Auld Lang Syne

Long, long ago...in an election far, far away...Yet, it seems like yesterday.

Speaking of yesterday...I was looking at some pictures of when my daughter and I went to see Sarah Palin in St. Clairsville, Ohio.

It was a perfect day. Nice and warm...sunshine and blue sky. It was a great Daddy/daughter roadtrip too. It ranked up there with when she and I went to see Neil Diamond in August. :-)

Well, that was the first time that I had seen Sarah Palin in person, and it was a great experience to share with my daughter. I was proud for her to see a woman in a position of authority that had a message of integrity.

As I watched some of the newscasts last night, reviewing the year of 2008, I was surprised to hear numerous references to Sarah Palin. Of course, many of them were done in the spirit of a reference to a worn-out fad. I know that 2012 is a whole administration away, but I hope that Palin Power is more than a passing fad...a trivial reference in the footnote of the political landscape of American history.

I know that I'll keep a light in the window.

Happy New Year!

Sweet Caroline

It's a shame...I love the song "Sweet Caroline" by one of my favorite artists, Neil Diamond. It's a shame because I would really hate to see the inspiration for that song get Hillary's Senate seat.

I really don't have any major "beef" with Caroline Kennedy. As the only remaining child of JFK, I respect her. However, I think my main "beef" with the whole issue echoes back to the subject of experience and Palin. It echoes back to the blatant prejudice of the media's treatment that was dealt out toward Sarah Palin a few months ago and now how that good old double standard is, again, so clearly evident. Sure, it was brought up, but then it was promptly tucked to bed and sung a lullaby...nighty, night...shhh!

And now, I hear how sweet Caroline won't disclose even the most basic of background information.

What is behind door number 1?

Hmmm...it kind of reminds me of Obama's birth certificate controversy. Come on...just present it, in person, before a cross-section of the media. No scans, no verbal confirmations...just cold, hard, visual evidence that is incontrovertible. And just today Justice Kennedy (just irony...no relation to the Kennedy mentioned above) rejected two more efforts to look into Obama's legality to be President.

What is behind door number 2?

Kind of reminds me of Obama's remarks earlier this month regarding Blagojevich..."I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so we were not — I was not aware of what was happening". And surely, any records that will be released on this issue will surely prove that. That will be another sweet bedtime story to enter into the Obama canon.

What is behind door number 3?

Sometimes, when I try to follow it all...all the confusion...the swill of news that always seems to surround Obama and this world of change he is ushering in...I think of the opening words to "Sweet Caroline"...

"Where it began, I can't begin to know when"

I just hope that we who are conservative in politics can eventually figure it out. I hope that when the fog of all the shotgun blasts of newsbits of the "new revolution" dissipates we will figure it out and then, as The Who once shouted out, we'll get on our "knees and pray, we don't get fooled again".

There's a new sheriff in town...

Hold on to you horses cowboys and cowgirls because there's a new sheriff in town...

You know, you'd think that Obama had carried 90% of America in the last election. However, that just isn't the case. Yes, of course, he carried the majority. 53%. Almost 9 million more in the popular vote than McCain got. Yes, Obama was clearly the winner. But, he is not the winner take all candidate.

I just read how Republican consultant...what, is that like a conservative community organizer?...Steve Lombardo said, "Given the demographic trends in the country, the GOP is unlikely to win any future presidential elections if it is losing 95 percent of the black vote and 67 percent of the Hispanic vote."

What is that all about...so, does this mean that conservatives can't recuit a black or Hispanic person to represent them in future elections? What about Michael Steele, a strong possibility for the RNC chair?

The Democrats did get a pretty good sweep of positions this time around, but it is not like the compass has been set to send the GOP out to sea. I know that I'm still excited about that "Girl From the North Country"! Palin Power!

Yep! Even after the loss in the elections on November 4th, according to Rasmussen Reports, 91% of Republicans have a "favorable view of Palin" and 64% name Palin as their top choice for the party's 2012 presidential nominee.

I'll see your 53% and raise you!

Negative campaign ads

I heard an interesting comment on negative campaign ads that made me think of them in a different light.

Now, let me preface this with a comment about how peeved I was this last election cycle with the whole thing about Obama's lies about using public funding. To me, he didn't win the White House, he bought it. It just sickens me that this aspect of his character (that of him being a blatant liar) was not a focal point of mainstream media press coverage and that instead they went with junk about Palin that ended up being lies...of course, they "retracted" those lies after the election...

Reports were swirling about anonymous campaign aides' claims that during debate preparations, Palin didn't know Africa was a continent, or which countries comprised NAFTA. Palin lashed out against the media for reporting the story:

"Those guys are jerks, if they came away with it taking things out of context and then tried to spread something on national news. It is not fair and not right."

Turns out, Palin is right on that score. As the New York Times reports, the whole story was part of an elaborate hoax, and the networks that reported the misinformation have retracted it. (11/13/08)

ANYWAY...about negative campaign ads...

