Young Conservatives

Ian Lang at AskMen.com wrote an excellent article about being a Republican in today's world:

First things first: I think we reached our saturation point for all things election-related sometime around two months ago, and so for whatever degree of fatigue this brings you, I apologize. But I also specifically waited until after the election before sharing my thoughts, a) because it’s not my or AskMen’s job to influence anyone’s politics and b) to hopefully avoid an onslaught from rabid Obama supporters looking to defend their candidate. It’s over; he won. There’s nothing left to support or defend.

Growing up when and where I did, in a very red time in a typically very red state, supporting the Republican party meant something very different than what it does today. I knew no one from the country club set, no WASPs or corporate bigwigs. No one I knew was particularly religious -- at least no more fanatic than attending church on Sundays. Nobody was gay (at least not openly), though for kids growing up in the South, homosexuality became a flashpoint topic right around the first time someone called you a “fag” in middle school. No one’s voting preferences depended on any of that social stuff. Calling yourself a Republican was a way of telling the world that you worked for your success, that you believed in the spirit of capitalism and you weren’t a fan of excessive government spending. Voting Democrat was for the effete, the uninitiated and anyone looking for a government handout.

Fast-forward to today, and now the Republican party is about as attractive as prison rape. Frankly, I’m relieved that the election is over, because it marked the end of a six-month stretch in which mentioning that I tended to vote for Republican candidates placed me in what many people consider an untouchable caste. I’m tired of the smugness, the condescension and people acting as though my support for certain tenets of conservatism is an insult to their intelligence. I’ve been called, without provocation, a racist, a misogynist and a homophobe. “Oh, you’re a Republican? You must want to take us back to the 1950s,” people would say, ignoring the fact that at the very furthest extremes, both parties would have us living in dirt-floor huts, reading books by candlelight. The only difference would be the choice of book. Some friends would say things like, “I have a brain, so I’m voting for human rights.”

No, you smug f*ck. You’re voting for the POTUS. But that’s the problem with being a modern Republican. Some racists are Republican, so all Republicans must be racist. We all must hate gay people. We all think women are best kept barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen. Republicans are only Republicans because they want to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. It sounds ridiculous when I say it like that, but those are the notions and attitudes of many people I encounter, and they don’t even realize that what they’re suggesting might be insensitive (or incorrect).

Were I to say that all Democrats are a bunch of queer hippies looking to abolish the very idea of private industry, of course that would be just as ridiculous. The difference is, that would get the same reception a white guy would get if he dropped the n-word doing stand-up at the Apollo.

As the election was wrapping up, pundits noted the closeness of the popular vote and were quick to suggest that it was proof of how divided America is. That’s fine for them, and expected, because there’s no story to report on if there’s no element of contention. The truth, though, is that a two-party system leads to less polar division, not more. And to me the popular vote is proof not of a divided America, but a confused one.

When a candidate can appear on national television saying that he’ll raise taxes and still manage to win (call Michael Dukakis and ask him how well that worked out), that's a sign that voters are dealing with a lot of internal conflict. That is, most of us (yes, even us Republicans stuck in the dark ages) agree that we want the kind of progressive social policies the Democrats campaigned on so successfully. It’s impossible to logically argue against gay marriage. Anyone who’s ever had a job that required interacting with the public is probably OK with abortions. Larger issues, like immigration, fiscal and foreign policy are more complex and worthy of ideological debate. Those are the issues I vote on, and the reason I count myself as a conservative. The problem, though, is that for the average, modern conservative, it’s almost impossible for us to get a candidate who represents the whole package of what we’re looking for.

That smallest part of the Republican electorate is also the biggest problem. Democratic primary candidates are free to tiptoe as far toward the center as they want and only be as liberal as they need. Republicans, on the other hand, have to battle it out in a race to the bottom to see who can ignite the kind of core voter who participates in a Republican primary election. They’re forced to avoid the center, and the near-misses by Rick Santorum and Rick Perry are proof that it’s almost impossible to go too far to the right. For the Republican candidate to have a shot, he has to creep back toward the center, which the opposition will hammer him on, relentlessly. Abortion, gay marriage and other questions that shouldn’t even be a presidential candidate’s domain create a trail of ideological flip-flops that are hard to dig out of, and all to appease a portion of the electorate that will vote for the candidate wearing the red tie no matter what. Candidates with a sincere, consistently moderate social stance would fare much better, but the core right won’t let them see daylight. Just look at how many presidential nominations Ron Paul’s won, for instance.

