Well, I had a day of training on Wednesday and a day of rest on Thursday (aside from some hectic yardwork in the morning). Today is uneventful so far, so I'm posting an observation I made sometime last week.
In the film "Miller's Crossing", there is a phenomenal scene where two hitmen attempt and fail to kill Irish gang boss Leo (Albert Finney). It ends with a shot of Leo in his robe and slippers, holding the still smoking Tommy Gun and chomping a cigar. It's an incredibly cool image that I've always loved.
When Mrs. Mosley and I went to London last year, we visited the Cabinet War Rooms, which was the underground bunker that Winston Churchill lived and strategized in during WWII. In the giftshop, I purchased a postcard with a B&W photograph I had never seen before of Churchill: He is dressed in his signature suit and hat, holding a Tommy Gun and chomping a cigar.
Now you tell me: Do you think the Coens did this on purpose? Here are the images of Finney (bottom right) and Churchill. The Finney pic is a bit dark, but people familiar with the sequence will know the shot I'm speaking of and will see the similarity. The resemblance the Coen's might have seen between Churchill and Finney was apparently obvious to others besides them. In 2000, Finney starred as Churchill in "The Gathering Storm", for which he won an Emmy, Golden Globe and numerous other awards.
It seems clear that Finney was born to play tough old bastards, for which I and all other movie fans are eternally grateful.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
"There is no fever that a 10-mile hike can't cure."
One thing I neglected to mention in my post about the weekend trip was a stop we made just before leaving Tallahassee: The Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park. The location is inconspicuously just outside of town, and Mrs. Mosley and I had only known of it through the signs for it along I-10. We paid out four dollar per car entry fee and went in. The beginning of the trail contained more trees and bushes than gardens, but the air was crisp and cool having finally gotten some winter weather here in November. Eventually, the brick path reached Lake Hall, and I was stunned by the view before me.
The lake was calm and contained some patches of lily pads along the edges. Aside from some tasteful and impressive houses on the other side of the lake, there were no garish signs of human presence here. We sat in wrought iron chairs on a covered patio that was built next to the lake and simply breathed it all in. It was peaceful and beautiful and reminded me of how much joy you can obtain from the simple things.
I was reminded of this when I went through some of my recent emails this morning. In the weeks that preceded the election, I received a number of emails from my inlaws debating the candidates and the issues. One of them, from Mrs. Mosely's grandfather, was a scan of a Garrison Keillor essay from the November 1st issue of Time. I'm sorry to say that I just got around to looking at it today. It concerned the ways in which people could cope with the aftermath of the election, especially if your guy lost. Keillor extols the simple pleasures that remain regardless of who sits in the White House. To wit:
Mrs. Mosley and I sometimes speak of moving to a small town or perhaps getting a house on a stretch of land outside of a city. It's more seductive to me than you know. The pleasure of such quiet and beauty is something I could lose myself in for the rest of my days. If I lived in such a place, then I could possibly even stand with getting rid of the TV, as Keillor has done.
There are some obstacles to this daydream. One is that I think I would have to move out of Florida to somewhere colder to truly enjoy the outdoors. At the very least, I would need to be in a place bereft of swamps and overbearing humidity. Also, I haven't been able to obtain the motivation to pull up the weeds in my yard, so the concept of me tending an acre or two is dubious. Still, under different circumstances, I would like to think it's possible.
I have no doubt that there will still be films and politics in my life, but room can be made for this one thing that can offer such serenity. The best things in life are indeed free. More importantly, they're damn near necessary for a clear mind and a healthy heart.
The lake was calm and contained some patches of lily pads along the edges. Aside from some tasteful and impressive houses on the other side of the lake, there were no garish signs of human presence here. We sat in wrought iron chairs on a covered patio that was built next to the lake and simply breathed it all in. It was peaceful and beautiful and reminded me of how much joy you can obtain from the simple things.
I was reminded of this when I went through some of my recent emails this morning. In the weeks that preceded the election, I received a number of emails from my inlaws debating the candidates and the issues. One of them, from Mrs. Mosely's grandfather, was a scan of a Garrison Keillor essay from the November 1st issue of Time. I'm sorry to say that I just got around to looking at it today. It concerned the ways in which people could cope with the aftermath of the election, especially if your guy lost. Keillor extols the simple pleasures that remain regardless of who sits in the White House. To wit:
"...our common love of coffee, the world of apples, the movements of birds, the lives of dogs, the touch of skin. Music. Dancing to music. Shooting baskets...enjoying our oatmeal again, with raisins, chopped apricots and honey from bees that grazed in meadows of clover."He speaks of going out into the small towns and the countryside where you can, "...walk around and get leaf smoke up the nostrils that could pretty well clear the head." With such a poetic heart and a love of nature, is it any wonder why Ken Burns chose Keillor to voice Walt Whitman in "The Civil War"?
