I titled this piece, "Democrats have no brains, Republicans have no spines". I think these phrases are both self-explanatory, but I will flush out the one about Republicans in more depth. After all, it doesn't take much to figure out that ANYONE of sound mind who votes Democrat has no brains...especially if they vote Liberal Democrat. But, that is a different post for a different day; let's us now turn to my second argument: that Republicans, by and large, have no spine. Like everything, there are some exceptions of bravery (the Tea Partiers, Allen West, Conservative talk radio, Scott Walker, etc) but these are few and far between. Let me explain:
I have sat by in disgust watching election after election where the establishment Republican leadership (yes, Karl Rove, this includes you) continue to push weak-kneed, gutless, RINO candidates down our throats, while belittling candidates who are more Conservative. These are the people who believe that we should support Republicans BECAUSE they are Republicans...principles be damned. Look at our choice of Bob Dole in 1996, McCain in 2008 and Romney now. All moderates, and although we do not yet know the outcome of Romney's fate in November, the other aforementioned candidates lost badly. This divide within the GOP can be seen when people like Newt Gingrich support Liberal Dede Scozzafava over the Conservative Doug Hoffman in NY-23. Or the constant backstabbing and bickering within "Republican circles" about the rise of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement". There are many, MANY, more examples of this battle within the GOP, but it is no wonder that Republicans as such professionals at snatching defeat from the jaws of an easy victory.
More recently, we have Republicans who are too afraid to even touch ANYTHING negative about President Obama. They fear ridicule and being called names like "racist". This is the problem...too many Republicans, both voters and those in the leadership, are too afraid of standing up for their values. They fear that doing such things will tarnish their image and that they, especially those in DC, will not be "loved" by the Liberal Left in this country. Just look at how most Conservatives ran for the hills when the issue of the Obama birth certificate came to the forefront of political discourse. Even now, when the issue of whether or not the President is a citizen is brought up, you will have Conservatives (from Beck and Hannity, to the establishment of the GOP to even grass roots Republicans) ridicule those of us who want more information as "birthers". Now, with the Trayvon Martin dilemma, Republicans, especially white Republicans, say nothing and sit by while the Black Leadership is, in no uncertain terms, calling for a race war, and when the Black Panthers offer bounties for the families of those accused. Then, we sit back horrified and disgusted when we see violence and debauchery in the streets. Oh, don't get me wrong: these BRAVE Republicans, will quickly label any of us who even remotely touch these issues as being racist, while not saying a single word on the actual race issues that are happening in our society. Their weakness, OUR weakness, is what leads us to defeat. Yet, we wonder why we lose elections.
I applaud all Republicans in Congress for opposing Obamacare; this was one true moment of courage, and they stood strong. But, unfortunately, we see more capitulating and caving by Republicans, and more crying by our Speaker of the House, then actually FIGHTING for the ideals that make the Republican Party s strong. Democrats are the MASTERS of framing the debate and in gutter politics; they know how to fight, and, often, to WIN the fight. Don't worry though Republicans...I am sure we will counter-punch these attacks, right? WRONG! We sit back and say "oh, our arguments will win the day. or Oh, we must take the highroad". To drive home the point, we bring knives to gun fights. We refuse to fight and we fight to lose.
Oh sure, we are "outraged" when our schools push some Marxist agenda down the throats of our children. We are "outraged" when politicians raise our taxes and spend our money with reckless abandon. We are "outraged" that the future of our children and grandchilden are being adversely affected by politicians in Washington. We are "outraged" when our weak Republican leadership constantly caves to Democrats, even when we have the majority in Congress. And yet, we do NOTHING! Republicans are masters at sitting around discussing the ills of this country, but they fail miserably at actually getting out and FIGHTING for the beliefs of our Party. We run Republican candidates in races all over the country, yet due to infighting, hurt feelings and general apathy, we either elect "unelectable" candidates or we sit home instead of being on the ground and fighting in the trenches to get these candidates elected.
I, for one, am sick and tired of watching as our nation fails because REPUBLICANS are too weak-kneed to actually fight for our values. I have had it and I am personally calling all of you out...and you know who you are. Again, many ordinary Americans vote their conscience at the polls and there are many good people who do fight in the trenches. But, there are far too many of us who, for whatever reason, will allow Democrats to run roughshod over our Republic.
