I BELIEVE

A PERSPECTIVE OF AMERICA'S FUTURE

Here is an excellent article by an Associate Professor at Notre Dame who spells out her view of our nation’s future after the last election. I think she nails it. It is not a pretty picture for our next generation, unless we can change the direction.

 It is a long read but please take the time to absorb her appraisal.

A perspective from an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame, Laura Hollis.  She was previously a Director at Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and an Associate Director and Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School with an undergraduate degree from Notre Dame.

I am already reading so many pundits and other talking heads analyzing the disaster that was this year's elections. I am adding my own ten cents. Here goes:    

1. We are outnumbered. We accurately foresaw the enthusiasm, the passion, the commitment, the determination, and the turnout. Married women, men, independents, Catholics, evangelicals - they all went for Romney in percentages as high or higher than the groups which voted for McCain in 2008. It wasn't enough. What we saw in the election on Tuesday was a tipping point: we are now at a place where there are legitimately fewer Americans who desire a free republic with a free people than there are those who think the government should give them stuff. There are fewer of us who believe in the value of free exchange and free enterprise. There are fewer of us who do not wish to demonize successful people in order to justify taking from them. We are outnumbered. For the moment. It's just that simple.    

2. It wasn't the candidate(s). Some are already saying, "Romney was the wrong guy"; "He should have picked Marco Rubio to get Florida/Rob Portman to get Ohio/Chris Christie to get [someplace else]." With all due respect, these assessments are incorrect. Romney ran a strategic and well-organized campaign. Yes, he could have hit harder on Benghazi. But for those who would have loved that, there are those who would have found it distasteful. No matter what tactic you could point to that Romney could have done better, it would have been spun in a way that was detrimental to his chances. Romney would have been an excellent president, and Ryan was an inspired choice. No matter who we ran this year, they would have lost. See #1, above.    

3. It's the culture, stupid. We have been trying to fight this battle every four years at the voting booth. It is long past time we admit that that is not where the battle really is. We abdicated control of the culture - starting back in the 1960s. And now our largest primary social institutions - education, the media, Hollywood (entertainment) have become really nothing more than an assembly line for cranking out reliable little Leftists. Furthermore, we have allowed the government to undermine the institutions that instill good character - marriage, the family, communities, schools, our churches. So, here we are, at least two full generations later - we are reaping what we have sown. It took nearly fifty years to get here; it will take another fifty years to get back. But it starts with the determination to reclaim education, the media, and the entertainment business. If we fail to do that, we can kiss every election goodbye from here on out. And much more.    

4. America has become a nation of adolescents.  The real loser in this election was adulthood: Maturity. Responsibility. The understanding that liberty must be accompanied by self-restraint. Obama is a spoiled child, and the behavior and language of his followers and their advertisements throughout the campaign makes it clear how many of them are, as well. Romney is a grown-up. Romney should have won. Those of us who expected him to win assumed that voters would act like grownups. Because if we were a nation of grownups, he would have won.    

But what did win? Sex. Drugs. Bad language. Bad manners. Vulgarity. Lies. Cheating. Name-calling. Finger-pointing. Blaming. And irresponsible spending.     This does not bode well. People grow up one of two ways: either they choose to, or circumstances force them to. The warnings are all there, whether it is the looming economic disaster, or the inability of the government to respond to crises like Hurricane Sandy, or the growing strength and brazenness of our enemies. American voters stick their fingers in their ears and say, "Lalalalalala, I can't hear you."     It is unpleasant to think about the circumstances it will take to force Americans to grow up. It is even more unpleasant to think about Obama at the helm when those circumstances arrive.    

5. Yes, there is apparently a Vagina Vote.  It's the subject matter of another column in its entirety to point out, one by one, all of the inconsistencies and hypocrisies of the Democrats this year. Suffice it to say that the only "war on women" was the one waged by the Obama campaign, which sexualized and objectified women, featuring them dressed up like vulvas at the Democrat National Convention, appealing to their "lady parts," comparing voting to losing your virginity with Obama, trumpeting the thrills of destroying our children in the womb (and using our daughters in commercials to do so), and making Catholics pay for their birth control. For a significant number of women, this was appealing. It might call into question the wisdom of the Nineteenth Amendment, but for the fact that large numbers of women (largely married) used their "lady smarts" instead. Either way, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are rolling over in their graves.    