While I really am not a big fan of those kind of ads, what I heard on a show last night made me think of them a little differently. It was explained with the following example...or something like this...

Scenario #1. Consider you get two flyers in the mail. Each flyer advertises a different restaurant. Both flyers present their respective restaurant in a good light. What would you do? Well, you'd probably pick one and say, 'we'll try this one this week and this other one next week'.

Scenario #2. Consider you get two flyers in the mail. Each flyer adverstises a different restaurant. The first flyer presents its restaurant in in a good light. The second flyer also presents its restaurant in a good light, but it also states that the other restaurant had been investigated for health violations recently. Now, what would you do? Well, you'd more than likely only go to the restaurant that didn't have any negative material associate with it.

These scenarios show how negative ads are more than just annoying, they are effective. And since they are effective, they will continue to be a viable aspect of campaigns. Like it or not. OK. So, there you have it. Of course, I'm of the opinion that while negative campaign ads may be effective, and will continue to be used, they do not have to be viscious.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to post this...

My "prediction"

Shortly after the election results were in, I had mentioned to somebody a "prediction" that I had.

The more I watched Obama, and noticed the kind of people that were lurking in the shadows behind the scenes, I thought...I wonder if this guy, with all his eloquence and stoic behavior, is just a mouthpiece? Just a figurehead? Just a means to and end?

Then I started wondering...

I thought of Joe Biden and his failed in his attempt to grab the top spot, and how the "obvious" pick of Obama's VP of Hillary was switched out for...Biden. Somehow he got picked for the Veep. I thought it odd because of his apparent opposition to Obama.

Then I remembered, during the debate with Palin, that Biden stated that "Barack Obama indicated to me he wanted me with him to help him govern. So every major decision he'll be making, I'll be sitting in the room to give my best advice".

I really thought that was a rather eerie, and telling, statement for Biden to make...especially since Biden was the one who had said, concerning Obama, that "The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training".

So...I began thinking...with all these thoughts and situations swirling around...what if Obama is somehow either impeached because campaign finance crimes emerge or his liasons are proven to be more than he let on and there is an outcry against it...or his birth certificate fiasco is finally solved and it is proven that he does not legally have the ability to be the President...regardless, he is somehow not able to fulfil his duty as the president.

Well, Biden is moved up to the top dog spot...and while I know that the Speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate are next in line of succession, the Secretary of State is close by, standing in line to the White House. And I thought...before news of Clinton being considered for the post...what if it was Hillary as Secretary of State? And now, lo and behold, she is a serious candidate for Secretary of State? So, it could work out that she'd be closer to the White House than ever...with no Obama to play second fiddle to...and perhaps that is why she wasn't selected as Obama's VP selection to begin with? And what if things were put back to the way they were before 1947? Hillary as the Secretary of State would become the VP.

Oh, I know...conspiracy theory. Probably nothing more than silly notions. But, who knows?

I tell you what though...those comments of Biden really turned around in my head after the debate and again, after the election results were in...and now with Hillary being considered for Secretary of State...it just seemed odd.

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!"

Obama's Infomercial...A Face in the Crowd

Obama's Infomercial Revisited: It was touching. But, then again, when are stories about hard-working families that struggle to survive not inspiring and when do they not bring a sense of pride and loyalty to the American Dream? Our country was founded on blood, sweat, and tears. Our country has foundations in the striving for a better way that is sometimes not achievable in the lifetime of those striving after it. However, the American Way is to dream. The American Way is to hope. The American Way is to not give up.

Obama did a fine job that night on his infomercial, or I should say that those that put the program together did a fine job. It did not present the standard rhetoric and the left-leaning philosophy of Obama. For all intents and purposes, it looked and sounded very much like a conservative-leaning platform. As I finished watching it, I realized that was what it was supposed to present; the illusion of an everyman Obama, a middle-of-the-road Obama...kudos to them. Mission accomplished.

However, I couldn't help but imagine the subtext of the show going something like this: "Hello, I'm not the President, but I play one on TV".

If you have never seen it...watch the movie, "A Face in the Crowd". It will give a whole new perspective on what just happened this Fall.

Sarah Palin is right

I watched Sarah Palin on the night of her speech at the RNC. I was inspired. Never before had I been inspired like I was that night. Not only the words of her speech, but her demeanor and delivery. I was never more impressed of a political candidate like I was that night with Sarah Palin.

I also had never made an effort to go to any political rally before, but I made two treks out to see Palin speak. Both times were well worth it. I read, watched, and listened to all I could about her, and I observed the media treatment of her for the couple months that she was in the spotlight. I can truly say that I was never more appalled than I was while watching the media's slanted attacks against her. Even stories that may have had some credible validity to them were tarnished by their blatant bias against her.

I'm almost thankful that she is back in Alaska now. I applaud her for calling out her accusers. I also eagerly wait to see how she develops her political career after the last few months. I pray that she will return again to the national platform, and that she will have the support of all conservatives, and that it will be a return to the true foundation of the conservative movement.