It’s disheartening to have to vote for a less than ideal candidate, but on the big issues, the issues that truly affect me, I refuse to compromise my principles. As insensitive as it might sound, I’m a white, straight, middle-class male, and the social stuff just doesn’t affect me much -- the POTUS doesn’t really have a lot to do with those things anyway (I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to explain to friends that the president cannot wave his hands and magically grant marriage privileges for our gay friends). Instead, I don’t believe in spending our way out of a recession, I favor maintaining a strong military and I don’t believe that the solution to the immigration problem is to encourage more immigration. It’s awfully hard to defend the party on the basis of policy when factions of it are having more difficulty with the meaning of the word “rape” than Clinton did with the word “is,” but it’s our cross to bear.

The moral is, if you have a friend who’s a conservative, cut him some slack. He doesn’t like the status quo any more than you do. No, we’re not thrilled that Obama won the election, but we will happily perform abortions at your gay wedding reception. I will hire two hookers, one male and one female, and pay them equally after making sure the female one has access to adequate contraceptives. We just happen to have some divergent, albeit legitimate, views on the bigger, more complicated issues. It doesn’t make us foolish or stupid. It makes us people. After all, if there was a single, perfect ideology, we’d all just go with that one.

Next time you encounter conservatives, rather than call them names or dismiss their beliefs as uninformed or archaic, maybe listen to what they have to say. And give them a hug maybe, also. It’s been a tough year for us.

Read more: http://www.askmen.com/entertainment/austin/young-conservatives-2.html#ixzz2CEWB1IUt

David Siegel will fire his employees if Obama gets elected

 This is a letter from the Owner of Westgate Resorts, the largest timeshare company in the world, to each and every one of his employees. Its awesome.

Subject: Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [David Siegel]
To: [All employees]
To All My Valued Employees,

As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job.

What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same presidential administration. Of course, as your employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best.

However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is in your best interest. The current administration and members of the press have perpetuated an environment that casts employers against employees. They want you to believe that we live in a class system where the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. They label us the “1%” and imply that we are somehow immune to the challenges that face our country. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, you may have heard about the big home that I’m building. I’m sure many people think that I live a privileged life. However, what you don’t see or hear is the true story behind any success that I have achieved.

I started this company over 42 years ago. At that time, I lived in a very modest home. I converted my garage into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. We didn’t eat in fancy restaurants or take expensive vacations because every dollar I made went back into this company. I drove an old used car, and often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business — hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, many of my friends got regular jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a nice income, and they spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into this business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford to buy whatever I wanted. Even to this day, every dime I earn goes back into this company. Over the past four years I have had to stop building my dream house, cut back on all of my expenses, and take my kids out of private schools simply to keep this company strong and to keep you employed.

Just think about this – most of you arrive at work in the morning and leave that afternoon and the rest of your time is yours to do as you please. But not me- there is no “off” button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have that freedom. I eat, live, and breathe this company every minute of the day, every day of the week. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. I know many of you work hard and do a great job, but I’m the one who has to sign every check, pay every expense, and make sure that this company continues to succeed.

Unfortunately, what most people see is the nice house and the lavish lifestyle. What the press certainly does not want you to see, is the true story of the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made.
Now, the economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the right decisions and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the costs of running a business have gotten out of control, and let me tell you why: We are being taxed to death and the government thinks we don’t pay enough. We pay state taxes, federal taxes, property taxes, sales and use taxes, payroll taxes, workers compensation taxes and unemployment taxes. I even have to hire an entire department to manage all these taxes.

The question I have is this: Who is really stimulating the economy? Is it the Government that wants to take money from those who have earned it and give it to those who have not, or is it people like me who built a company out of his garage and directly employs over 7000 people and hosts over 3 million people per year with a great vacation?