6. It's not about giving up on "social issues".   No Republican candidate should participate in a debate or go out on the stump without thorough debate prep and a complete set of talking points that they stick to. This should start with a good grounding in biology and a reluctance to purport to know the will of God. (Thank you, Todd and Richard.)    

That said, we do not hold the values we do because they garner votes. We hold the values we do because we believe that they are time-tested principles without which a civilized, free and prosperous society is not possible.   We defend the unborn because we understand that a society which views some lives as expendable is capable of viewing all lives as expendable.     We defend family - mothers, fathers, marriage, children - because history makes it quite clear that societies without intact families quickly descend into anarchy and barbarism, and we have plenty of proof of that in our inner cities where marriage is infrequent and unwed motherhood approaches 80 percent. When Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, many thought that the abortion cause was lost. Forty years later, ultrasound technology has demonstrated the inevitable connection between science and morality. More Americans than ever define themselves as "pro-life." What is tragic is that tens of millions of children have lost their lives while Americans figure out what should have been obvious before.     There is no "giving up" on social issues. There is only the realization that we have to fight the battle on other fronts. The truth will out in the end.    

7. Obama does not have a mandate. And he does not need one. I have to laugh - bitterly - when I read conservative pundits trying to assure us that Obama "has to know" that he does not have a mandate, and so he will have to govern from the middle. I don't know what they're smoking. Obama does not care that he does not have a mandate. He does not view himself as being elected (much less re-elected) to represent individuals. He views himself as having been re-elected to complete the "fundamental transformation" of America, the basic structure of which he despises. Expect much more of the same - largely the complete disregard of the will of half the American public, his willingness to rule by executive order, and the utter inability of another divided Congress to rein him in. Stanley Kurtz has it all laid out here <http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/332840/get-ready-obama-s-first-term-stanley-kurtz>; .    

8. The Corrupt Media is the enemy.  Too strong? I don't think so. I have been watching the media try to throw elections since at least the early 1990s. In 2008 and again this year, we saw the media cravenly cover up for the incompetence and deceit of this President, while demonizing a good, honorable and decent man with lies and smears. This is on top of the daily barrage of insults that conservatives (and by that I mean the electorate, not the politicians) must endure at the hands of this arrogant bunch of elitist snobs. Bias is one thing. What we observed with Benghazi was professional malpractice and fraud. They need to go.     Republicans, Libertarians and other conservatives need to be prepared to play hardball with the Pravda press from here on out. And while we are at it, to defend those journalists of whatever political stripe (Jake Tapper, Sharyl Atkisson, Eli Lake) who actually do their jobs. As well as Fox News and talk radio. Because you can fully expect a re-elected Obama to try to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine in term 2.    

9. Small business and entrepreneurs will be hurt the worst     For all the blather about "Wall Street versus Main Street," Obama's statist agenda will unquestionably benefit the biggest corporations which - as with the public sector unions - are in the best position to make campaign donations, hire lobbyists, and get special exemptions carved out from Obama's health care laws, his environmental regulations, his labor laws. It will be the small business, the entrepreneur, and the first-time innovators who will be crushed by their inability to compete on a level playing field.    

10. America is more polarized than ever; and this time it's personal     I've been following politics for a long time, and it feels different this time. Not just for me. I've received messages from other conservatives who are saying the same thing: there is little to no tolerance left out there for those who are bringing this country to its knees - even when they have been our friends. It isn't just about "my guy" versus "your guy." It is my view of America versus your view of America - a crippled, hemorrhaging, debt-laden, weakened and dependent America that I want no part of and resent being foisted on me. I no longer have any patience for stupidity, blindness, or vulgarity, so with each dumb "tweet" or FB post by one of my happily lefty comrades, another one bites the dust, for me. Delete.     What does this portend for a divided Congress? I expect that Republicans will be demoralized and chastened for a short time. But I see them in a bad position. Americans in general want Congress to work together. But many do not want Obama's policies, and so Republicans who support them will be toast. Good luck, guys.    

11. It's possible that America just has to hit rock bottom     I truly believe that most Americans who voted for Obama have no idea what they are in for. Most simply believe him when he says that all he really wants is for the rich to pay "a little bit more." So reasonable! Who could argue with that except a greedy racist?    