So, note to Republicans: ENOUGH ALREADY! It is time to FIGHT...dirty if needed, but to fight nonetheless. If you refuse to fight fire with fire, then don't bother complaining as our nation continues to deteriorate. After all, YOU continue to be part of the problem.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Early prediction for Presidential election
Barring any unforeseen "October surprise" or something similar, I will give you my bold prediction for the 2012 election. Now, don't get me wrong, A LOT can change between now and November, and Lord knows that Romney has no spine, AND that certain Conservatives want to vote Third Party (because they are brain dead) AND that many Americans are just plain dumb enough to buy the "Hope and Change" thing for another 4 years. But, my friends, I offer some real "hope" (even if voting for Romney is not our most favorite thing to do as Conservatives). Here is my prediction at this moment for the elections:
Romney will win by a BIGGER margin than expected.
I think the Democrats know this and so does Obama...why else, other than being Chicago political thugs and Democrats, would they start launching attacks on Romney when he hasn't even secured the Republican nomination yet? You might be wondering WHY I think this will happen and let me give you my reasons:
1. It's the economy stupid. Our economy is in a shambles with Obama driving our country further and further into debt. The American people are feeling the pain, and they will make Obama feel in it November.
2. The electoral map is changing. I know the Democrats think they have the advantage in this election, and in sense they do as their candidate is the incumbent. But, they are losing SEVERAL key races for the House and the Senate, they got shellacked in 2010 and now, Obama is losing more ground with key constituencies. Moreover, with the Democrats losing ground in WI in the Scott Walker race, Obama is suddenly VERY vulnerable.
3. Polls, polls, polls. I hate polls...they tell you what the pollsters want you to think, not necessarily what will happen. Just look at all of the polls that use "Registered Voters" for sampling, while over-sample Democrat voters by 6-10%. These polls that show Obama even at best are bad news for the President. When polls of likely voters are used, the President is losing badly. Heck, even in polls run by Liberals, Obama is losing key groups like women and independents and that doesn't bode well for his chances. That being said, polls are only a snapshot in time and the only one that counts is in November.
4. What was he thinking? The recent choices of issues embraced by President Obama are puzzling. Why, if you know your Convention is in North Carolina and that their state just voted against legalizing gay marriage, would you come out in favor of it? Now, Obama is losing support of his most strident voting block: black Americans. This along with this threat to do away with DOMA, his mishaps the last few weeks starting with a conversation with the Russians, where he essentially sold America out "once the election is over". These are NOT smart moves for someone who is polling in the low 40's.
5. Key interest groups are no longer that interested. As mentioned earlier, Obama's embrace of gay marriage has caused rifts within the black community. If they see Obama as weak, I am not certain they will show up in the numbers that they did in 2008. Add into that more stringent laws like motor voter, etc, fewer Democrats (especially dead ones and illegal immigrants) will vote. Hispanics will not vote for Obama like the did in 2008 (especially if a guy like Rubio is on the ticket) and he has lost his luster as a "rock star" among many students (as evidenced by the empty arena at Ohio State). Add this to the fact that Obama is having some serious issues in the primaries and it signals a disaster in this upcoming election year.
6. Romney up early. Again, reverts to the polls, but if history is any indicator, any incumbent that polls in low 40's (Obama at 42%) will lose. Clinton won with this percentage in 1992, but he wasn't the incumbent and he would have lost it Perot hadn't taken votes away from Bush. The troubling part for Obama is that Romney, though the presumed Republican nominee, has yet to win the nomination and yet he is running either slightly behind or ahead of Obama. When he has the nomination shored up and the debates/advertising start, the number supporting Romney will go higher. The underdog usually gets those last minute undecided voters.
7. The Clinton effect. Isn't it interesting that Hillary recently said that the government shouldn't be too involved in the lives of our citizens? Yes, I laughed out loud too...this coming from a radical Leftist politician. What would possess her to say this in a speech? The other issue is Obama's recent flack with his publishers...how did the fact that he was "born in Kenya" all of the sudden become news? Could it be that Democrats are really worried about their candidate?
