Norman Podhoretz Asks, Is America Exceptional?

Imprimus  ...."In spite of all this, the liberal community seems to think that the rest of the world would be better off without the United States, or at least with it following the policy of “leading from behind.” Admittedly there are paleoconservatives like Pat Buchanan and libertarians like Ron Paul who agree on this point, but most conservatives do not believe that a radical diminution of American power and influence would be good for us or for the world.

"Shortly before the election of 2008, then-candidate Obama declared that his election would usher in “a fundamental transformation of America.” The desirability of such a transformation—which would entail the wiping away of as many more traces of American exceptionalism as it will take to turn this country into a facsimile of the social-democratic regimes of western Europe—is the issue at the heart of our politics today. And in the long run, I hope and trust, Americans will reject such a transformation, and elect instead to return to the principles that have made this nation so exceptional—yes, exceptional—a force for good both at home and abroad.  Hillsdale College

about.com

Does America seem like the child of divorced parents who compete for his affection? The spendthrift parent will always come out on top

http://www.commonsenseevaluation.com/tag/cartoon-of-the-day/

Moody’s: Obama will approve Keystone XL pipeline

The Hill  "“We believe the White House will reverse course and approve the Keystone XL pipeline, which would ship crude from Canada’s western oil sands to the Gulf Coast,” the ratings agency said in a wide-ranging report Monday on the implications of the elections.
"However, the Moody's Investors Service report adds: “[A]pproval will not be quick. A prolonged permitting process risks missing the very oil price boom that inspired Keystone XL in the first place. Still, even if Keystone XL went into operation in 2015 or 2016, Gulf Coast refining and marketing companies would benefit from wider light/heavy crude price differentials.” "

Dead Quiet on Benghazi

Hope n' Change

"CIA Director, General David Petraeus, previously said to be "looking forward to testifying," won't be there because - almost magically - the FBI has discovered that he was having an extramarital affair with the authorette of his biography (the title of which, "All In," has taken on an entirely new meaning). "....

"Hillary Clinton, who had previously "taken responsibility" by saying she'd find out who was responsible, has decided not to testify owing to an unavoidable scheduling conflict in Australia...."

Obama Let Benghazi 4 Die, Rather than Defy Libyan Authorities  "FOX News continues to do invaluable work by investigating Benghazigate and Jennifer Griffin and Adam Housley have a new article which raises serious questions about the so-called “Timeline” as well as continuing to pursue the question of why the Benghazi were allowed to die by the Obama Administration. "Now Obama had no problem bombing and invading Libya to prevent a fake massacre in Benghazi whose existence he lied about in a speech to the American people. But he did have a problem sending troops into Libya to prevent an actual massacre of Americans...."

Al-Qaeda on the march

Jennifer Rubin  "What will Obama and his new secretary of state do about this? In the rush to push Benghazi off the front pages and out of oversight hearings we risk ignoring a region-wide phenomenon. The administration did not recognize the jihadist gains in Libya and risks finding itself similarly unprepared in Mali, Syria, the Western Sahara, Yemen and elsewhere. The administration desperately needs to stop avoiding conflicts, stop concealing misjudgment and focus on how to stem the rising tide of al-Qaeda. Without an election perhaps the president will finally get down to business."

Obamawatch: What will our government do TO us next?

Here is a bit of the price we pay here at home and abroad for letting numbskulls vote:
CNS News; 6,125 Proposed Regulations and Notifications Posted in Last 90 Days--Average 68 per Day
"CEI expects the EPA to move ahead on delayed rules on everything from greenhouse gas emissions to ozone standards. “Rules from the health care bill and the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill will also likely make themselves known in the weeks to come," the group said on its website."

Elections Have Consequences (a continuing series)

Among the commandments of life under the Obama administration: thou shalt not speak ill of Obamacare. Papa John's CEO John Schnatter was hammered with Twitter abuse after informing shareholders and franchisees in August that implementing Obamacare would necessarily increase costs of running the business. Applebee's is under the gun today after Zane Tankel, a franchisee whose company runs 40 New York-area restaurants, told Fox Business Network that a hiring freeze might be in the works.

Israel: 'We can expect the US to abandon us'  "There is one prophetic voice in Israel who understood this right away. Caroline Glick of the Jerusalem Post described Obama's "pro-jihadist foreign policy" accurately and fearlessly." Glick also stated,

No one said any of this will be easy. But difficult is not the same as impossible. Within a year, the consequences of Obama's failed domestic and foreign policies will make him weaker rather than stronger than he was in his first term. He will be hard pressed to pressure Israel when the US loses its leadership role in the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Middle East. And Israel's independence of action will consequently grow.
Our side suffered a massive loss on Tuesday.

Case in point: Mahmoud Abbas tells President Barack Obama he'll defy U.S - Hamas: No Compromises With Israel on Anything, Ever

Boeing leads the charge in post- election layoff announcements   ...."The business owner stated to KXNT radio that “elections have consequences” and that “at the end of the day, I need to survive.”

"On Friday, an additional 21 businesses said they would be laying off employees to curb costs and expected tax hikes to businesses.
"Some of the companies announcing layoffs include: Smith & Nephew - 770; Abbott Labs - 700; Covidien - 595; Kinetic Concepts - 427; St. Jude Medical - 300; Hill Rom - 200; Welch Allyn - 275; Stryker - 1,170; Boston Scientific - between 1,200 and 1,400; and Medtronic - 1,000 layoffs."
 Via Lucianne, as well as this next one:.

Obama keeps job; others lose theirs  "Mr. Murray, who expects the U.S. coal industry to go out of business by 2030, said he was putting his company into “survival mode.” The Ohio-based coal company is laying off 102 employees at Utah American Energy and 54 people at American Coal, both subsidiaries"

Clueless Obama Voters And What to Do About Them

Conservative Daily News

"In the video above, we see college students lined up to vote for Obama without a single freaking clue about some of the basic tenets of American government. When all you know is that we are a “democracy,” and majority rules, then you are more likely to support slick demagogues like Obama who promise free stuff, trample on private property rights, and act like vengeful dictators."

...."Want to live in the black-and-white era of American politics, believing we can beat the other side with newspaper editorial-type posts filled with “facts” and “figures” and “logic”? You’re probably going to be sorely disappointed by the lack of results.

"Want more evidence? Here you go.

"Obama voters slam Mitt Romney, while supporting his policy proposals; and they hammer the policies of “Mitt Romney,” which actually belong to Obama."