America is on a horrific bender. Has been for some time now. The warning signs of our fiscal profligacy and culture of lack of personal responsibility are everywhere - too many to mention. We need only look at other countries which have gone the route we are walking now to see what is in store.        

For the past four years - but certainly within the past campaign season - we have tried to warn Americans. Too many refuse to listen, even when all of the events that have transpired during Obama's presidency - unemployment, economic stagnation, skyrocketing prices, the depression of the dollar, the collapse of foreign policy, Benghazi, hopelessly inept responses to natural disasters - can be tied directly to Obama's statist philosophies, and his decisions.        

What that means, I fear, is that they will not see what is coming until the whole thing collapses. That is what makes me so sad today. I see the country I love headed toward its own "rock bottom," and I cannot seem to reach those who are taking it there.        

SOLUTION

Solution:
November 28th – Blogger writes the “evil” rich can pay for O’s annual 3.7T in spending. O just needs to confiscate the net worth of all billionaires ($1.3T), all income above $250,000 ($1.4T) & all 2010 Fortune 500 profits ($391B). O gets his remaining $600B by: 1) Taking the net worth of the next 100 near billionaires 2) Collecting an amount equal to the total ad expenditure of the 45 Super Bowls, all pro sports salaries & all “Star Wars” revenue (merchandise included) since 1977 3) Eliminating all funding for Afghanistan, Iraq and foreign aid & 4) Seizing and selling the 15,000 homes in Beverly Hills. Still $12.5B short. No biggie, every remaining man, woman & child kicks in 40 bucks. Done! Admittedly, with the rich now totally gutted, next year will be a bit tougher. May all Obots get calculators for Christmas!
~Thank you Iowahawk~

TELL ME AGAIN...

TRUTH

FORWARD

Illinois is in here somewhere also.

A TRUE BILL OF INDICTMENT

The re-election of Barack Obama surprised many of us, showing us entirely incorrect in predicting his defeat. Perhaps we placed too much hope in Mitt Romney. Certainly we misjudged the anti-Obama fervor.  Perhaps we invested too much confidence in electoral trends and polls observed since 2009.  And maybe our faith in The People was belief in a mirage.

Many observers saw Obama’s 2008 election an indictment of voters.  How could so many people give all that power to a completely unqualified unknown?  It was nonsense.  Had the voters become brainwashed after decades of leftist indoctrination in public education?  Were they war weary and driven by fear?  Did they simply get swept up in all the hype?  Or had they become uneducated, unthinking drones interested only in handouts and slogans?  Did they no longer care about liberty and what it requires?

In any case it was clear Obama had at least one outstanding talent: he knew very well how to manipulate both the people and the media, and, the vast resources at this command gave him access to enormous power.

We have now seen how he wields that power: with the hammer, and the sickle.  His socialist agenda is clear.  His globalist vision and his Islamic sympathies are real.  And still, voters don’t see these things as anti-American.   ObamaCare is primarily a stepping stone to complete government takeover.  Obama and his friends, notably Barney Frank, have said so.  Finance reform is simply another way to usher in the age of complete government domination providing unlimited bailouts to corporations that cooperate, and contribute, to the correct campaigns.   The list goes on, from other takeovers of private industry, to cap and trade, gun control, ceding more and more sovereignty to the United Nations, and so on, the agenda is clear:  American must be diminished so that global governance can emerge.

Those of us who misread the trends and the temperature of the voters must now admit that Americans are not so concerned with liberty and economic freedom as they are with their own personal, short-term comforts and the pursuit of a mirage, the utopian dream of peace on earth thanks to the benevolence of man.

Analysts can talk all day about the Hispanic vote, women voters, lackluster Republicans, turnout, so-called evangelicals voting for an abortionist, even the accusation of voter fraud and corrupt campaign financing.  But the bottom line is: 52% of the people in this country no longer know what it means to be an American, and worse, they don’t care.  Instead, they are willing to give all power to a select few, placing all their faith in that small group of anti-American ideologues.

History is a harsh teacher.  Whenever that kind of power is vested in a few egomaniacs with global ambitions, it always leads to death and destruction on a massive scale.