Mrs. Mosley and I sometimes speak of moving to a small town or perhaps getting a house on a stretch of land outside of a city. It's more seductive to me than you know. The pleasure of such quiet and beauty is something I could lose myself in for the rest of my days. If I lived in such a place, then I could possibly even stand with getting rid of the TV, as Keillor has done.
There are some obstacles to this daydream. One is that I think I would have to move out of Florida to somewhere colder to truly enjoy the outdoors. At the very least, I would need to be in a place bereft of swamps and overbearing humidity. Also, I haven't been able to obtain the motivation to pull up the weeds in my yard, so the concept of me tending an acre or two is dubious. Still, under different circumstances, I would like to think it's possible.
I have no doubt that there will still be films and politics in my life, but room can be made for this one thing that can offer such serenity. The best things in life are indeed free. More importantly, they're damn near necessary for a clear mind and a healthy heart.
Review: "The Incredibles" (2004)
For me, "Intolerable Cruelty" was an earth shattering film, and not in a good way. Up to that point, I believed the Coen brothers could truly do no wrong. Up to that point, their track record contained a series of films that were individually intelligent, unique and entertaining. "Intolerable Cruelty" was a total misfire, and so the Coen's winning streak, for me anyway, has been broken. So, is there any other creative force out there in moviemaking who has been consistently brilliant? To that I say, thank the heavens for Pixar.
"The Incredibles", Pixar's sixth full length feature film, tells the story of Bob Parr (aka Mr. Incredible). In a world with it's fair share of superheroes, he's the king of them all. However, due to lawsuits filed by disgruntled citizens whose lives they have saved, all the superheroes are forced to go into a government relocation program and forbidden to ever again use their powers in public. Bob is now married to Helen (aka Elastigirl) and has three children: Dash, Violet and baby Jack Jack. Though he loves his family, he is bored with his mundane insurance job and secretly yearns for the excitement of the good old days. When an opportunity comes along to covertly be a superhero again, he jumps at the chance. But his new employer has hidden motives that soon draw his family out of hiding and into action.
This film is absolutely perfect, and Pixar has once again achieved the Herculean task of topping themselves since their last time out. Instead of me drooling over every square inch of celluloid on the screen, let me just hit some of the more striking points.
As you can see with the car chase/machine gun battle five minutes in, there is a reason that this is the first Pixar film to be rated PG. Whereas their previous films were mostly comedy with some action thrown in, this film can easily be said to be 50/50. An example of how intense the film can get can be seen when Helen, Dash and Violet are violently propelled from an exploding plane. There are a few seconds where the kids are in freefall and they scream in terror. This isn't a comic scream, this is a scream of two young characters falling at an amazing speed towards the ocean and, they think, their death. There are adult horror movies that are afraid to put child characters in peril, so I tip my hat to the filmmakers for their boldness.
The numerous action scenes featured throughout the film are thrilling and inventive. One of them, involving Elastigirl, several automatic doors and about a half dozen guards, would do Jackie Chan proud. There is also a chase sequence involving Dash and a number of guards in flying contraptions that proves, if nothing else, that the animators really enjoyed the speeder bike scenes in "Return of the Jedi". This is probably the only sequence that goes on longer than it should, but it's still better than most action movies you'll ever see.
This is the first Pixar film to deal with human characters as the main protagonists. Although the technology has advanced since the first "Toy Story", truly realistic humans are still a ways off. Animators know this, so they design the major human characters to be eye catching and distinctive. Bob's boss, who is voiced by Wallace "Inconceivable" Shawn, is a ridiculously short, pale, middle manager type with a bad combover. He's not in the least a realistic human, but he is detailed and convincing enough in voice and mannerisms that we accept the character.