8. Mobilized voters. This year, Republicans and Conservatives will be out in force at the polls...and, even those of us who don't like Romney, will walk over broken glass to vote the President out of office. Too, with the Unions losing the recall battle in Blue Wisconsin and just the general state of the nation, Democrats will be less enthusiastic to vote in this election. Of course, they could always use MASSIVE voter fraud like the do in each cycle (like having 107% of the people vote in Philly, or having several hundred thousand illegal voters in Florida), but even this won't be enough to overcome Obama's shortcomings.
9. The electoral map. This is where it gets fun. Obama MUST hold ALL of the states that he won that were won by Bush in 2004 in order to even have a chance in this election. Right now, he is losing Indiana and North Carolina...this is a bad start for the President. Now, if Walker wins against the recall, the unions will have been defeated again and will have spent much money trying to oust the governor. Knowing that the Democrats have pulled funds and headed out of Wisconsin, I suspect that there won't be a lot of money or votes to spread around. Now, in my opinion, Obama will lose Florida, IN, NC, NH, Ohio and VA. He is having a hard time getting big leads in traditionally blue states like WI, MI, MN, NJ, NV, NM, OR, WA...if he is forced to spend money in blue states, he won't have enough resources to run in purple states. So, here is my final analysis (and it is subject to change) about the blue states that will go for Romney. I think that it will be close in PA (again, he will have to spend money here, along with NJ, and WA) and MI and WA and CO. I think he loses Wisconsin and either MI or MN, NV and NM. Romney will sweep the South including Florida. Again, this can all change and I reserve the right to update it later, but I see a scenario where Romney pulls about 350 Electoral Votes.
10. The Reagan effect. We have seen this story play out before...in 1980. The circumstances were similar then as they are now, except that things are worse now. The economy was the focus of the election just as it is this time. Carter also have trouble in the Middle East, and my guess is that Obama will have a tough time deciding about Iran or deciding what to do about the situation in Egypt. Also, MANY Democrats, as referenced in the polls (Reagan Democrats) will either sit out this election or vote for Romney. The polls were similar to the ones now and the incumbent was polling very low right up until the last week of the election. I see the same thing happening this time around.
Bottom line, although Republicans settled once again for a RINO, this is our year to send Obama back to Chicago. And, barring something unexpected, I expect it to happen.
Romney will win by a BIGGER margin than expected.
I think the Democrats know this and so does Obama...why else, other than being Chicago political thugs and Democrats, would they start launching attacks on Romney when he hasn't even secured the Republican nomination yet? You might be wondering WHY I think this will happen and let me give you my reasons:
1. It's the economy stupid. Our economy is in a shambles with Obama driving our country further and further into debt. The American people are feeling the pain, and they will make Obama feel in it November.
2. The electoral map is changing. I know the Democrats think they have the advantage in this election, and in sense they do as their candidate is the incumbent. But, they are losing SEVERAL key races for the House and the Senate, they got shellacked in 2010 and now, Obama is losing more ground with key constituencies. Moreover, with the Democrats losing ground in WI in the Scott Walker race, Obama is suddenly VERY vulnerable.
3. Polls, polls, polls. I hate polls...they tell you what the pollsters want you to think, not necessarily what will happen. Just look at all of the polls that use "Registered Voters" for sampling, while over-sample Democrat voters by 6-10%. These polls that show Obama even at best are bad news for the President. When polls of likely voters are used, the President is losing badly. Heck, even in polls run by Liberals, Obama is losing key groups like women and independents and that doesn't bode well for his chances. That being said, polls are only a snapshot in time and the only one that counts is in November.
4. What was he thinking? The recent choices of issues embraced by President Obama are puzzling. Why, if you know your Convention is in North Carolina and that their state just voted against legalizing gay marriage, would you come out in favor of it? Now, Obama is losing support of his most strident voting block: black Americans. This along with this threat to do away with DOMA, his mishaps the last few weeks starting with a conversation with the Russians, where he essentially sold America out "once the election is over". These are NOT smart moves for someone who is polling in the low 40's.