Hundreds of missiles landing in Israel these days is a foreshadow of much worse to come. The tragedy is Americans had a chance to turn it around on November 6th.  Instead we retreated and voted our own appetites, our own self-interest, and our own narrow vision of utopia, a false dream promoted by the false prophet, a man who showed his real heart watching Americans murdered in Benghazi, in real time, and he did nothing. Their cries for help were ringing in his ears, and he refused to send aid, then lied to us about the entire tragedy, over and over, for weeks.

Do you really believe your welfare is more important than his ideology, his personal and political ambition?

WHO'S YOUR NANNY

Financial safety nets are surely worthy. We can't let the elderly and children suffer because they don't have resources. But what's happening in America is far more than simply expanding a needed safety net. 

Twenty years ago, the feds spent 9 percent of the total budget on entitlements other than Medicare and Social Security. Now, the number is 16 percent. Liberals scream that it's because of the bad economy. Not true.

Twenty years ago, unemployment among African-Americans was 14.3 percent. This year, it is 14.3 percent. In the Hispanic-American precincts, unemployment in 1992 was 11 percent; today, it's 10 percent.

It is the liberal culture that is driving the entitlement mentality, and that is destructive to the country. The truth is that folks who get stuff are not likely to be as motivated as people who work for things. Freebies sap initiative. Even I would not vote against Santa Claus.

We are living in a "Where's mine?" age. "If at first you don't succeed, then ask for things to be given to you." A record amount of Americans are receiving food stamps, and more workers are on federal disability than ever before. The Democrat Party actively supports the entitlement expansion, and that absolutely helped Barack Obama get re-elected earlier this month.

As we continue down this road, say hello to Emperor Nero. Same thing happened in Ancient Rome. Look it up. The population became weak and unmotivated, and Roman power collapsed as individual ambition was crushed by selfishness and dependence on the state.

The question used to be, "Who's your daddy?" Now, it's, "Who's your nanny?"

And we all know the answer.

PSALM 666

The State is my shepherd, 

I shall not want. 

It makes me lie down in federally owned pastures. 

It leads me beside quiet waters in banned fishing areas. 

It restores my soul through its control. 

It guides me in the path of dependency for its namesake. 

Even though our nation plunges into the valley of the shadow of debt, 

I will fear no evil, 

For Barack will be with me. 

The Affordable Care Act and food stamps, 

They comfort me. 

You prepare a table of Michelle Obama approved foods before me in the presence of my Conservative and Libertarian enemies. 

You anoint my head with hemp oil; 

My government regulated 16-ounce cup overflows. 

Surely mediocrity and an entitlement mentality will follow me

All the days of my life, 

And I will dwell in a low-rent HUD home forever and ever. 

Amen. 

~Thank You Doug Giles~

CONNECT THE DOTS

KICKING BACK

One more state stepping up.

LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.....

OK, I understand now.

PONDER THIS

FIVE TRUTHS YOU CANNOT DISPUTE

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from someone else.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
5. When half the folks get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and, when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they worked for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

OK, WHICH IS IT

1. Is this the 10th year of war on terror, or,
2. Is it the 1400th year of Islam's war on Infidels?

LIBERAL LOGIC

EXCEPT:

1. Jim Matheson, Utah's 2nd congressional district defeated Mia Love, and,
2. Patrick Murphy, Florida's 18th congressional district defeated Allen West.

Both very white and both males and both Democrats.

TAKE HEART AND DO NOT WAVER

"Let it crash!"  "Give them what they want and they'll see what happens!"  "Surely, once the left's programs are implemented and the economy crashes, people will come to their senses."

Since the election, many on the right have echoed these very words.  They are convinced that widespread poverty and lack of opportunity will bring a resurgence of the America many of them knew growing up.  Grandma and Grandpa's America.  HA!

These folks forget that FDR was elected three times during a depression that he helped prolong -- a depression that featured soup lines and starvation in a population that actually wanted to work for a living and went on relief only as a last resort, and then with a sense of shame.

Thanks to food stamps, EBT cards, and other entitlements, Barack Obama actually had an easier time.  All he ad to do was threaten that the evil rich would take away flat-screens and "crazy money" to get enough votes.  Imagine if people were really hungry.