Obviously, our present government believes that taking my money is the right economic stimulus for this country. The fact is, if I deducted 50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why should you? Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, that’s what happens to me.

Here is what most people don’t understand and the press and our Government has chosen to ignore – to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Instead of raising my taxes and depositing that money into the Washington black-hole, let me spend it on growing the company, hire more employees, and generate substantial economic growth. My employees will enjoy the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries.

But that is not what our current Government wants you to believe. They want you to believe that it somehow makes sense to take more from those who create wealth and give it to those who do not, and somehow our economy will improve. They don’t want you to know that the “1%”, as they like to label us, pay more than 31% of all the taxes in this country. Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said, “democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”

Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate business, not kill it. However, the power brokers in Washington believe redistributing wealth is the essential driver of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change they want.

So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.

So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1 percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.

You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities. If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach, under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about.

Signed, your boss,

          David Siegel

Now, you may be thinking this is fake. It is, in fact, very similar to a chain email that went viral in 2008 prior to the presidential election. It is authentic, though, proven by the folks at Gawker who spoke to Siegel:
Shortly after we posted this letter, we found out, thanks to multiple readers, that it bore suspicious resemblances to a popular chain letter that was circulated just before the 2008 elections. Well, we just got off the phone with David Siegel, who told us the letter below is real, and that it was sent out to all of his employees yesterday. “I did use the letter that had circulated before as a guideline, but I changed it [to fit my circumstances],” he told us. “It speaks the truth and it gives [employees] something to think about when they go to the polls.” He also said that its threats of possible layoffs are real, based on his assessment of the political and economic climate.

Read more at http://totalfratmove.com/1056745#WoLJxB0o7driJZp3.99

A week in review at the RNC

Presidential election season is upon us once again, and boy is it tight right now. This election is shaping up to be filthy. For voters, this year seems more important than elections in the past.

We have our first black president, Barack Obama, who many believe has failed them. The Democrat took control in 2008 during an economic crisis, and managed to do absolutely nothing to better it, critics say he made it much worse. And then there is the Republican Willard Mitt Romney. Critics of Romney say he doesn't pay his taxes, he is a Mormon, and his ventures with Bain Capital cost people their jobs (and in some cases people's lives).

However none of that was mentioned at the Republican National Convention, which unofficially on August 27, and wrapped up on the 30th.

I say unofficially because there was a speech that lasted for a timed 27 seconds saying in short, "Welcome everybody, things will start tomorrow thanks to tropical storm Isaac".

The festivities on Tuesday started with a black, former congressman, Artur Davis. This former democrat spoke of how he was blinded by hope and change. He said he was blinded by the halo that seemed to float over Obama's head. He attributed his support to Obama to leading with his heart, and his dreams and Obama's charismatic oration. Interestingly enough, Artur Davis' speech only aired on Fox News.

Succeeding Davis, was Romney's wife, Ann. Ann gave what many called a beautiful speech. She talked about women and how Romney will take care of them. People were most moved by her talking about their marriage, and having to deal with Breast Cancer, and MS, together.

"Mitt does not like to talk about how much he helps others because he sees it as a privilege, not a political talking point," Ann Romney said.

The keynote speaker on Tuesday was New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Many urged him to run for president in this election, but he refused. However, his speech seemed like something he would give on his own campaign trail. He talked about himself, and how he reformed education in his state. He didn't even mention Romney until about 20 minutes into the speech. That said, the speech was expertly orated, bring the crowd to their feet on numerous occasions.

"Welcome to President Obama's retirement party"  former governor Tim Pawlety said.

That is how Wednesday started out. The speeches from the previous day, with the exception of Davis', did not really tear into Obama like most expected. That was not so with Wednesday's round of speeches. It started with Pawlenty's relatively generic speech to kick things off, much like SC Governor Nikki Haley's did the previous day.

After Pawlenty came 2008 presidential candidate, and former governor, Mike Huckabee. There was a clearly defined theme to Mr. Huckabee's speech, "We can do better". Over and over again did he repeat this phrase.  While on paper it may seem repetitive, it should be noted that he received multiple standing ovations from the rowdy crowd.

