Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

Madrid Diary

Greetings NLT readers. I’m coming up for air from finishing Age of Reagan Vol. 2 (due to the publisher at the end of this month) long enough to nip over to Madrid for the launch of the Spanish edition of my Reagan-Churchill book, Grandeza!. Turns out former Pres. Jose Maria Aznar (with whom I enjoyed a delightful lunch on Monday), leader of the right-leaning Partido Populare, bought my book at a Barnes & Noble in the U.S., liked it, and arranged for a Spanish translation to be published.

I’m getting lots of interviews from the media--they really do take authors more seriously over here--and, like journalists at home, most seem anti-Bush and pro-Obama, but above all are curious and confused. How can America really elect another Republican after Bush? But will America really elect a black man President? I put the matter as simply as I can: if American voters come to perceive Obama as a leftist, he will lose. Right now he is skillfully and rapidly moving to the center, and may succeed in concealing or disguising his previous leftism, in which case he will win. Comprende?

Once Age of Reagan II is finally in the can at the end of the month, I’ll be blogging up a storm here. I notice the prolific Lawler has passed me in the number of NLT posts, so I have some catching up to do.

P.S. By the way, I’ve met a substantial number of Spanish conservatives, of all ages (but especially young ones); they are deeply serious and impressive. There is a lot of spirit in them, and I suspect the Partido Populare has a promising future.

Discussions - 8 Comments

Which country retreated after being bombed?

Was not the United States that's for sure.

Anyway ... you mean even Spanish journalists are for the left in America? (sarcasm) What a surprise (/sarcasm)

It wasn't Aznar who retreated; it was the opposition Socialist Party, who won the subsequent election. Aznar stayed the course, and it probably cost him his job. He has no regrets for having stuck with us; nor does most of his party from what I can tell. Good for him/them. His party will rise again.

Point taken and I hope so about his party.

Aznar was PM; Spain is a kingdom.

The official title is "President of the Government," so within Spain that official is properly called "presidente," not "ministro." Hence Steve's use of the "Pres." abbreviation. In function, it is an effective premiership and not a presidency in the head-of-state sense, of course--Spain indeed has the monarch fill that role. But the slightly confusing nomenclature remains.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Spain

Pedants, better and worse, ----------- lighten up, ------------ it's the July 4th holiday. Have a beer; make yourself a margarita; fire up the grill. Turn on the game. Check out Pennsylvania Cable Network {www.pcntv.com}, for they're live streaming Gettysburg battlelfield walking tours. Late last night, they featured an exceptional tour concerning Hancock's deeds on the 2d day.

STEVE, were you in Madrid when Spain won the European Cup? I'm sure there was a party worth the while that night.

I intend to get to Spain next year.

I was indeed present the night they won (watched it in a bar with the locals, but I stuck out since I wasn't wearing team colors, like EVERYONE in Spain that night). The parade the following evening went right by my hotel. A great party scene.

Well, you lucked out. I say that warrants a post, telling us all about it.

Did you watch the game in one bar, or were you watching the game while trooping through several bars. I understand bar hopping is quite the thing for Spaniards.

Here in Philly, Benjamin Franklin married Betsy Ross in front of Independence Hall, next to the statue of George Washington, {it was presided over by the Mayor}. They intend to honeymoon in ------------------------------------you guessed it, --------------- Paris. Seems they met while on their reenacting duties, grew fond of one another and one thing led to the next. For a while there, the Mayor seemed struck by the surreal aspect of it all, Ben Franklin in his period garb, marrying Betsy, who looked like she just dropped her needle and thread. But then he wiped the smile off his face, and assumed that manner appropriate to the solemnity of the occasion.

All the local media covered it. And tourits got to see it all.

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