FDR and the Great Depression is only a mild example of what happens during severe economic stress.  Think about Germany during the Weimar Republic hyperinflation.  What did that give the world?  Look at Argentina, at one time in the twentieth century more prosperous than the United States.  Cristina Fernandez easily won re-election after she nationalized retirement accounts.  Do you really think that no one views your 401(k) as unfair?  What could be fairer than making sure it is kept protected from the greedy Wall Street bankers?  Look at what is happening in Greece, with a quazi-Nazi party gaining ground.  Look at France, who elected a socialist government to solve problems caused by socialism.  Go figure!

I could go on, but I think you get the point.  A nation's problems are always blamed on the evil rich (insert your racial scapegoat).  Do you really think it's being any different here?

What of the evil rich?  According to the left, they reside only in the Republican Party.  Nay my friends, not true.  There are plenty on the left -- probably more if you count the super-rich.  John Corzine, Jamie Dimon, George Soros, the Solyndra crew, and others who make impossible salaries on the backs of US taxpayers.  Too big to fail, reckless, immune to the law, and backstopped by the taxpayer.  Why take on Big Bird when you have real-life villains? 

When Sarah Palin spoke in Iowa in September 2011, her message was "crony capitalism" and how we are being fleeced by both parties in Washington.  This winning message was not picked up by anyone else.  I had to duct tape my head to keep it from exploding on this "oversight".

But enough about this past election.  What do we do to keep our country from sliding into a position where we are so destitute that we will vote for anyone who promises to give us a meal, a "healthy" meal, not a Big Mac with a Twinkie and a Big Gulp?  Let's begin by looking at the Democratic Party.  They are a coalition with essentially nothing in common but the fact that they all want something from someone else.  Why wasn't that used against them?  

The poor or those with college tuition debt vs. the über-rich? 

Unions vs. evil corporate greed?

Environmentalists vs. everyone else?

Those who cannot afford their birth control vs. those who can afford it?

I could go on and on.  Everyone fears something...fraud, dirty politics, Alinsky tactics, howling from the media...sure, we have heard it all before.

But, will it stick in voter's heads?  Darn right it will.

If a group is playing identity politics, that's its Achilles heel.  Let those who live by it succumb to it.

Remember, you have to pick off only a few.  That's how the game is played when it's played to win, and you do want to win, right?  Or will being allowed to carry your copy of the Bible or Atlas Shrugged into the destitute camps be enough for you?

Make no mistake: encouraging an economic crash is a bad idea.  A parasite will eventually kill the host, but it usually takes a while, and there is always hope for recovery.  Predators, on the other hand, devour the carcass in a rapid fashion.  No easier meal can be had.  Do not forget that predators are foreign to the body, and there are many circling outside our borders.  Even today, there is still plenty of flesh left on America -- flesh worth fighting for by whoever wants it most.

So, take heart and do not waver.
~Thank you Ebben Raves~

BEWARE NANNY STATEISM

1. Fedzilla tells us we have to purchase health insurance.
2. NYC Mayor tells us we can't purchase big a**ed Slurpies.
3. FLOTUS tells us to not purchase Twinkies and Hostess goes belly up, DUH!
4. An EX-beatle tells us to not pass the turkey this Thanksgiving, so now we have a war on Butterball.

Stay tuned boys & girls, I'm sure this does not end here.

TWINKIE-LISCOUS FACTS

Greg Rayburn, CEO of Hostess voluntarily cut his own salary to $1/yr. The Bakers union was unwilling to take an 8% cut even while the Teamsters union and other Hostess employees took voluntary cuts to save the company. Look who's running the Bakers' union which just bankrupted Hostess and got 16,500 workers fired! These are the ACTUAL top salaries of the Baker's union. These folks won't be out of 

a job or have a lower salary.....But But But they swear it was "those greedy owners."

Overall Political Contributions to: Democrats: $1,474,204.00 (99.73 %) Republicans: $4,000.00 (.27 %) You can verify athttp://www.unionfacts.com/union/Bakery%2C_Confectionary%2C_Tobacco_Workers_%26_Grain_Millers
The Bakers' union decided it would be better to take a 100% pay cut for 16,500 workers instead of a 8% pay cut. They wanted $50,000 a yr while Greg Rayburn, CEO of Hostess voluntarily cut his own salary to $1/yr. The Bakers union was unwilling to take an 8% cut even while the Teamsters union and other Hostess employees took voluntary cuts to save the company.http://www.huffingtonpo/st.com/mobileweb/2012/11/16/gregory-rayburn-raise_n_2147043.html?

