Political Forecast

8:00: Fin. Time for question and answer.

7:59: I was just thinking about how this dispells this belief in the so-called “rise in the conservative intellectual movement.” It really isn’t really based on some kind of intellectualism, but some kind of manipulation of plain people’s naivete.

7:54: Somebody is getting video of the speech. If I can get it online or something, I’ll let you guys know.

7:52: Counter-culture is so business friendly today. Free market doesn’t respect family values–its a destroyer, not a conserver. Ordinary working-class people are right to hate this culture.

7:47: Up until the 1960s, the biggest criticism of the press was that it was too far right. Now its the left that does it, especially at the New York Times. Used to be that everything was botched by “capitalism” but not its “liberalism.”

7:44: Culture is a class war for them by framing all liberals as elitist.

7:40: Liberalism can be held responsible for everything that pisses the Republicans off. Why is that? It doesn’t make sense.

7:38: As culture, it was born to lose and to live to take offense. Indignation is the great asthetic principle of conservative culture. Everything pisses them off.

7:36: When the leaders of the Republican movement choose their cultural battles, they almost always choose battles that are unwinnable, as to add to the persecution belief and feeling. Has it from a good source that Rove re-reads Machiavelli everyday. That’s pretty interesting considering how much Machiavelli hated Christianity.

7:34: AEI dreamed up the War in Iraq. Talking about his adventures on Republican list-servs in preparing to write the book. Pretty damn funny the way Republicans and conservatives call themselves certain titles that connote their supposed persecution.

7:32: Conservative Christians are supposedly suffering religious persecution by liberals in America, as David Limbaugh let’s us know. Like the “War on Christmas.”

7:31: Liberal elite: “Culture, schools, and our government are controlled by elite class that is contemptuous of ordinary Americans. They are efete, as Spiro Agnew would say. They are ‘libruls’.”

Conservativism is the doctrine of an “oppressed minority.” The backlash accuses, rants, and points out hypocrises. All of the Rightwing claims come from some kind of victimology.

7:28: Nice little insult thrown at David “Bobo” Brooks.

7:27: I can’t tell if the College Republicans are still here. If they are, they’ve gotta be pissed. :-D That would be a lovely sight.

7:26: So hard to quote because there are so many things that are amazingly said and very eloquent. He really has a grasp on the cultural issues that affects today’s politics and how they’re not dealth with.

7:25: Remarks look slightly prepared. I’m going to email and try to get an actual copy of the remarks to post at a later date.

7:22: To understand the backlash as just a movement among certain demographic groups is to misjudge it and not to take it seriously. It must be judged by different means.

7:20: Granstanding Republican leaders never really succeed with the values issue, but what does happen is economic issues that hurt every American. Yet they are continuall re-elected. “Like a French Revolutions in reverse.”

7:18: Paramount belief is that cultural values trump any other issue, particularly economics. However, when Republicans are elected, economic issues are that all they focus. The backlash has created massive harm on middle class Americans by bringing them back to a 19th century economic status.

7:16: The great backlash has revived the laissez-faire belief among business leaders.

7:14: Bets that everyone in this room has some kind of conversion story about their family members or friends just randomly decide to vote Republican. The “great backlash”. Emerged during the protests of the 1960s. The backlash enrages voters over social issues. Cultural anger is marshalled to make economic ends.

7:12: If you make over $300,000 a year, thank the toiling plains workers who in a deranged way vote against their own economic interests.

7:09: Bush carried poorest county in America by 78% (in North Dakota). Carried second poorest in Nebraska by 81%.

7:07: Frank takes the stage.

7:06: Introduction by Faculty President and History Professor Matt Esposito.

7:02: First annual lecture on culture and politics. Or something like that. It’s not really official. Sponsored by humanities center.

7:01: Extra seating can be found just by sitting on the stage. That’s kinda nice, I guest.

7:00: They’re trying to fill in the FOUR empty seats. Next option is to break the fire code. Looks like that’s what they’ll be doing.

6:57: The College Republicans are here, with their cardboard cut-out of GWB. Good God.

6:50: It is ten minutes until the lecture and the room is practically packed. They really should’ve picked Sheslow Auditorium for this event.