Communication Is The Key

On Tuesday night, history was made as President Barack Obama addressed the joint houses of Congress for the first time. I, however, didn’t watch the President’s speech at all. People tend to not enjoy my company whenever Obama speaks, because I always seem to feel an inexplicable urge to respond to every statement that he makes.

Truthfully, I was much more interested in watching Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana deliver the Republican response to President Obama. Gov. Jindal is an amazing conservative who has completely turned around the state of Louisiana. Considering that many consider Gov. Jindal to be a “rising star’ in the GOP, I was very interested to see how he would fare in his first prime time speech.

I was pretty disappointed. Although the substance in his speech was good, Gov. Jindal appeared to be uncomfortable reading from a teleprompter. I also think that his delivery didn’t encourage anyone to actually take seriously what he was saying. In short, he came across as too nice. In Gov. Jindal’s case, for him to be taken seriously as a speaker, he needs to come across as more determined and aggressive than he was on Tuesday night.

The most influential figures in politics are always able to communicate a message effectively. Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and now Barack Obama have all proven this. For Republicans to take back the White House in 2012, we need someone who is capable of communicating the conservative message strongly and effectively. In my view, the only person who can currently do that is Mike Huckabee.

It is way too early to endorse a candidate for 2012, however, if all the “potential” Republican candidates were to announce today, I would have to again endorse Mike Huckabee. I’m not writing off anyone, but if Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin intend to elevate their political careers any further, they need to specialize their messages, so that voters in primary states will take them seriously. I think that Govs. Jindal and palin are both great public servants, but if they are the best and brightest that we can offer, then they better improve on their communication skills.

Socialist Stimulus

It is getting easier and easier for me to believe that the United States is on the path to being a socialist state. Earlier this week, the Senate passed the Obama Administration’s trillion dollar so called “stimulus” package with a vote of 61 to 37. In all seriousness, I can’t see how any serious person could believe that this bill does anything to stimulate the economy. In fact, its primary purpose seems to be to drastically increase government spending thus adding to our already colossal national debt.

Taking a look at the Senate’s bill, it specifically seeks to increase the size of Medicaid, (which is broken, and needs to be scraped) and it intentionally pours money into failing bureaucratic schools in urban areas. As with most things, Democrats seem to think that they can fix our economy and education system by simply throwing money at them.

Particularly frustrating to me is the incredible amount of pork spending in this bill. Among other things, the Senate’s final bill featured:

- $300 million for new cars for government bureaucrats;

- $4.8 million for a polar bear exhibit in Rhode Island;

- $3 million in tax benefits for golf carts, motorcycles and ATVS;

- $150 million for honeybee insurance;

- $1.5 million for a water park ride in Miami, Florida;

- $400 million to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

Really? I thought that the intention was to create jobs for the American people, how naive of me.

The bad logic that exudes from the existence of this bill is astounding. Last spring the Bush Administration issued a 180 billion dollar stimulus plan that didn’t work. Last summer, taxpayers were also forced into paying 345 billion dollars to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the housing market is still in shambles. And surely everyone remembers the 700 billion dollar Wall Street bailout from the fall. Not only does the bailout not appear to be working, but over 350 billion dollars from the “rescue” plan hasn’t even been spent yet.

To be clear, this new stimulus package is a travesty, and a product of extremely bad logic.

Even more troubling is the elements of socialism that have been displayed in the manner in which the Obama Administration and Senate democrats have promoted this bill. Their language is clearly intended to stir emotions of panic. Last week, President Obama announced that “A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe.” Congressman David Robey of Wisconsin announced that “This economy is in mortal danger of absolute collapse.”, and Sen. Claire McKaskill of Missouri declared that “If we don’t pass this thing, it’s Armageddon.”

If there is one thing that I hate in this world, it is fear, and those who spread it. What national emergency will President Obama come up with next in order to promote his liberal agenda?

This isn’t change. This is a bureaucratic nightmare in which the leadership in Washington is offering no way out.

A New New Deal?

Recently, Liberal politicians in Washington have been using two streams of thought to justify their legislative priorities.  One, that we as a nation are in the midst of a depression, and two, that we need a government driven solution, (a’ la a new New Deal) to stimulate our economy out of this depression.