NO MORE CAVING TO THE MEDIA

Late last week, in a conference call with donors, Governor Mitt Romney said what we all know to be the truth:  that Obama's reelection plan was to divide Americans across various lines and dole out government freebies, such as health insurance, amnesty, and birth control. The promise of these "gifts" (or the fear of losing them) would then drive out turnout, specifically among those who did turn out: blacks, students, and Hispanics -- and lo and behold, it worked.

For days now, Romney's been blistered by the media for telling a truth about a political tactic that the media itself declared as smart politics in real-time as Obama practiced it. I guess the lesson is that practicing divisive politics with the use of taxpayer-funded freebies is okay, but pointing it out is racist.

What should worry us, though, is that some of the men who seek to carry our flag into 2016 have jumped aboard this Nonsense Train with both feet. At differing levels of indignation, Bobby Jindal, Chris Christie, and Marco Rubio have all publicly criticized Romney for telling this truth.

Speaking only for myself, let me just say that if this is the first step these men are taking towards a 2016 White House bid -- I'm not impressed. Attacking a man for telling what we all know is the truth, is political cowardice. Tactically, though, it's just dumb, and dumb will not win the White House in 2016.

What no one is blaming the loss on, however, is Romney's refusal to cave to the media when they came after him over tax returns, his comments on Libya, all those phony fact-checks, or even to distance himself from Donald Trump. Through it all, Romney stood strong, looked strong, and benefited by not demoralizing his supporters or encouraging the media through weakness to ratchet up this nonsense. Standing up to the media was something Romney did right.

If anything, in 2016, we're going to need our standard-bearers to be even more aggressive against the media, especially when it comes to not repeating  a number of mistakes that were made in 2012.

We're also going to need a 2016 nominee with the sand to ensure we get better debate moderators and overall conditions during the presidential debates. 

We're now in this process of soul-searching and wound-licking  and self-correction -- and I'm all for that. But anyone on our side who thinks the media can be appeased by jumping on whatever anti-Republican Narrative Bandwagon they've crafted this time, will never be president. Because it's a trap. And if you show weakness, those traps never stop coming.

Caving to the media on any issue, but especially to beat up one of our own for no reason, is a massive over-correction, and a fatal one.

We're looking for  strong leaders and winners in 2016, not wimps.

WHY OUR COUNTRY HAS GONE DOWN THE DRAIN

WITH HELP LIKE THIS...

I LOVE ANN COULTER

Liberals never, ever drop a heinous idea, they just change the name:

1. 'Abortion' becomes 'choice'.
2. 'Communist' becomes 'progressive'.
3. 'Communist dictatorship' becomes 'Peoples Democratic Republic', and
4. Nikita Khrushchev becomes Barack Obama.

~Ann Coulter~

PS:  I'm not keen on blondes, but, I love this one!

BENEFITS OF OBAMACARE

1. Lowers the cost of health insurance.
2. Allows you to keep your doctor.
3. Allows you to keep your current plan.
4. Creates jobs.
5. Saves Medicare.
6. Stabilizes the economy.
7. Is a penalty.
8. Is not a penalty.
9. Is a tax.
10. Is not a tax.
11. NEVER MIND.

IMAGE APPEARS BIGGER THAN IT ACTUALLY IS

The only thing Obama will be cutting is our paychecks.

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

''It took Barack Obama 7 days to visit Joplin, Missouri after a tornado wiped out half of the town and killed 120 people. 

...It took Barack Obama fourteen days to visit the gulf coast after the BP oil spill.

...Obama declined to visit Tennessee after the historic 2010 1000 year floods.

...Obama ignored the Texas wildfires when over 400 homes were lost.

...And, of course, Obama ignored the calls for help from Benghazi....

...But it took Barack Obama only one day to visit the hurricane damage on the east coast. Then again, there’s an election coming up.''

ADIOS, AU REVOIR, CIAO, FAIRWELL

This is my nod to an endangered species...the American taxpayer...a rapidly disappearing band of hard-working, patriotic citizens who work more than 40 hours a week to pay for other people's cell phones, condoms, housing, food stamps, sex changes, abortions, medical care and muppets.