Former Secretary of State in the Bush administration Condoleeza Rice gave a rousing speech as well. The most memorable moment of her speech by far was when she talked about how she could not get a hamburger at the local restaurant in her native Birmingham, Alabama. Despite this, her parents still convinced her that she would one day grow up and be the President of the United States.

The keynote from this night was the vice presidential candidate himself, Paul Ryan. This speech had it all. It had humor, bluntness, it was light, it was serious, it was very well done. It had interesting trivial information.

"If the United States unemployed and underemployed lined up, the line would reach across the American continent," Ryan said.

Oh, and it laid into Obama hard. Ryan really let him have it. He ripped Obamacare to shreds in his speech. The masses all agree, too. After the masterful speech from Ryan, data from the pollsters had popular opinion of Ryan and his president, Romney, skyrocket. A memorable part of his speech was when he talked about a General Motors plant in his hometown Janesville, Wisconsin that, in 2008, Obama promised would remain in use for the foreseeable future. It closed within the year. 

The final day of speeches started with famed actor Clint Eastwood. The 80 -year-olds speech was completely ad-libbed, and earned respect from many for that. It was a humorous speech in tone, Eastwood spent a lot of his time talking to an imaginary President Obama, asking him pretty typical questions, and making a lot of jokes at he and Biden's expense. Structurally, the speech was not very good, however the purpose of him being there was for star power, and not much else.

After that came Florida's own, Marco Rubio. He gave an eloquent speech on the perks of being an American, no matter the party.The most memorable portion of the speech came when he talked about talks he used to have with his grandfather, a Cuban expatriate, on the front porch of his house. 

"He told me, 'You have the opportunity to anything you want, because you are an American, you live in America!'," Rubio said.

Finally, the man of the week, Mitt Romney took the stage to accept his parties nomination for the presidency. Many noted that his speech was more compassionate than in the past. There was not much, if any, talk of his plan future, or smack talk toward the current president. It was all about his family, specifically his parents, and unconditional love.

As expected, the crowd was on their feet for most of the speech, breaking out into patriotic chants like, "USA! USA!" frequently. Everyone in Romney's camp hopes that he can continue with this buzz and momentum to carry them through these last, tough, and undoubtedly dirty, few months before that first Tuesday in November.

Reince Priebus kicks off the Republican National Convention - and here's the abridged schedule for the week's events

The RNC started today with a bang at 2:00 sharp, with GOP Committee Chairman Reince Priebus delivering short opening comments and revealing two massive debt clocks in the Tampa Bay Times forum, one that shows the total national debt (making its way quickly to 16 trillion - that's with a "T" - dollars) and another that shows the amount of debt accured during the convention, an amount that exceeded 2 million dollars by the time Priebus stopped talking five minutes later. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan finished his send-off rally in his home town, and Mitt Romney left from his lake house in New Hampshire, his five sons Tagg, Matt, Craig, Josh and Ben acted as harbingers for teh coming Republican nominee.

Chairman Priebus quickly declared the convention in recess until Tuesday afternoon due to Tropical Storm Isaac bearing down on the Gulf of Mexico, an event that is certain to change the environment and emotional sentiment of the convention. Proceedings will this begin tomorrow, with official business regarding congressional and senate candidates, roll call, and speeches by Priebus and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn among others taking place.

Tuesday night is when the fun begins. At 7:00, primetime kicks off with speeches by Speaker John Boehner (OH) and Romney's chief rival, Senator Rick Santorum (PA), among other various Republican candidates and politicians. at 8:00, governors including Bob McDonnell (VA), Mary Fallin (OK), John Kasich (OH), and recall surivor Scott Walker (WI) lead the pack with their remarlks. 9:00 brings many speeches by candidates including Tea Party golden boy Ted Cruz of Texas, topped off with a speech by South Carolina governor Nikki Haley. Finally, at 10:00 speakers include Ann Romney and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the keynote speaker.