5. Key interest groups are no longer that interested. As mentioned earlier, Obama's embrace of gay marriage has caused rifts within the black community. If they see Obama as weak, I am not certain they will show up in the numbers that they did in 2008. Add into that more stringent laws like motor voter, etc, fewer Democrats (especially dead ones and illegal immigrants) will vote. Hispanics will not vote for Obama like the did in 2008 (especially if a guy like Rubio is on the ticket) and he has lost his luster as a "rock star" among many students (as evidenced by the empty arena at Ohio State). Add this to the fact that Obama is having some serious issues in the primaries and it signals a disaster in this upcoming election year.
6. Romney up early. Again, reverts to the polls, but if history is any indicator, any incumbent that polls in low 40's (Obama at 42%) will lose. Clinton won with this percentage in 1992, but he wasn't the incumbent and he would have lost it Perot hadn't taken votes away from Bush. The troubling part for Obama is that Romney, though the presumed Republican nominee, has yet to win the nomination and yet he is running either slightly behind or ahead of Obama. When he has the nomination shored up and the debates/advertising start, the number supporting Romney will go higher. The underdog usually gets those last minute undecided voters.
7. The Clinton effect. Isn't it interesting that Hillary recently said that the government shouldn't be too involved in the lives of our citizens? Yes, I laughed out loud too...this coming from a radical Leftist politician. What would possess her to say this in a speech? The other issue is Obama's recent flack with his publishers...how did the fact that he was "born in Kenya" all of the sudden become news? Could it be that Democrats are really worried about their candidate?
8. Mobilized voters. This year, Republicans and Conservatives will be out in force at the polls...and, even those of us who don't like Romney, will walk over broken glass to vote the President out of office. Too, with the Unions losing the recall battle in Blue Wisconsin and just the general state of the nation, Democrats will be less enthusiastic to vote in this election. Of course, they could always use MASSIVE voter fraud like the do in each cycle (like having 107% of the people vote in Philly, or having several hundred thousand illegal voters in Florida), but even this won't be enough to overcome Obama's shortcomings.
9. The electoral map. This is where it gets fun. Obama MUST hold ALL of the states that he won that were won by Bush in 2004 in order to even have a chance in this election. Right now, he is losing Indiana and North Carolina...this is a bad start for the President. Now, if Walker wins against the recall, the unions will have been defeated again and will have spent much money trying to oust the governor. Knowing that the Democrats have pulled funds and headed out of Wisconsin, I suspect that there won't be a lot of money or votes to spread around. Now, in my opinion, Obama will lose Florida, IN, NC, NH, Ohio and VA. He is having a hard time getting big leads in traditionally blue states like WI, MI, MN, NJ, NV, NM, OR, WA...if he is forced to spend money in blue states, he won't have enough resources to run in purple states. So, here is my final analysis (and it is subject to change) about the blue states that will go for Romney. I think that it will be close in PA (again, he will have to spend money here, along with NJ, and WA) and MI and WA and CO. I think he loses Wisconsin and either MI or MN, NV and NM. Romney will sweep the South including Florida. Again, this can all change and I reserve the right to update it later, but I see a scenario where Romney pulls about 350 Electoral Votes.
10. The Reagan effect. We have seen this story play out before...in 1980. The circumstances were similar then as they are now, except that things are worse now. The economy was the focus of the election just as it is this time. Carter also have trouble in the Middle East, and my guess is that Obama will have a tough time deciding about Iran or deciding what to do about the situation in Egypt. Also, MANY Democrats, as referenced in the polls (Reagan Democrats) will either sit out this election or vote for Romney. The polls were similar to the ones now and the incumbent was polling very low right up until the last week of the election. I see the same thing happening this time around.
Bottom line, although Republicans settled once again for a RINO, this is our year to send Obama back to Chicago. And, barring something unexpected, I expect it to happen.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Pat Summit
In the coming weeks, there are going to be many, many, people who write about Pat Head Summit, the legendary head basketball coach for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols. I would assume that most of these postings would paint a picture of Coach Summit in a very positive light, and rightly so. She is an incredible woman and she deserves utmost respect as a coach and as a person.
But, let me tell you about my experience with the coach with a ferocious stare (I loved those stares btw...you knew she was not happy), and why I have a profoundly deep admiration for one of the few people outside of my family, who I would consider one of my heroes.