What animators can't do in creating realistic looking humans they compensate with through visual tricks that echo our reality. In the first "Toy Story" film, Andy enters a closet wearing one costume and exits wearing another. The static shot of the door changes ever so slightly as it would if a film camera stops and starts. Obviously, this is not an issue with CGI, but they put the effect in anyway to subconsciously trick viewers brains into seeing the film differently. Similarly, there is a scene at a dinner table in "The Incredibles" where Helen is sharply detailed in the foreground while Dash is farther back and blurry. Again, this kind of focus problem isn't an issue with CGI, but they do it anyway. These tiniest of touches do wonders for suspending the disbelief of audiences.
The voice work is all around grand. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter do touching work with Bob and Helen. Samuel L. Jackson is fantastic as Frozone, though I would have been happier with more of him on the screen. Perhaps most interesting is how, for the second film in a row, the director of a Pixar film has given their own voice to one of the most interesting characters. In "Finding Nemo", director Andrew Stanton voiced Crush, the surfer dude sea turtle. For "The Incredibles", director Brad Bird lends his voice to Edna Mode, the fashion designer/scientist that designs and makes all of the superhero costumes. Edna improves every scene she's in (not that they needed improving). Oh, and for those of you wondering out there, there is the obligatory John Ratzenberger appearance (just wait until the very end).
I can't say enough for this film. Pixar is creating a film cannon that will last for decades to come and we are all fortunate for it. The best way we can repay them is...pay them. See these artistic and technological wonders on the big screen as they should be seen. This is what movies are all about.
Ten out of Ten
"The Incredibles", Pixar's sixth full length feature film, tells the story of Bob Parr (aka Mr. Incredible). In a world with it's fair share of superheroes, he's the king of them all. However, due to lawsuits filed by disgruntled citizens whose lives they have saved, all the superheroes are forced to go into a government relocation program and forbidden to ever again use their powers in public. Bob is now married to Helen (aka Elastigirl) and has three children: Dash, Violet and baby Jack Jack. Though he loves his family, he is bored with his mundane insurance job and secretly yearns for the excitement of the good old days. When an opportunity comes along to covertly be a superhero again, he jumps at the chance. But his new employer has hidden motives that soon draw his family out of hiding and into action.
This film is absolutely perfect, and Pixar has once again achieved the Herculean task of topping themselves since their last time out. Instead of me drooling over every square inch of celluloid on the screen, let me just hit some of the more striking points.
As you can see with the car chase/machine gun battle five minutes in, there is a reason that this is the first Pixar film to be rated PG. Whereas their previous films were mostly comedy with some action thrown in, this film can easily be said to be 50/50. An example of how intense the film can get can be seen when Helen, Dash and Violet are violently propelled from an exploding plane. There are a few seconds where the kids are in freefall and they scream in terror. This isn't a comic scream, this is a scream of two young characters falling at an amazing speed towards the ocean and, they think, their death. There are adult horror movies that are afraid to put child characters in peril, so I tip my hat to the filmmakers for their boldness.
The numerous action scenes featured throughout the film are thrilling and inventive. One of them, involving Elastigirl, several automatic doors and about a half dozen guards, would do Jackie Chan proud. There is also a chase sequence involving Dash and a number of guards in flying contraptions that proves, if nothing else, that the animators really enjoyed the speeder bike scenes in "Return of the Jedi". This is probably the only sequence that goes on longer than it should, but it's still better than most action movies you'll ever see.
This is the first Pixar film to deal with human characters as the main protagonists. Although the technology has advanced since the first "Toy Story", truly realistic humans are still a ways off. Animators know this, so they design the major human characters to be eye catching and distinctive. Bob's boss, who is voiced by Wallace "Inconceivable" Shawn, is a ridiculously short, pale, middle manager type with a bad combover. He's not in the least a realistic human, but he is detailed and convincing enough in voice and mannerisms that we accept the character.
What animators can't do in creating realistic looking humans they compensate with through visual tricks that echo our reality. In the first "Toy Story" film, Andy enters a closet wearing one costume and exits wearing another. The static shot of the door changes ever so slightly as it would if a film camera stops and starts. Obviously, this is not an issue with CGI, but they put the effect in anyway to subconsciously trick viewers brains into seeing the film differently. Similarly, there is a scene at a dinner table in "The Incredibles" where Helen is sharply detailed in the foreground while Dash is farther back and blurry. Again, this kind of focus problem isn't an issue with CGI, but they do it anyway. These tiniest of touches do wonders for suspending the disbelief of audiences.
