Comments on: Walter Mondale–As exciting and relevant as ever

By: micky2

micky2 — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:49:47 +0000

Chenys world is 180 degrees apart from what Mondales was. To the pount where anything Mondale could contribute would be irrelevant.
It makes about as much sense as Carter helping Bush.

By: Ed Darrell

Ed Darrell — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:04:36 +0000

What makes the ambassador to Japan post difficult is this: Japanese respect knowledge and careful reasoning; ignorance is a genuine turnoff to them. Plus, Japan plays an enormous role in the world economy, and the U.S. ambassador can much more easily screw things up than improve them.

We were fortunate in the last 30 years to have a couple of former senators, both of whom had demonstrated the wisdom and courage that won Japanese admiration before their appointments, in Mike Mansfield and Fritz Mondale. Mansfield’s tenure, unspectacular in the U.S., was so spectacular in Japan that the Reagan administration literally could not find a way to equal his performance, and so they asked Mansfield, the partisan Democrat, to stay on (it was one of the wisest moves of the Reagan administration, particularly in those early days when they screwed up royally on a few key things).

Mondale demonstrated exactly the sort of cool thought and consideration, and wisdom, that Cheney has not demonstrated. Cheney would do well to listen, but as the old jokes go, you can’t tell the smartest man in the airplane he’s getting ready to bail out with a Boy Scout’s backpack instead of a parachute. Mondale doesn’t demonstrate the arrogance of Cheney that has gotten us into trouble in places like Abu Ghraib and Korea. Coolness, reason, wisdom, and lack of arrogance — all virtues that we badly need in someone in Cheney’s position right now.

By: arclightzero

arclightzero — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:33:51 +0000

Geek, I have to say that sometimes I feel that way too, but then I remember how much good there is too. For every whacked-out loudmouth out there who’s working to drive us into the ground, there’s 10 people working quietly who want to see this country a better place.

The problem isn’t that things are getting so bad, it’s just that the loudmouth naysayers and liberal moonbats out there are the ones who are getting all of the attention. If the media didn’t so ravenously cover the negative, I think we would be able to see the good that is indeed out there.

But that’s just my $.02

By: Bald-Headed Geek

Bald-Headed Geek — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:52:10 +0000

I blogged about this too, Eric. Sometimes, I watch what is going on in or society and just shake my head with sadness. Maybe the Islamofascists are right; we are too weak mentally to fight for ourselves………

BHG

By: micky2

micky2 — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:04:56 +0000

Ed Darrel said;

“After the vice presidency, Mondale served with distinction as our ambassador to Japan, a post impossible for any but the most honorable people. ”

I don’t understand what makes this guy think that being Ambassador to Japan is so difficult, or ” impossible ” for only the most honorable people. Clinton could of sent Mickey Mouse in 93 and there would of been less risk of screwing up a good relationship. Its not like relations with Japan were under some kind of strain at the time of his appointment.
Whatever this gentleman may think of Mondale, and with due respect to Mondale, I think the article above points out that this is not the kind of man Cheny should be listening to in a time of war. Seeing as how it is Carter and Mondale that have to take a good chunk of the rap for todays circumstances. And Mondale would still like to apply the techniques from the past that got us where we are at today.

By: arclightzero

arclightzero — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:36:32 +0000

As a native Minnesotan my feelings on Mondale are sketchy at best. For what good he has done here or there (i.e. his ambassador position in Japan), he cannot escape the fact that he is a democrat and for some reason can’t escape that mind frame. Albeit, he’s no Jimmy Carter, but he can’t seem to escape the need to rouse up trouble with the Republicans none-the-less. It’s the typical democratic problem of not being able to leave well enough alone. But I guess that’s what separates the democrats and the republicans… Most republicans have enough dignity to keep to themselves.. Not to mention the fact that most republicans have enough going on their own lives that they don’t need to butt into the affairs of others (or other administrations).

By: Ed Darrell

Ed Darrell — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:25:19 +0000

There is historical value in interviewing people who were active in a nexus of history. Mondale’s stature is much greater than you let on. He was a stellar U.S. Senator, and as Vice President, he didn’t find any need to try to gut the Constitution (in that way, I suppose, he’s much more conservative that the current National Socialist Republicans).

After the vice presidency, Mondale served with distinction as our ambassador to Japan, a post impossible for any but the most honorable people.

Cheney would do well to listen to Mondale, and the nation would do well, too.

By: The Troll

The Troll — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:52:08 +0000

Eric
Thanks for stopping by my blog as for a link exchange,
I like your blog, feel free to add me to your blogroll, and I’ll add you to mine

By: neoconnews

neoconnews — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:06:56 +0000

If there something that is worth staying up late on a Sunday night for, it’s some Jimmy Carter bashing. Anytime, anywhere. Although to be fair, I think it was Ford who did more of the stumbling than Carter. And as far as the rest of the cast of “I’m a political failure, get me out of here #47″ I think I’ve seen enough Geraldine Ferraro to last me a lifetime, and I wasn’t even born when she was relevant. God forbid Cheney worry more about protecting the country and contributing to the execute branch than schedule more meetings with outsiders who disagree with him before they’ve even heard what he has to say.

NeoCon News ( NeoConNews.com )

By: noeo

noeo — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:13:12 +0000

The first thing that came to my mind after reading about Mondale and wondering why someone would actually interview him… Monte Python’s Holy Grail where the local trash man, err, refuse engineer, calls out to his fellow villagers… “Bring out your dead!!!!”

You brought a tear to my eye when you mentioned the upcoming football season. I can’t sleep now.