Having grandparents who lived in East TN and watching them root for the Vols, it was easy to love Pat Summit; after all, she was the leader of our team. Vol nation, myself included, proudly donned orange and watched as our women often out-shown our men on a national stage. And, standing on the sidelines was the winningest coach in basketball history...EVER. She was a huge success and a basketball icon. So, being a fan of the Lady Vols, and having watched them just win one of their many National Championships, I sat down, as a young boy, to write the coach a letter.
I didn't know what to expect or what to say to someone like Coach Summit. After all, how many famous people actually return a letter from a random fan. Well, I diligently wrote my letter to Coach Summit and told her that I loved the Lady Vols and Congratulations for her success. I also asked if she would write me back and send an autograph. I didn't hold my breath as knew Pat was a very busy woman. A few weeks later, I got a letter in the mail in an envelope with the Lady Vols logo on it. I got excited; I knew it had to be from Coach Summit.
I opened the letter, read some of it (I have forgotten what it said) but remember, to this day, that Coach Summit signed that card in her own hand...and, more impressively, in ORANGE ink! I was blown away by her kindness and response. And that is small part of the reason that I admire Pat Summit.
So, the long and the short of it is this...I truly admire Pat Summit. Suffice it to say, I will miss seeing her on the sidelines for future Lady Vols games. And, one last personal message to Coach Summit:
Thank you for the memories, Coach. You are an amazing person and an equally amazing Coach. Thank you for all you have done for the University of Tennessee, and a heartfelt thank you, for the letter you sent back to me many years ago.
But, let me tell you about my experience with the coach with a ferocious stare (I loved those stares btw...you knew she was not happy), and why I have a profoundly deep admiration for one of the few people outside of my family, who I would consider one of my heroes.
Having grandparents who lived in East TN and watching them root for the Vols, it was easy to love Pat Summit; after all, she was the leader of our team. Vol nation, myself included, proudly donned orange and watched as our women often out-shown our men on a national stage. And, standing on the sidelines was the winningest coach in basketball history...EVER. She was a huge success and a basketball icon. So, being a fan of the Lady Vols, and having watched them just win one of their many National Championships, I sat down, as a young boy, to write the coach a letter.
I didn't know what to expect or what to say to someone like Coach Summit. After all, how many famous people actually return a letter from a random fan. Well, I diligently wrote my letter to Coach Summit and told her that I loved the Lady Vols and Congratulations for her success. I also asked if she would write me back and send an autograph. I didn't hold my breath as knew Pat was a very busy woman. A few weeks later, I got a letter in the mail in an envelope with the Lady Vols logo on it. I got excited; I knew it had to be from Coach Summit.
I opened the letter, read some of it (I have forgotten what it said) but remember, to this day, that Coach Summit signed that card in her own hand...and, more impressively, in ORANGE ink! I was blown away by her kindness and response. And that is small part of the reason that I admire Pat Summit.
So, the long and the short of it is this...I truly admire Pat Summit. Suffice it to say, I will miss seeing her on the sidelines for future Lady Vols games. And, one last personal message to Coach Summit:
Thank you for the memories, Coach. You are an amazing person and an equally amazing Coach. Thank you for all you have done for the University of Tennessee, and a heartfelt thank you, for the letter you sent back to me many years ago.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Why I will NEVER vote for Ron Paul
Many Ron Paul supporters ask why I don't like Ron Paul. It isn't that I don't like Congressman Paul; to the contrary, I loathe the man. I know, I know...his cult like supporters will scream "neocon, liberty, militarism, Constitution" and end again by calling me a Neo-con for writing this article. But in the words of Herman Cain's father, "I does not care".
There are MANY, MANY reasons NOT to support Ron Paul and I don't have enough time to write them all here. Besides, it would do me no good as his followers will circle the wagons, talk in circles, change topic and call names...all while attempting to prove Ron Pauls positions by using Youtube links. Never mind the fact that they completely ignore the facts about Ron Paul.
