Comments on: Jim Webb: Better Than Bob Barr on the Drug War?

By: The Southern Avenger » Sen. Jim Webb on The Daily Show

The Southern Avenger » Sen. Jim Webb on The Daily Show — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:32:50 +0000

[...] Read McCarthy’s entire piece By jackhunter | Posted in Blogroll, The Back Channel, Uncategorized « SA Radio – Why Lindsey Graham Sucks [...]

By: Scott Lahti

Scott Lahti — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:58:41 +0000

Heh – no Dylan, I don’t think anyone who’s read even half a post by Dan would mistake him for one inclined toward “power grabbing”…

By: Dylan Waco

Dylan Waco — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:17:44 +0000

Grr…by “post”, I didn’t mean your post Dan, but rather the position of Vice President.

By: Dylan Waco

Dylan Waco — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:16:38 +0000

Dan,

I did not mean to imply that you would wish Webb to assume those powers. My point was that I fear promoting a VP position as the strongest selling point of a candidacy sort of plays into the power grabbing direction of that post.

Dylan

By: Daniel McCarthy

Daniel McCarthy — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:00:23 +0000

Thanks for the comments, everyone. The single factor of putting Webb on the ticket would not prompt me to vote for Obama if I didn’t already think there were a pretty good case to be made for Obama as the only electable candidate who might end the Iraq War. Nor would I be voting for Obama/Webb, as Dylan seems to fear, in the hope that Webb would assume Cheney-like proportions of power. In fact, the worst thing about Webb as VP is that he would be able to do much less than he would as a U.S. Senator. But picking Webb would confirm that Obama is serious about getting out of Iraq. And it would advance Webb a little closer to the White House. He’s not perfect by any means — but he would be a lot better than anyone else the Republicans or Democrats have nominated in the last 30 years.

Of course, Webb’s worst tendencies toward class-warfare and greater spending (military and domestic alike) might make him a disaster. But for now I’d gladly take him over the rest of the likely nominees of either major party, with the possible exception of Mark Sanford. And even Sanford wouldn’t get me to vote for McCain.

By: The Tory Anarchist » Blog Archive » More Thoughts on Webb and the Drug War

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:39:31 +0000

[...] The Tory Anarchist http://www.ToryAnarchist.com « The Tory Anarchist home page « Jim Webb: Better Than Bob Barr on the Drug War? [...]

By: Jenn

Jenn — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:01:23 +0000

The more I read of Webb's views, the more I begin to sense he may just be the man Obama's leaning toward in this VP search. That said, my sense is Webb wouldn't be enough to convince undecideds--he's just not well known. John McCain loves reversing course.

By: Heather D

Heather D — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:28:33 +0000

Dan, I have to say that I am more than a little shocked that you would consider voting for Obama based on one single issue. In your own summation of Webb, you point out areas of that one single issue where he is not QUITE right. I don’t know what the right answer is on whom to vote for this time around, as I am not a fan of Bob Barr and could never cast a vote for McCain. Voting for an avowed socialist based on his VP pick is not the right answer either, in my humble opinion.

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:00:57 +0000

Jim Reed’s argument reminds me of the modern debate about internet censorship. Everything you need to know about it is written up in John Milton’s Areopagitica. It only needs to be dumbed down for modern audiences.

By: Jack Hunter

Jack Hunter — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 05:28:35 +0000

Dan,

I second Dylan, although I’m probably a little closer to your own attraction to a possible Obama/Webb ticket than he is.

I have seriously considered what Andrew Bacevich has suggested, that the neoconservative, historical narrative on the war in Iraq might be radically altered – and dismissed – if someone like Obama were to bring the troops home. My main beef with Obama is on illegal immigration, although a Webb VP slot would certainly alter that dynamic somewhat.

I actually wish Webb was running for President. I’ll probably vote for Bob Barr, or possibly Chuck Baldwin, depending on how the general election plays out.

I had no idea Webb was so sensible on the war on drugs. Thanks for the info.

Jack