ProConPundit to Ted Kennedy:
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?


My conservative friends may hate me for this, but I love Ted Kennedy. I’ve had my differences with him and I am much more moderate, middle of the right, and yes, certainly, much more conservative than Ted Kennedy. The first vote I ever cast was for him...in 1980 when he ran against Jimmy Carter. I've always believed that his brothers became heroes, and saints and statues in death while Ted had to live in reality. Their foibles were ignored or glamorized while his were front and center. Whatever you think of liberals, whatever you think of Ted Kennedy, I have always given him credit for being an incredibly wealthy man who has spent his life fighting for people less fortunate than himself. Minimum wage, health care, union workers, veterans, and the disabled have all been people Kennedy has been willing to be ridiculed over giving a damn about.

The ProConPundit is flabbergasted and ebullient at the, forgive the phrase, PROFILES IN COURAGE that are the Kennedy’s, Ted, Patrick, and the ever-delightful Caroline, in endorsing Barack Obama. Some of you may think that this fits in with my common theme of being against the Clinton’s. Its more than that. The Clinton’s have been breaking rules, crossing limits of decency, lying, and getting away with it for longer than I want to take the time to recall. Their disgusting interjection of race in the Democratic primary finally went too far: the far left and the most prominent American political family (sorry Clinton’s and Bushes) have said enough is enough.

Piling on various other injuries and insults, Bill Clinton dismissed Obama’s South Carolina victory by saying that Jesse Jackson won there also. He could have said John Edwards won there four years ago and hasn’t won so much as a door prize since. But no, he reached back 20 years to compare Obama’s candidacy to that of Jesse Jackson. Most Americans regard Jesse Jackson as a joke. All Americans know that he never, ever remotely in serious contention for his party’s nomination. Whatever you think of Obama, and I have serious doubts about his experience given the state of our union, I think he’s a bright man and a serious candidate and that the Clinton’s have behaved shamefully.

The Clinton’s are still playing the tired old dirty tricks of the past. Our country needs the kind of leader we elected in 1932 with FDR and in 1980 with Ronald Reagan. Both times we were in great need of hope and unity and competence. I am not sure if we have an FDR or Reagan type in the offing this year. One thing is for sure: The Clinton’s cannot deliver unity. In fact, the Clinton’s are the CATALYSTS of the lack of unity we now know as Americans. Huh?

The Clinton’s are not the cause of our disunity but they were the catalysts for it. Please consider these facts: In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president with 51% of the vote compared to Jimmy Carter’s 41% in a 3 way race. In 1984, Reagan was re-elected with 58% of the vote. In 1988, Bush I won with 54%. In 1992, in a three way race, Bush I and Perot had 58% of the vote to Clinton’s 43%. Bill Clinton became president with 58% of the American people voting against him. Clinton’s re-election in 1996 is always spun as a landslide. He had 49.2 % of the vote. Bill Clinton always had more people voting against him than for him. Between the Clinton’s rocky, inexperienced, corrupt beginnings, there remained a significant number of Americans who were against him, so much so that the Gingrich revolution was able to turn the congress to the GOP 2 years later. The Clinton years were seemingly prosperous years for America for various reasons, some to his credit, some not. He never was able to unify our country. When his weak, impotent vice-president sought election in 2000, we ended up with the most divided election ever and things have never been right since. The Bush years have not helped us come together and George W. deserves his fair share of blame for not doing better.

Elect McCain, elect Romney, elect Obama. Elect anyone but the Clinton’s. Watch their operatives on TV: Paul Begala, James Carville, Ann Lewis–they are all horrible. They lie, twist, manipulate. We deserve better as a country and its about time.

Whatever you think of the politics of the Kennedy’s, they love our country very much and have sacrificed dearly at the hands of assassins. People are very hesitant to cross the Clinton’s. For America’s most prominent family to rebuke the Clinton’s, Caroline said no president in her lifetime has inspired her the way people say her dad inspired them, is huge. It sends a signal far and wide to other Democrats. The Clinton’s are over. Its all over but the shoutin.

Good luck to Rudy tomorrow in Florida. He’s never been my choice but I like him.