April 21, 2008
A Stiff Drink (John Feehery)
Somewhere in the polls, the strategists for all the leading campaigns think that drinking alcohol in public is a good thing.
Perhaps that serves as a nice contrast to the current president, who is not just the “decider” but also the “abstainer.”
When Hillary Clinton went to a Pennsylvania bar for a shot and a beer, she tried to one-up Barack Obama, who had already been seen publicly drinking a few beers and eating some chicken wings.
But Clinton made a mistake with her shot. Instead of drinking a good Kentucky bourbon, she drank Crown Royal, a product of Canada.
It has been more than 75 years since Franklin Roosevelt ended Prohibition with the phrase, “I think it is time for a beer.” The Volstead Act, the single worst law ever enacted in history, was the product of intense lobbying by several temperance movements, including those led by the Methodists (Hillary’s denomination) and by several African-American organizations. Prohibition was one legislative item that united the Ku Klux Klan and the Progressives, showing that bad ideas can come from many places.
Americans have a long tradition of liking their booze. John Adams liked beer with his breakfast, and Thomas Jefferson was America’s first wine expert. George Washington’s first crisis as president was crushing the Whiskey Rebellion, fomented by a bunch of folks who didn’t want to pay taxes on whiskey. When Ulysses Grant’s conspicuous consumption of booze came to the attention of Abraham Lincoln, he asked simply, “What kind is it, and can we give it to our other generals?”
Prohibition made America a laughingstock in the rest of the world, contributed to the rise of Al Capone, increased the fortunes of the Kennedy family (Joseph Kennedy made millions off of bootlegging), and alienated many Catholics from the Republican Party for generations.
America’s love affair with alcohol survived Prohibition.
Harry Truman was drinking bourbon in the Board of Education Room with Speaker Sam Rayburn when he found out that his boss died and he would be president.
Lyndon Johnson reportedly liked scotch and soda so much that the Secret Service always had some extra around, just in case.
Nixon drank rum and coke, Ford liked gin and tonic, and Ronald Reagan showed his willingness to be bipartisan by having a beer with Tip O’Neill every once in a while.
When it comes to the current election, getting the drinkers on your side is definitely a good thing.
That is why both the Clinton and the McCain campaigns happily let it slip that they did shots of vodka together while they traveled to Russia.
It is hard to see McCain doing shots of anything with Sen. Obama.
Here’s a piece of advice to all the candidates as they head out of Pennsylvania and into the next primaries, which include Kentucky. Start drinking stuff made in America.
Nothing will say “I am a patriot” more than a shot of Jim Beam with a chaser of Bud.
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After the elections, unless there is a major shift in the way the government procures and distributes money, the dollar will continue it's free fall and the gold and commodities speculators will continue to cash in, while the average American who doesn't understand that, gets poorer every day. They won't be able to indulge.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — April 21, 2008 @ 2:12 pm
Hil and Messiah should be toasting with their followers drink of choice: Kool-Aid.
Comment by Igor R. — April 21, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
The current president is an abstainer because he just can't handle it. In fact, he can't handle the economy, Iraq, torture, the price of oil, the crumbling infrastructer. I think the guy must be on something.
Comment by Gary Anderson — April 21, 2008 @ 4:41 pm
The current president is an abstainer because he just can’t handle it. In fact, he can’t handle the economy, Iraq, torture, the price of oil, the crumbling infrastructure. I think the guy must be on something.
Comment by Gary Anderson — April 21, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
The people who keep talking about Bush must be on something. He's the past. He isn't running. The reason those types continue to go after Bush is because they have absolutely nothing to offer.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — April 21, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
Oh its ok for Feehery to misrepresent his abstainence, like he is some sort of saint, Rosencrans? It is hard to be a saint when you like to torture people. It is hard to be a saint when you steal oil from another country.
McCain is Bush 3 except for the torture part. So it is relevant.
Comment by Gary Anderson — April 21, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
I think the Crown Royal shot was really an acknowledgment of her support of NAFTA. Long before the Kentucky primary and just a week away from the North Carolina and Indiana primaries is an alcohol celebration that rivals your St. Patrick's Day– a day when America's youth raise their glasses of Tequila to the heritage of Mexico–Cinco de Mayo. I wonder what the candidates will be doing then?
Comment by Howitz Dunn — April 21, 2008 @ 7:32 pm
I wonder if Obama started using cocaine and smoking pot again, I'm sure the pressure is starting to get to him.
Comment by John Simmons — April 21, 2008 @ 7:51 pm
If we were stealing oil from another country, our oil prices would be cheaper and that would also be reflected in lower world oil prices. What a childish imagination some people have.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — April 22, 2008 @ 7:57 am
RR;
The reason that the price isn't lower is because the Iraqi aren't just going to give it to us. The oil is their and they will fight to keep it. Oil production is down in Iraq and OPEC isn't in a real big hurry to bail Bush oout, even though he did them a favor and the Bin Laden family go home after 9/11. Don't you remember the big talk Georgie boy said about lowering prices - he would talk ot the Saudi and get them to lower the price. Boy that's a laugh as gas has gone up 300% since he has been in office. Tell what all those death were for? It damn sure wasn't for WMDs. It looks like it wa for the oil men to rape America. I know that you're happy with that ain't you.
Comment by Mike Coleman — April 22, 2008 @ 2:35 pm
Old news and bad judgement from an old broad…But it does ply well with the NAFTA/CAFTA angle…
Comment by Docb — April 22, 2008 @ 2:59 pm
DEMS aren’t running against bush. the more they try to pin mccain as bush3, the more they highlight their condescention toward the intelligence of american citizens.
pigeon-holing mccain as another bush is a weak argument that won’t hold up after the convention. it also illustrates beautifully the lack of vision(other than over-bearing, big govt)that the DEMS have for this country. they are the “opposition party” because that’s all they’re good at, getting in the way by “checking” the GOP.
they’ve had congress since ‘06, what have they done? if their policies were so “sensible and just” for the USA, why haven’t they been implemented?
answer:
the base of support for big, over-bearing govt principles does not enjoy a majority of the “american will”.
Comment by j — April 22, 2008 @ 6:36 pm