But again, this is a different blog for a different day. I will give you my MAIN reason for NOT supporting Ron Paul. Here goes:
Quite simply, I believe that America is an EXCEPTIONAL nation...that Americans are EXCEPTIONAL people. A Ron Paul supporter told me that this is an extremely elitist belief to hold, and, that America and Americans are no better than anyone else. Therein lies the KEY difference between myself and Ron Paul and his supporters. America IS, without question, EXCEPTIONAL in every way. I will NEVER apologize for this belief. Funny, for a man who clings to the "I was one of the first Reagan supporters", you would think that Ron Paul would hold this belief about America as a "Shining city upon a hill". Yet, he does not.
In Congressman Paul's warped logic, the US is the root cause of the problems in the world. American policies, in his opinion, aren't designed to spread freedom, but rather, are aimed at militarism, occupation and conquest. For all of the Republicans who despise Romney, Gingrich et al, at least they have all admitted that America is exceptional. That core belief is the one that I hold most sacred. We already have a President who apologizes for America; we don't need some Libertarian Congressman from Texas to do the same thing.
So, I ask this to all Ron Paul supporters (and please don't give me the canned, typical talking points that you always do. Please be honest for once): when was the last time that Ron Paul said something GOOD about the United States? When was the last time that Ron Paul said he believes America is an exceptional nation? Don't try to hard, Paulies, you won't easily find the answer.
So in short, I believe that America still is that "Shining City"; and amazing nation where people can achieve their dreams (and, consequently, where a "Republican" Congressman from Texas can be a major player in politics). Ron Paul does not share this core value. Any candidate who isn't proud of America has no business being the Republican nominee; this is, after all, why we have Democrats. Dr. Paul, America is the greatest nation in the history of mankind. We have freed millions of people with our "militarism". We have defeated some of the most powerful empires ever created. We are a generous nation filled with people who give of their money and lives to benefit those who do not have our way of life. We are the ONLY nation in the world where people DIE trying to get in...just for a taste of the American Dream.
This, Mr. Paul, is MY America. This is why I will NEVER vote for you.
There are MANY, MANY reasons NOT to support Ron Paul and I don't have enough time to write them all here. Besides, it would do me no good as his followers will circle the wagons, talk in circles, change topic and call names...all while attempting to prove Ron Pauls positions by using Youtube links. Never mind the fact that they completely ignore the facts about Ron Paul.
But again, this is a different blog for a different day. I will give you my MAIN reason for NOT supporting Ron Paul. Here goes:
Quite simply, I believe that America is an EXCEPTIONAL nation...that Americans are EXCEPTIONAL people. A Ron Paul supporter told me that this is an extremely elitist belief to hold, and, that America and Americans are no better than anyone else. Therein lies the KEY difference between myself and Ron Paul and his supporters. America IS, without question, EXCEPTIONAL in every way. I will NEVER apologize for this belief. Funny, for a man who clings to the "I was one of the first Reagan supporters", you would think that Ron Paul would hold this belief about America as a "Shining city upon a hill". Yet, he does not.
In Congressman Paul's warped logic, the US is the root cause of the problems in the world. American policies, in his opinion, aren't designed to spread freedom, but rather, are aimed at militarism, occupation and conquest. For all of the Republicans who despise Romney, Gingrich et al, at least they have all admitted that America is exceptional. That core belief is the one that I hold most sacred. We already have a President who apologizes for America; we don't need some Libertarian Congressman from Texas to do the same thing.
So, I ask this to all Ron Paul supporters (and please don't give me the canned, typical talking points that you always do. Please be honest for once): when was the last time that Ron Paul said something GOOD about the United States? When was the last time that Ron Paul said he believes America is an exceptional nation? Don't try to hard, Paulies, you won't easily find the answer.
So in short, I believe that America still is that "Shining City"; and amazing nation where people can achieve their dreams (and, consequently, where a "Republican" Congressman from Texas can be a major player in politics). Ron Paul does not share this core value. Any candidate who isn't proud of America has no business being the Republican nominee; this is, after all, why we have Democrats. Dr. Paul, America is the greatest nation in the history of mankind. We have freed millions of people with our "militarism". We have defeated some of the most powerful empires ever created. We are a generous nation filled with people who give of their money and lives to benefit those who do not have our way of life. We are the ONLY nation in the world where people DIE trying to get in...just for a taste of the American Dream.
This, Mr. Paul, is MY America. This is why I will NEVER vote for you.
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