On Wednesday, after the pledge of allegience and opening ceremonies, the convention's second day begins with a video tribute to the primary runner up, Congressman Ron Paul (TX) who, ironically, refused to speak at the convention after he was told he would have to endorse Mitt Romney and have his speech vetted by the campaign, and who just finished a Tea Party rally labeled "P.A.U.L Fest" at the University of South Florida Sun Dome. Then the two Senators from Kentucky, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Tea Party leader Rand Paul speak back to back. 8:00 gives us powerhouse speakers, including 2008 Republican Nominee and Arizonma Senator John McCain, and Senators John Thune (SD) and Rob Portman (OH). Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal cancelled his 8:00 speaking slot to be with his state in the coming storm, Isaac. 9:00 only brings more, including Governor Luis Fortuno (PR), Governor Tim Pawlenty (MN), and a film on the presidencies of both Presidents Bush, and Mitt Romney's 2008 rival, Mike Huckabee. Finally, at 10:00 Weednesday night, we hear from Condoleeza Rice, Governor Susana Martinez (NM), and the speeches are topped off by Congressman Paul Ryan's acceptance speech.

And of course, Thursday, the final day, is devoted mostly to Romney himself. 7:00, we have speeches by Congressman Connie Mack (FL), Craig Romney, and primary rival, former Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife (GA), topped off with a Ronald Reagan tribute video. 8:00 gives us speeches by former Governor Jeb Bush, as well as two CEOs of companies saved by Bain Capital (Romney's venture capital firm) and Bob White, Romney's campaign chairman. 9:00 has many of Romney's former staffers from his time as governor, including Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, as well as US Olympians from the 2002 Salt Lake City games that Romney managed. Then, at 10:00, Senator Marco Rubio (FL) will introduce Romney, who will then give his acceptance speech for the Republican nomination. AFter that, Speaker Boehner will declare the convention adjourned.

So there you have it: The next big step. After this we have the DNC, and then the debates. We here at ApertiAnimus will be discussing it along the entire way. Enjoy the convention, and always remember to stay critical. These conventions are indeed, as Neil Cavuto puts it, "national infomercials."

Obama is a Hypocrite? Say it isn't so!

So there is this super PAC, right? They are called Priorities USA and they recently ran an ad about this unemployed steel worker named Joe Soptic.

Here it is:

See, Joe the steel-worker's wife passed away, she had cancer. Sad I know. According to the ad, she lost her life because her husband lost his healthcare when the company went under because, buzz word coming up, BAIN CAPITAL closed the factory down. There are a lot of things wrong with ad, first off, Bain Capital closed GST Steel in 2001. In 2001, Romney wasn't even running Bain, he was in Salt Lake City working on the Olympics. His wife became ill in 2006, 5 years later anyway.

Fun Fact: The Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) gave you free healthcare if you could not afford it, since 1986. Those are special hospitals for people with no insurance. Continuing...

I don't think poor Joe realizes that Obamacare will give you a big fat bill if you don't have insurance.

When reporters asked President Obama's Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter about where she was getting her facts, she replied, "I don't know the facts". Wait what? Lets just say that line she just fed the reporter was true, just for fun here. You are Deputy Campaign Manager, as in, pretty much running (or co-running) the show, and you're telling me that you don't know what is being advertised about your candidate? Please. Anyway, that line was a crock anyway because, as it turns out, Cutter hosted, yes hosted, a conference call with Soptic, where he detailed his situation.

You may have noticed that earlier in the article, I said he lost his healthcare, not their healthcare. That's because he didn't lose their healthcare. His wife had her own healthcare from her own employer. She left that job in 2003, that is when they had no healthcare at all, but as I said, that is not much of a problem. But Joe Soptic felt like he was being punished by Bain and Romney.

You're punishment must be more severe.

Now, lets look past all of this to the President himself. Mr. Obama was quoted yesterday saying "You got these guys writing $10 million checks. You got these super PACs that are just going crazy". I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that could you say that again Mr. President, "...Super PACs just going crazy". Oh, I thought that's what you said. WHAT?? You know, Mr. President, one of those crazy super PACs, is yours! I know you can't really lay claim to them but you know that one that I was just talking about that has a video of an unemployed guy accusing Mitt Romney of killing his wife of cancer?! Priorities America? Yea, that was founded by Bill Burton and Sean Sweeny. Both former campaign officials.

