home, surrender abroad. …
‘False choice’: A very real choice Obama wants to pretend doesn’t exist. …
‘Deficit reduction’: Deficit increases. Obama suggests that he will cut the rate at which the deficit is growing — something he has never actually achieved — and acts as though this is actual deficit reduction. …
‘Let me be clear’: Let me lie to you. ‘Make no mistake’: See ‘let me be clear.’ …
‘This isn’t about me’: This is completely about me. … ‘
Reaching out to the other side of the aisle’: Totally rejecting all ideas from anyone outside the Obama-approved bubble. Then suggesting that subsequent political impasses are their fault, and that they ought to bend down and grab their ankles to establish a new tone in Washington.
‘Failed policies of the past’: Don’t blame me! Blame Bush! …
‘Tax cut’: Redistribution of money from those who pay a disproportionate amount of taxes to those who pay none. …
Watch for these phrases while marveling at Obama’s supposed rhetorical brilliance. They shouldn’t be taken at face value, because Obama isn’t a master of pure artistry of the English language — he’s a master at manipulation above all.”
–columnist Ben Shapiro
http://patriotpost.us/edition/2010/02/01/brief/
Conservatism vs. Ideologues
The Patriot Post, Brief, Monday, February 1, 2010
The Gipper
“Conservatism is the antithesis of the kind of ideological fanaticism that has brought so much horror and destruction to the world. The common sense and common decency of ordinary men and women, working out their own lives in their own way — this is the heart of American conservatism today. Conservative wisdom and principles are derived from willingness to learn, not just from what is going on now, but from what has happened before.”
–Ronald Reagan
The Last Word
“Obama is addicted to utilizing language that he has carefully tailored or perverted to obfuscate the truth. In other words, he uses double talk on a routine basis. In order to understand what Obama truly tells us when he speaks to us, it is necessary to grab our Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring and decipher precisely what he means when he uses his pet phrases. This, then, is a list of his favorite linguistic flourishes — and just what he means when he uses them:
‘Hope and change’: Socialism at home, surrender abroad. …
‘False choice’: A very real choice Obama wants to pretend doesn’t exist. …
‘Deficit reduction’: Deficit increases. Obama suggests that he will cut the rate at which the deficit is growing — something he has never actually achieved — and acts as though this is actual deficit reduction. …
‘Let me be clear’: Let me lie to you. ‘Make no mistake’: See ‘let me be clear.’ …
‘This isn’t about me’: This is completely about me. … ‘
Reaching out to the other side of the aisle’: Totally rejecting all ideas from anyone outside the Obama-approved bubble. Then suggesting that subsequent political impasses are their fault, and that they ought to bend down and grab their ankles to establish a new tone in Washington.
‘Failed policies of the past’: Don’t blame me! Blame Bush! …
‘Tax cut’: Redistribution of money from those who pay a disproportionate amount of taxes to those who pay none. …
Watch for these phrases while marveling at Obama’s supposed rhetorical brilliance. They shouldn’t be taken at face value, because Obama isn’t a master of pure artistry of the English language — he’s a master at manipulation above all.”
–columnist Ben Shapiro
http://patriotpost.us/edition/2010/02/01/brief/