HELLO OUT THERE

Government controls our water, our food supplies, our medical supplies, our media, our police, our utilities (water, power, gas) our armed forces, our money supply and all the power to do what they want.

Do you see anything wrong with this yet?

ISN'T IT AMAZING...

By the numbers:

1. That we know more about the Petraeus affair in two days than
2. we know about Fast and Furious in two years and
3. Benghazi in two months.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

The term “filibuster” is once again rising to the surface so I thought this would be a good time to bring a few facts to the surface:

1. It is a permitted procedure.
2. It has been and continues to be used by both political parties to block legislation they don't want passed.
3. In the United States, a filibuster was used for the first time in 1853 by Albert G. Brown (D-MS).
4. When Democrats used filibusters to block Republican legislation, it was perfectly acceptable to do so.  When Republicans use filibusters for the same reason, the Democrats yell ‘foul’ and seek to change the rules. 
5. So, with number four in mind, Harry Reid (D-NV) wants to change Senate Rule XXII to make it more difficult for Republicans to use filibusters.
6. In the final analysis, IMO, Senator Reid is a bit short-sighted...if he is successful in changing Senate Rule XXII, that rule will make it more difficult for the Democrats when the Republicans are in control...it seems that so many folks do not have the ability to look down the road and draw conclusions.

DIVIDED WE FALL

THE MORNING AFTER

7 November 2012

Dear Fellow Conservatives,

I know how you feel this morning. To steal a phrase from a former president, “I feel your pain”. The reelection of President Obama and continued Democratic control of the Senate means we have serious challenges ahead of us. 

But I'm writing this to offer you hope. Since this grassroots movement began just a few years ago, we've accomplished so very much.

In 2010, we elected a massive freshmen class of principled conservatives in the House of Representatives. In 2012, we've expanded that caucus by defeating numerous Democratic incumbents and replacing them with conservative leaders like Jackie Walorski of Indiana, Andy Barr of Kentucky, Mark Meadows of North Carolina, and more.

We also elected Marco Rubio, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and a new fiscally conservative core in the Senate two years ago. This election, we've expanded their ranks with newly-minted Senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and Jeff Flake of Arizona. 

We drove the national political conversation on our issues of constitutionally limited government, lower taxes, free markets, and individual liberty. Candidates who ran on and articulated our message not only created a clear choice for voters but were overwhelmingly victorious in this election. That is the power of our ideas and our movement.

This election we made millions of phone calls, distributed millions of campaign materials, and took our message across our nation. More importantly, we've grown this decentralized, grassroots community into a larger, stronger, permanent force for freedom. And we aren't going away.

We've accomplished so much, but clearly, our work is not done. Thank you for all your hard work and your support. 

Take heart and we must never give up.

May God bless and keep the United States of America.

THIS ELECTION WILL NOT EVEN BE CLOSE

The election is tomorrow.  The entire buildup to this point has been somewhat surreal.  The pollsters tell us that the election is too close to call, but that does not conform with reality.

It is easy to distort reality based on predispositions and desires.  For that reason, I state mine.  I have no interest in Romney winning other than that he is not Obama.  I am not a Republican, although I generally believe that their ideas are less bad than those of Democrats.  In a real sense, I am what you might call an "equal-opportunity hater" with respect to politics.  I don't want to be ruled by either party, or anyone else for that matter.

Why does it seem impossible to call this race?  My eyes tell me things either that pollsters cannot see or that people are unwilling to tell them.  Here are a few of them:

• The country is stuck in a recession which Obama has made worse.  After four years, he has no plan to remedy matters.

• Foreign policy, arguably less understandable to voters, is disintegrating in front of their eyes.  Benghazi is exploding all over Obama and is something he is unable to blame on someone else.

• More people are on food stamps and welfare than ever before.  People sense that Obama is not displeased with this condition.

• Incomes are falling, and unemployment is not.  College graduates cannot get jobs commensurate with their education.  Despair is everywhere.

• Net worth is falling, and prices are rising.  People's standard of living has declined for four straight years.

• Retirement is no longer an option for large segments of the population.

These are relatively objective measures which people see and feel.

Facts matter, especially to those concerned about the country, their futures, and the futures of their grandchildren.  The electorate may not be the brightest, as H.L. Mencken always reminded us.  But they do feel pain and do not relish it.  Cats who jump on a hot stove are smart enough never to jump on a stove again.  That may be the driving motivation in this election.