The voice work is all around grand. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter do touching work with Bob and Helen. Samuel L. Jackson is fantastic as Frozone, though I would have been happier with more of him on the screen. Perhaps most interesting is how, for the second film in a row, the director of a Pixar film has given their own voice to one of the most interesting characters. In "Finding Nemo", director Andrew Stanton voiced Crush, the surfer dude sea turtle. For "The Incredibles", director Brad Bird lends his voice to Edna Mode, the fashion designer/scientist that designs and makes all of the superhero costumes. Edna improves every scene she's in (not that they needed improving). Oh, and for those of you wondering out there, there is the obligatory John Ratzenberger appearance (just wait until the very end).
I can't say enough for this film. Pixar is creating a film cannon that will last for decades to come and we are all fortunate for it. The best way we can repay them is...pay them. See these artistic and technological wonders on the big screen as they should be seen. This is what movies are all about.
Ten out of Ten
Monday, November 08, 2004
Random thoughts on FSU
The weekend in Tally was very enjoyable, as was the game itself. Some observations:
And now for something completely different - We were seated in the end zone next to the FSU band, with the Duke band located a bit further along. In addition to the standards played by all marching bands at football games, FSU also played a version of King Arthur's theme in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Being a Python fan, this was a real treat and I was surprised at how great it sounded as a get-the-fans-pumped-up song. In response, the Duke band played Python's "Sit on My Face", which made me glad that Duke didn't bring a chorus section.
Mein Fuhrer! I can CHOP! - For those of you unaware of such things, we fans of the FSU Seminoles use a tomahawk chop with our arms as a chant/cheer for our team. Aside from the initial thoughts on how this is still slightly offensive even after all these years, I also wondered what it's like for FSU fans who are also big baseball fans. They move to big cities and really get into their home team, only to find themselves one day in Atlanta for an away game. Unfortunately, the Atlanta Braves fans also do the tomahawk chop. Can you imagine all the FSU fans in the audience inadvertently mimicking Dr. Strangelove as they hold down their arms from automatically jutting up into the air?
Blood is NOT thicker than football - Bobby Bowden, Head coach of the Seminoles, is worshipped as a god in Tally. So color us surprised when Mrs. Mosley and I, who have been negligent in keeping up with the team, found a vitriolic hatred on campus for one of his sons. Jeff Bowden is offensive coordinator for the Seminoles and apparently has been doing a less than stellar job this year. There were posted petitions on campus to have him fired, and banners were unfurled at the game telling Bobby to "Fire Jeff" and "Send Jeff to UF". Folks, when the fans who worship you want to send your son to coach the team they most revile in life, you have a problem.
And Finally - Cost of a gallon of unleaded gasoline at a Conoco on the edge of Tallahassee: $1.86
Cost of a gallon of Dasani water sold inside the stadium (as extrapolated from a 20 oz bottle): $19.20
Value of seeing your Alma Mater win in person? Priceless.
And now for something completely different - We were seated in the end zone next to the FSU band, with the Duke band located a bit further along. In addition to the standards played by all marching bands at football games, FSU also played a version of King Arthur's theme in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Being a Python fan, this was a real treat and I was surprised at how great it sounded as a get-the-fans-pumped-up song. In response, the Duke band played Python's "Sit on My Face", which made me glad that Duke didn't bring a chorus section.
Mein Fuhrer! I can CHOP! - For those of you unaware of such things, we fans of the FSU Seminoles use a tomahawk chop with our arms as a chant/cheer for our team. Aside from the initial thoughts on how this is still slightly offensive even after all these years, I also wondered what it's like for FSU fans who are also big baseball fans. They move to big cities and really get into their home team, only to find themselves one day in Atlanta for an away game. Unfortunately, the Atlanta Braves fans also do the tomahawk chop. Can you imagine all the FSU fans in the audience inadvertently mimicking Dr. Strangelove as they hold down their arms from automatically jutting up into the air?
Blood is NOT thicker than football - Bobby Bowden, Head coach of the Seminoles, is worshipped as a god in Tally. So color us surprised when Mrs. Mosley and I, who have been negligent in keeping up with the team, found a vitriolic hatred on campus for one of his sons. Jeff Bowden is offensive coordinator for the Seminoles and apparently has been doing a less than stellar job this year. There were posted petitions on campus to have him fired, and banners were unfurled at the game telling Bobby to "Fire Jeff" and "Send Jeff to UF". Folks, when the fans who worship you want to send your son to coach the team they most revile in life, you have a problem.