 

As a conservative, I reject these notions.  I will admit that our economy has seen better days, however, I think that it is important to remember what President Reagan often told us; that America’s best days aren’t behind us, but ahead of us.  Liberalism’s success feeds on the fear and depression of the American public.  I am not willing to contribute to their successes.

 

Secondly, I am fervently against the 885 billion “economic stimulus” bill that is being forced into action by the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats.  The key to any government driven “stimulus” package is federally employed public works programs.  It may sound good when they say that we will save our economy by building roads, bridges, and schools..  However, don’t be mislead.

The problem with public works programs are that they don’t last.  It is all good and dandy to provide workers with temporary jobs, but what happens when the projects are finished?  Will we be in the same mess then that we are in now?  The sad answer is yes.  Our congressional leadership would do well to consider this before they fashion any sort of stimulus bill.

The bottom line is that we don’t need more government to solve our problems for us, we need less government.  For an administration that is supposed to represent something new and fresh, this so called “new New Deal” looks awfully familiar.  Do we really expect these 20th century ideas to help us with our 21st century problems?  I sure don’t.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The Republican Party obviously really lost on every level on Tuesday. However, In the midst of all the political pity that I’ve been feeling, I think it’s important to get beyond the inevitable political demoralization that conservatives are feeling, and start looking at the real consequences of this election, and where we are to go from here as conservatives.

Of all the places to find it, my first post election inspiration came from Ralph Nader. At the National Press Club on Wednesday, Mr. “Full-Time Citizen” rightfully pointed out that no political party is the real loser in this election. The real losers, according to Mr. Nader, are the American people. (He then proceeded to ruin this profound moment by spewing his usual socialist, anti- capitalism jargon, but that’s besides the point.)

Mr. Nader’s words, when applied to a conservative ideology, are very true. Republicans have lost nothing compared to what the American people have lost. In the next 2-4 years, the American people will feel the burden of electing someone with an extremely liberal ideology to the highest office in the land. Steven M. Nielson at The New Conservative had a great post about what to expect in the new socialist administration.

Mr. Nader, (Who actually managed to say two profound things in one day.), also pointed out that there are two kinds of people who react to failed elections. Firstly, there are those who react to political failure with a recessive trait. These people allow themselves to be demoralized by failure, which leads to a compromise in principle, which in turn will ensure continued failure. Secondly, there are those who react to political failure with a civic trait. These people realize that their failings had nothing to do with their message, but rather in the way that their message was delivered.

In order to rebuild the Republican Party, we must return to the principles that we improved America with in the 1980’s and in 1994. The media seems to think that the only effective way for Republicans to regain power is to shift farther to the left ideologically. This is completely wrong. As Barry Goldwater pointed out, conservatives faced the same problem in 1960.

“We are daily cosigned by “enlightened” commentators to political oblivion: Conservatism, we are told, is out of date. The charge is preposterous and we ought boldly to say so. The laws of God, and of nature, have no dateline. The principles on which the Conservative political position is based have been established by a process that has nothing to do with social, economic, and political landscape that changes from decade to decade and from century to century. These principles are derived from the nature of man, and from the truths that God has revealed about His creation. Circumstances do change. So do the problems that are shaped by circumstances. But the principles that govern the solution of the problems do not. To suggest that the Conservative philosophy is out of date is akin to saying that the Golden Rule, or the Ten Commandments or Aristotle’s Politics are out of date. The Conservative approach is nothing more or less than an attempt to apply the wisdom and experience and the revealed truths of the past to the problems of today. The challenge is not to find new or different truths, but to learn how to apply established truths to the problems of the contemporary world.”

We ought to realize that the American people are attracted to authenticity, that’s why Reagan was the only successful Republican president in the last 50 years.  Reagan didn’t feel the need to shift to the left, and we shouldn’t either.  In the words of Mike Huckabee, “We will never compromise our principles for anyone else’s politics.” Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

My Final Case For John McCain

In the next few hours, I will be one of the millions of voters who will cast their vote for Senator John McCain as the next President of the United States. I am glad to say that I am doing this in accordance with my own convictions, and with an unwavering belief that my decision is the best decision for the future of this country.