Even the so-called parasite class (dependents living at the expense of others) understand what is in their best interest.  They will vote for whoever promises to extend their benefits.  Yet the so-called parasite class is much smaller than the class who receive government assistance.  Many are there not by choice, but by circumstance.  Some have never been in this position before.  They want a job again, where they can have a purpose, a role, and respect.  Most who paid into the social insurance programs understand that these programs are not sustainable.  They have been offered a choice that allows them to retain their current benefits or to pretend there is no problem.  They will vote to protect what they have.

Given these obvious conditions, it doesn't seem that this election should even be close.  The country is not that far gone!  Arguably, Barack Obama has surpassed Jimmy Carter as the worst president of anyone alive today.  Only the Kool-Aid drinkers and the infatuated mainstream media are so far gone as to not understand that.

There is not one person who voted for John McCain last time who will switch and vote for Obama this time.  There are many previous Obama supporters who plan to vote for Romney.  Republicans who stayed home four years ago rather than vote for McCain are not going to stay home again.  Many will vote not because of Romney, but in spite of Romney.  They want no more of Obama and his policies.

Crowd comparisons between Romney and Obama reveal Obama as a fad whose time has passed.  There is energy and enthusiasm in the Romney campaign.  There is anger and pettiness in the Obama campaign.
Early voting suggests a tsunami for Romney, at least when compared to the corresponding numbers four years ago.  Women are breaking for Romney.  States that were never thought to be in play by pollsters suddenly look even or even trending toward Romney.  Pennsylvania and Michigan are two examples.  Nothing is moving toward Obama.  Everything is moving away.

Newspaper endorsements reflect the mood of their readers.  The Des Moines Register endorsed Romney.  Ditto the NY Daily News and many other papers who routinely endorse Democrats.  Ben Shapiro reports:

According to the University of California, Santa Barbara American Presidency Project study of the top 100 newspaper editorial endorsements, Mitt Romney has seen a vast wave of switches from 2008 Obama endorsers. Obama, meanwhile, has seen only one newspaper that endorsed John McCain come around to endorse him. At the same time, many newspapers have also switched from Obama to "no endorsement."

There is not one constituency group that reasonably can be seen increasing its support for Obama.  Hardcore Democrat groups are uninspired.  Turnout among them will be lower.  Obama will win these groups by overwhelming majorities, but the groups will be much smaller this time around.

Doug Ross presented some interesting results that support my contentions.  A survey commissioned by the Washington Post is the source of these numbers.  Mr. Ross's summary included the following:

Overall, the Post-ABC poll found that 13 percent of 2008 Obama voters have decided to back Mitt Romney.

Survey results are summarized in this table: 

Michael Barone has predicted that Romney will win big (315 electoral votes).  I agree with Mr. Barone, although I have no feel for the number of electoral votes.

This survey, Barone, and other obvious signs indicate that there is little doubt as to what will happen tomorrow.  Romney is headed for an easy win, a big win.

The media will utilize their Claude Rains defense -- "shocked, shocked" at the "unexpected" outcome.  Pundits will blame the results on late-breaking voters all going toward Romney.  They will dissect the data in the most profound but useless ways.  All of it will be for the purpose of maintaining what little credibility they have left.

Reality has been apparent to anyone willing to look.  Even the Obama campaign sensed their problem.  In order to win, they had to make their opponent appear worse than their candidate.  Their only hope was to portray Mr. Romney as some uncaring, evil monster.  That portrait vanished after the first debate.  Romney crossed the only threshold that was necessary -- he was a living, breathing human being, not a monster.  And, by the way, he was caring and competent.

This country may be down and its people hurting, but it is not out.  People understand that conditions need not be this way and they are about to impose their remediation on Washington.  I hope the Romney team is worthy of this support.

Sleep well tonight and look forward to the results rolling in tomorrow evening.  I don't think it will be necessary to stay up late to know the outcome.  Only hardcore political fanatics will do so.

But don't get too cocky. Rasmussen, whom I think is the best pollster in the lot, has yet to provide definitive numbers.

Joe The Plumber Dead 2012 - YouTube

Joe The Plumber Dead 2012 - YouTube