And Finally - Cost of a gallon of unleaded gasoline at a Conoco on the edge of Tallahassee: $1.86
Cost of a gallon of Dasani water sold inside the stadium (as extrapolated from a 20 oz bottle): $19.20
Value of seeing your Alma Mater win in person? Priceless.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Poster Boy
In an effort to resist going totally insane with grief, I've been looking for a silver lining in this whole election, and I think I have found one: Scott McConnell's endorsement of Kerry in "American Conservative" magazine.
Although his enthusiasm for Kerry is tepid and back-handed, he was not alone amongst Conservatives and Republicans voicing their concerns about a Bush re-election. Obviously, it wasn't enough for Kerry to win the popular vote, but it is significant. Why?
Clinton's eight years in office burned into people's brains his image as the symbol of the Democratic party. Now, you can debate whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. You can argue whether or not Gore's association with Clinton cost him votes in 2000. You can claim that his behavior reinforced the image of loose sexual mores for Democrats when combined with the Kennedy legacy. Nevertheless, he is an icon that many people still love and respect.
If George W. Bush is re-elected, then he will also serve a total of eight years. He will then become the face of the Republican party, and I'm guessing that a lot of Conservatives don't like the sound of that. Conservatives didn't really like Kerry, but they hoped that Dubya could be cut short in 2004. Then Republicans could re-group, attack Kerry for every blessed thing under the sun for four years, and in the meantime prep someone new for 2008. As it stands now, Bush is going to have another four years to cement his acts, policies and character as those of the entire Republican party. Read McConnell's article. He puts it far more eloquently than I can.
I believe that both McConnell and I would welcome the back-and-forth of yesteryear between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans could call Democrats to the mat when they were spending far too much money and Democrats would hold Republicans accountable for their attacks on the Constitution. Dubya's legacy robs the term "Conservative" of meaning as he spends money like a (forgive the term) drunken sailor. True Conservatives saw the core Republican principle of fiscal responsibility shoved aside for such trivial BS as gay marriage. If true Conservatives have any sense, then they will either work hard to try and change their party from within or leave their "Republican" designation entirely as one that no longer holds any meaning.
The remaining "Republicans" will be left with their icon, and they will come to regret it in 2008...
...if we ever get there.
This is my last post until next week and perhaps my last political post for longer than that. Mrs. Mosley and I are going away for the weekend to see the FSU/Duke game in Tallahassee (where I can be reasonably certain that this time my team will win). I need a break and the next post will likely be a Movie or a Chicken Caesar review, with more of the same to follow. For now, I'm burned out and tired.
But I will be back.
Although his enthusiasm for Kerry is tepid and back-handed, he was not alone amongst Conservatives and Republicans voicing their concerns about a Bush re-election. Obviously, it wasn't enough for Kerry to win the popular vote, but it is significant. Why?
Clinton's eight years in office burned into people's brains his image as the symbol of the Democratic party. Now, you can debate whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. You can argue whether or not Gore's association with Clinton cost him votes in 2000. You can claim that his behavior reinforced the image of loose sexual mores for Democrats when combined with the Kennedy legacy. Nevertheless, he is an icon that many people still love and respect.
If George W. Bush is re-elected, then he will also serve a total of eight years. He will then become the face of the Republican party, and I'm guessing that a lot of Conservatives don't like the sound of that. Conservatives didn't really like Kerry, but they hoped that Dubya could be cut short in 2004. Then Republicans could re-group, attack Kerry for every blessed thing under the sun for four years, and in the meantime prep someone new for 2008. As it stands now, Bush is going to have another four years to cement his acts, policies and character as those of the entire Republican party. Read McConnell's article. He puts it far more eloquently than I can.
I believe that both McConnell and I would welcome the back-and-forth of yesteryear between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans could call Democrats to the mat when they were spending far too much money and Democrats would hold Republicans accountable for their attacks on the Constitution. Dubya's legacy robs the term "Conservative" of meaning as he spends money like a (forgive the term) drunken sailor. True Conservatives saw the core Republican principle of fiscal responsibility shoved aside for such trivial BS as gay marriage. If true Conservatives have any sense, then they will either work hard to try and change their party from within or leave their "Republican" designation entirely as one that no longer holds any meaning.
