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2006-11-11 Home Front: Politix

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Posted by .com 2006-11-11 03:17|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 This was "the setup" that prompted the reader email...

I think all of the predictions that Webb will make for one of the Senate's most interesting senators are all probably true. There's a lot to admire about the guy. But, I also get the distinct impression that he will end up having a real political tin ear and turn out to be amazingly prickly. One small example: the networks keeps running this clip from his victory rally where he calls on the president to denounce the sort of negative campaigning which divided Americans in this election. It's a really, really lame soundbite and the press probably deserves some grief for airing it so much. But it's telling. Here this guy just won this huge election, the Democrats are all on their "bipartisanship uber alles" talking points, Allen has just conceded graciously and called for unity, and here's Webb calling for Bush to denounce yesterday's news. There's no percentage in it. Nobody will want to talk about it. Bush isn't running for anything and asking the head of a party to, in effect, apologize for how it ran a losing campaign is deeply ungracious in political terms. The sense I got is that Webb is still peeved about the negative ads and he won't let it go even on his day of victory. Recall that Webb couldn't last long as Secretary of the Navy either. Obviously, it's too soon to tell, but my guess is that within a year the conventional wisdom will be that he doesn't play well with others.

Posted by .com 2006-11-11 03:24|| 2006-11-11 03:24|| Front Page Top

#2 "Doesn't play well with others" was the verdict back under Reagan. No surprise here, other than to the Dems who know so little about the military that they think finding a veteran who criticizes Bush means they've found a soulmate.

Webb is Not Ready for Primetime in political situations, whether in the Pentagon or in Congress. He sees himself as representing the lower middle class white, Scots-Irish southerners and so he'll be happy to vote for higher minimum wage and protectionist trade policies. But he will be a loose cannon who cannot be depended upon by EITHER side of the aisle, if his stint under Reagan is any indication.

Posted by lotp 2006-11-11 04:09|| 2006-11-11 04:09|| Front Page Top

#3 Webb is Pat Buchanan, or, rather, what Pat Buchanan would be if Pat Buchanan had a touch of class* and a successful writing career. Hell make common cause with the likes of Sherrod Brown** on economic issues, but he'll definitely have trouble getting along with the "celebrate diversity" and "our troops are war criminals" bunch, and I wouldn't be totally surprised if he ends up hawkish on the WoT and a sort of de facto ally of the President, at odds with his own caucus.

*-Thanking Sen. Allen for his service and treating him nicely on the way out is the classy thing to do. (If it's insincere--and I don't knos that it is, mind you--well, remember that hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.)

**-Standard-issue Mk. 1 Mod. 0 Northeast Ohio union-backed populist ward heeler. I grew up among these sorts of people in Youngstown. I left town as soon as I could.

Posted by Mike 2006-11-11 08:30|| 2006-11-11 08:30|| Front Page Top

#4 That's the hope. We'll see ....

And I say that as a 30 yr Dem from a blue collar / military family.

Posted by lotp 2006-11-11 08:41|| 2006-11-11 08:41|| Front Page Top

#5 I hope that he is able to become a little more political saavy. Not a bad man.

Posted by closedanger@hotmail.com">closedanger@hotmail.com 2006-11-11 14:43|| 2006-11-11 14:43|| Front Page Top

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