I cannot wait until November, I'm tired of seeing Obama's campaign continually sink to new and lower lows.

A tribute to Milton Friedman and the Humble Pencil

Obama's Sneaky Treaties

This is an article written by Dick Morris, a former member in the Clinton Administration. Obama is trying to get these treaties passed at what looks like the end of his presidency...

President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are entering negotiations over — or seeking ratification of — five treaties that could radically limit our national sovereignty and the reach of our democratic institutions. Particularly scary is that the treaties, once signed and ratified, have the same status as constitutional law and cannot be altered or eclipsed by Congress or state legislatures. And their provisions must be enforced by U.S. courts.
Those who wish to preserve our sovereignty and democratic control over our future must rally to block these treaties, either by pressing Obama and Clinton not to sign them or by blocking their ratification.

• International Criminal Court — Clinton has reversed George W. Bush’s policy and entered into negotiations over U.S. participation in the court. Specifically, the leftists who are sponsoring the court wish to create a new crime of “aggression,” which is essentially going to war without the approval of the United Nations. If we submit to the court’s jurisdiction, our presidents and Cabinet officials could be prosecuted criminally for going to war without U.N. approval. This would, of course, give Russia and China a veto over our military actions. Clinton says she will stop our military’s hands from being tied, but we all must realize that once we accept the International Criminal Court, we go down a slippery slope. The court could even prosecute Americans who have been cleared by our own judicial system.• The Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) has been signed, and the Obama administration — with the aid of RINO Sen. Richard Lugar (Ind.) — will push for its ratification as soon as Lugar’s primary in Indiana is over this year. LOST requires that the United States pay an international body half of its royalties from offshore drilling. The body would then distribute the funds as it sees fit to whichever nations it chooses. The United States would only have one vote out of 160 regarding where the money goes. LOST will also oblige us to hand over our offshore drilling technology to any nation that wants it … for free.
• Small-arms control — Clinton is about to negotiate on a global ban on export of small arms. It would only apply to private citizens but, of course, most small-arms deals come not from individuals or private firms but from governments, specifically those of the United States, Russia, China and Israel. The treaty would require each nation to adopt measures to stop exportation of small arms. It is easy to see how this could be a backdoor way to require national registration of all guns and to assert federal regulation over firearms. It would also require the registration of all ammunition to track its source once a gun is fired. The Second Amendment be damned!
• Outer Space Code of Conduct — Under the guise of stopping debris from accumulating in outer space, the European Union has enlisted Clinton in negotiations over a code of conduct. The code would prohibit activities that are likely to generate debris in outer space — space littering. The code might inhibit or prohibit the United States from deploying anti-missile missiles on platforms in space, denying us the key weapon we need to counter Iranian, Chinese and North Korean missile threats. European leftists reacted angrily when G.W. Bush opted out of the ABM treaty banning defensive weapons. Now they seek to reimpose it under the guise of a code of conduct.
• Rights of the Child — Even more fanciful is a treaty Clinton plans to negotiate setting forth a code of rights for children, to be administered by a 14-member court set up for the purpose. The draft treaty obliges rich nations to provide funds for shelter, food, clothing and education for children in poor nations. This provision could create grounds to litigate to challenge the level of foreign aid we give as inadequate to meet our treaty obligations. Already, leftists in the United Kingdom are using the treaty to attack welfare cuts by the Cameron government.
European liberalism is advancing — masked — by way of these treaties. Defenders of liberty must say no!

If I wanted America To Fail

March Recap

As March winds down, the race for the republican canidacy has done anything but. While Mitt Romney still holds the lead, Mr. Santorum is certainly making it interesting. The month's election circuit kicked off on March 3 with Washington State. Romney won the caucus by a decent margin, beating Santorum by a margin of 14%, 38% to 24%.

Next came the big day, the super day. Super Tuesday held primaries in Virginia, Vermont, Georgia, Ohio, North Dakota, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Alaska. With this day, came a Romney victory, although it was not as decisive as he would have liked. That day, Romney walked away with victories in Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, and a decisive victory in his home state of Massachusetts. Santorum won North Dakota, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, while Gingrich stole Georgia.