The remaining "Republicans" will be left with their icon, and they will come to regret it in 2008...
...if we ever get there.
This is my last post until next week and perhaps my last political post for longer than that. Mrs. Mosley and I are going away for the weekend to see the FSU/Duke game in Tallahassee (where I can be reasonably certain that this time my team will win). I need a break and the next post will likely be a Movie or a Chicken Caesar review, with more of the same to follow. For now, I'm burned out and tired.
But I will be back.
Skippy of the Day: George W. Bush
Just when I thought I had finally calmed down, I just had to read MSNBC this morning:
I expect to see no sincere efforts on his part and treat this portion of his address as the usual victory speech filler. He no longer has to worry about popularity or polls. His staff, which according to the article will include some changes but not important ones (i.e. Rumsfeld and Ashcroft), will continue to isolate him from reality so he'll see minimum protesters and hear minimum contradictory facts.
Most of all, he has an even stronger hold on both the House and Senate, so he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants. He doesn't need to mend fences. Do people honestly think he'll look at this total control, then look at his objectives and then say "I should make some concessions to make the other side happy"? He might throw Democrats a bone so he can say he's making compromises, but it will not be anything major. His lip service to Democrats resembles a rapist whispering in his victim's ear, "You know, if you don't tense up, this won't hurt as much." Either way, we're getting screwed.
Listen, it comes down to this: It all depends on the man. There's too much history and too much dislike for Bush to ever undo what he has done over the past four years. If Gore had won back in 2000 and he pledged the same thing, Republicans at large would be telling him to blow it out his ass. Why? Because they had spent eight years in a state of bloodlust and would have seen Gore as a continuance of that. Katherine Hepburn in "The Lion in Winter" could have easily been speaking about the animosity Republicans felt for Clinton when she said "You have a gift for hating".
So now Republicans are asking us to accept this same guy we have been vigilantly opposing for four years? His policies haven't changed, his staff isn't changing (much) and he himself sure as hell isn't changing. If Republicans truly want to reach out, then they need somebody brand new. Somebody not even remotely connected with the Bush family or administration. Somebody with new ideas.
To that I say, good luck in 2008.
"Reaching these goals will require the broad support of Americans," Bush said, as he asked Sen. John Kerry's disappointed supporters to back him although many of his proposals are anathema to the opponents of his re-election. "I will work to earn it. I will do all I can do to deserve your trust," he said.Even those of us with such memories finely tuned to conveniently forget all of Bush's miscues, mistakes and flat-out lies, will never forget that little "I'm a uniter, not a divider" promise from four years ago. He was given the golden opportunity to do exactly this with 9/11, and he dashed it to the ground almost as soon as he received it. His sincerity in this message is about as convincing now as it was then.
I expect to see no sincere efforts on his part and treat this portion of his address as the usual victory speech filler. He no longer has to worry about popularity or polls. His staff, which according to the article will include some changes but not important ones (i.e. Rumsfeld and Ashcroft), will continue to isolate him from reality so he'll see minimum protesters and hear minimum contradictory facts.
Most of all, he has an even stronger hold on both the House and Senate, so he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants. He doesn't need to mend fences. Do people honestly think he'll look at this total control, then look at his objectives and then say "I should make some concessions to make the other side happy"? He might throw Democrats a bone so he can say he's making compromises, but it will not be anything major. His lip service to Democrats resembles a rapist whispering in his victim's ear, "You know, if you don't tense up, this won't hurt as much." Either way, we're getting screwed.
Listen, it comes down to this: It all depends on the man. There's too much history and too much dislike for Bush to ever undo what he has done over the past four years. If Gore had won back in 2000 and he pledged the same thing, Republicans at large would be telling him to blow it out his ass. Why? Because they had spent eight years in a state of bloodlust and would have seen Gore as a continuance of that. Katherine Hepburn in "The Lion in Winter" could have easily been speaking about the animosity Republicans felt for Clinton when she said "You have a gift for hating".
So now Republicans are asking us to accept this same guy we have been vigilantly opposing for four years? His policies haven't changed, his staff isn't changing (much) and he himself sure as hell isn't changing. If Republicans truly want to reach out, then they need somebody brand new. Somebody not even remotely connected with the Bush family or administration. Somebody with new ideas.
To that I say, good luck in 2008.
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