John McCain is the kind of man that we need to lead us to meet the challenges that this nation will face in the next four years. In these dangerous times, our nation can not afford to experiment an unproven leader, and we can’t afford to test leftist ideologies in the daily governance of this nation. Unlike Barack Obama, Sen. McCain is not lacking in the qualities of a good leader. Simply put, Sen. McCain has the character, judgment, and passion that will be required of our next president.

Senator McCain’s character has been evident in his extensive service of the country that he loves. From enduring the torture of a North Vietnamese prison, to his fight to restore the publics trust in their elected officials, John McCain’s service has been rooted in his love of this country, and of the noble ideals which it so proudly represents. I believe that John McCain will restore the respect that has been lacking in the office of the presidency for the past 20 years. In John McCain, we will not only have a leader that we can believe in, but we will have a leader that has earned our respect.

John McCain has also displayed the judgment that is necessary of a President of the United States. In matters concerning foreign policy, Sen. McCain has shown the wisdom that is required of the next commander in chief. In 1983, then Congressman McCain was one of the few elected officials who had the foresight to see that sending American troops into Lebanon would bring disastrous results. Also, Sen. McCain was the only senator to denounce our failed strategy in Iraq early on, and he was the first elected official to advocate the strategy that is currently bringing about victory in Iraq.

Unlike Senator Obama, John McCain has shown an ability and willingness to put aside divisive partisanship in order to get things done for this country. In several instances that have alienated him from his own party, Sen. McCain has shown an ability to follow through with what he believes is right.

I also believe that John McCain will bring change to Washington. Senator McCain shares the hight standards that Americans have for their elected officials. Sen. McCain is obsessed with rooting out corruption and restoring the publics trust in their government.

Hopefully, you understand why I am voting for Senator John McCain as the 44th President Of The United States. To anyone who might be reading this today, on November 4th, I urge you strongly to get out and vote for Senator John McCain.

Obama Nation

John McCain’s chances of being the 44th President Of The United States are looking dimmer and dimmer. As of today, October 28th, Barack Obama leads Sen. McCain in all nine of the major national tracking polls, of which the slimmest lead is projecting Sen. Obama ahead by four points. Additionally, most pollsters project Sen. Obama’s electorate count to be somewhere in the mid 300’s, while Sen. McCain is dwindling in the high to mid 100’s.

I don’t think that John McCain’s campaign can be blamed for losing this election. Granted, they haven’t been perfect, but they haven’t screwed up nearly as bad as they could have.

Republicans, (especially conservatives) always knew that 2008 wouldn’t be easy. Conservatism’s main vehicle has been without a steering wheel for the past eight years. Conservatives have elected an administration that is more concerned about governing by power than by principle, and we are now looking at the possibility of paying dearly for our mistakes by electing an extremely liberal president.

The way things are going, it looks like we will not only have a liberal president, but a liberal congress as well.  If Republicans fail to defend their senate seats in New Mexico, Virginia, New Hampshire, Alaska, or Mississippi, we could be looking at a Democratic filibuster-proof majority.  We are essentially looking at a Pelosi, Reid, Obama triumvate for at least the next two years.

Unfortunately, this is our legacy to inherit.  This is our consequence for electing George W. Bush.

The Final Debate

I think that everyone can agree that last night’s final presidential debate was the most entertaining general election debate that we’ve seen in years. As I’ve said before, however, most people have already made up their mind about who to vote for, and naturally their preconceived notions will determine their opinion as to who actually won the debate. Most Republicans will say that John McCain beat Barack Obama to a pulp, while most Democrats will say that John McCain was desperately attacking Obama, and that Obama withstood it.

Being a Republican, I am obviously one of those people who think that McCain clearly won. I honestly wish that Sen. McCain went into the first debate with the same mindset that he had last night. If he had, then Republicans would have a clear lead in the polls right now.

I thought that Sen. McCain ’s most effective line was when he said, “Sen. Obama, I’m not President Bush, if you want to run against President Bush, than you should have ran four years ago.”

In my opinion, Sen. McCain touched on everything that is wrong with the prospect of an Obama presidency. McCain got the final word in this last debate, time will only tell if it will matter.