The gift that keeps on giving.

Literally.

Hammer, meet head of nail.

Not cool.

And it’s good, practical advice:

Forget what Obama’s poll ratings are in February 2009. Forget about “Big Picture” questions of grand strategy. What counts is what the generic ballot question shows on Labor Day 2010. Republicans need to raise money, organize and identify at least 50 seats currently held by Democrats that the GOP can win in 2010. Do that basic stuff, and the “Big Picture” will take care of itself.

Read the whole thing, and note that he is not talking policy: he is talking politics. We talked policy in 2006 and 2008; the Democrats played politics. We lost: they won; and now they’re the ones setting policy. That’s the bad news; the good news is that the Democrats now have to concentrate on their policy – particularly their economic one, which is frankly lousy. Their foreign policy is better in comparison, because Obama essentially stole Bush’s counter-terrorism strategy… at least from their own supporters’ point of view, and they’re not happy about it, either. So we have angles.

I’m not telling you to abandon your principles, by the way. I’m telling you to go find a Senatorial, Congressional, or gubernatorial candidate in 2009 or 2010 that reasonably shares them, and help him or her get elected. Then you have a champion for your interests in a position to fight for them. Sounds spiffy, doesn’t it?

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

If you were disappointed in his performance yesterday – I wasn’t, but then, I’m much more interested in 2010 than I am in 2012 right now – this might improve your mood:

Via the Corner. Notice that he didn’t concede the points. You can’t let them define the points on which the debate is being held; if you do, they’re halfway to winning.

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

What Jindal said was fantastic. The packaging, the technical management (and yes, multiple people should be fired, then hung by their thumbs and beaten with barbed wire), etc, etc, stunk. Stunk like a week-old pile of raw mackerel carcasses.

But you know what matters to me? What he freaking SAID. And any of us RedStaters who doubts what he means is soft in the head.

His star is unmistakably on the rise. This effort, while flawed, STILL served notice that a new wind is blowing in Gondor. Republicans are changing their tune, changing their message, and changing their strategy. Today was not the day to march on Mordor. Right now is a time for retooling, forging, training, recruiting, building.

I don’t give a hoot what they think today in Mordor about Jindal’s flat speech. I really don’t. And just for today, I don’t care if the Treason Media and the stupid masses just ate up that Obama rainbow-and-butterfly pie. Because Gondor is stirring, and Mordor does not in fact own a “one ring”.

In 21 months, Mordor falls.

We weren’t the only ones who noticed that nonsense about America inventing the automobile.

What?  “Snide” doesn’t have to mean “incorrect:” it can mean “slyly disparaging,” which is what I’m aiming for.  English is such a fun language for this sort of thing.

Moe Lane

PS: Actually, if I’m going to be snide, I might as well go whole hog. Here, White House! The Car: A History of the Automobile. It even has pictures.

PPS: Bush isn’t President any more, Clarke.  Stop dating yourself.

Crossposted at Moe Lane.

(Via Ace) Complaining about the GOP reaction to it, too:

Comments on Obama’s address came in early from Republicans, many hours before he had uttered a word.

“House Republicans stand united in willingness to work with this president to try and tackle the very tough economic situation that is facing our families, to try and make some of the tough decisions together,” said House GOP Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia. But Republicans would stick to their principles, he said: “One is that Washington shouldn’t be spending money that we don’t have. And two, we shouldn’t be raising taxes on businesses and families that can’t afford to pay them.”

Because, you know, irony just twitched a little there. Nuke it from orbit: it’s the only way to be sure.

For the love of all that is holy, SHUT UP.

Via Glenn Reynolds.