March 10 brought us some U.S. territories and Kansas. Romney was victorius in the Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. Santorum took the real state, Kansas.

The next week brought more of the same. Santorum continued his streak in the south, winning Mississippi and Alabama, and Romney took more islands in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa.

The Month wrapped up with a Romney win in Illinois and another Santorum win in the south, Louisiana.

With the month coming to a close, the race is far from over. Santorum is slowly gaining on Romney in the delegate count. Most recently, Romney was up around 550 delegates while Santorum is floating around 270. In the race so far, though it seems close based on the number of states each candidate is winning, Romney is still polling nationwide at 37.1% while Santorum is almost 10% behind at 28.9%.

April kicks off with the D.C. primary on April 3. Also on this day is Wisconsin and Maryland. Romney should win the delegates in all three of these primaries without a problem. Don’t count Rick Santorum out though, his own state of Pennsylvania comes up on the only other primary date in April, the 24th.

Impressive

This is a letter from a fourth grade teacher to President Obama, wow.

 The  White House 
   1600  Pennsylvania Avenue 
  Washington,  DC   20500
      
     
      Mr. Obama:
      
      I have had it with you and your administration, sir.  Your  conduct on 
your recent trip overseas has convinced me that you are not an adequate 
representative of the United States of America collectively or of me personally.

You are so obsessed with appeasing the Europeans and the Muslim world that you 
have abdicated the responsibilities of the President of the United States of 
America .  You are responsible to the citizens of the United States .  You are 
not responsible to the peoples of any other country on earth.

I personally resent  that you go around the world apologizing for the United 
States telling Europeans that we are arrogant and do not care about their 
 status in the world.  Sir, what do you think the First World  War and the 
Second World War were all about if not the consideration of the peoples of  
Europe ?  Are you brain dead?   What do you think the Marshall Plan was all 
about?  Do you not understand or know the history of the 20th century?
       
     Where  do you get off telling a Muslim country that the United States does 
not consider itself a Christian country?  Have you not  read the Declaration of 
Independence or the Constitution of the United States ?  This country was 
founded on Judeo-Christian ethics and the principles governing this country, at 
least until you came along, come directly from this heritage.   Do you not 
understand this?

Your bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia is an affront to all Americans.  Our 
President does not bow down to anyone, let alone the king of Saudi Arabia .... 
You didn't show Great Britain , our best and one of our oldest allies, the 
respect they deserve yet you bow down to the king of Saudi Arabia ..  How dare 
you, sir! How dare you!

You can't find the time to visit the graves of our greatest generation because 
you don't want to offend the Germans but make time to visit a mosque in   Turkey 
......  You offended our dead and every veteran when you give the Germans more 
respect than the people who saved the German people from themselves.  What's the 
matter with you? I am convinced that you and the members of your administration 
have the historical and intellectual depth of a mud puddle and should be ashamed 
of yourselves, all of  you.

You are so self-righteously offended by the big bankers and the American 
automobile manufacturers yet do nothing about the real thieves in this 
situation, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Frank, Franklin Raines, Jamie Gorelic, the Fannie Mae 
bonuses, and the Freddie Mac bonuses. What do you intend to do about them? 
Anything? I seriously doubt it. 


What about the U.S. House members passing out $9.1 million in bonuses to their 
staff members on top of the $2.5 million in automatic pay raises that lawmakers 
gave themselves?  I understand the average House aide got a 17% bonus.  I took a 
5% cut in my pay to save jobs with my employer.  You haven't said anything about 
that.  Who authorized that?  I surely didn't!

Executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be receiving $210 million in 
bonuses over an eighteen-month period, that's $45 million more than the AIG 
bonuses.  In fact, Fannie and Freddie executives have already been awarded $51 
million not a bad take.  Who authorized that and why haven't you expressed your 
outrage at this group who are largely responsible for the economic mess we have 
right now?

I resent that you take me and my fellow citizens as brain-dead and not caring 
about what you idiots do.  We are watching what you are doing and we are getting 
increasingly fed up with all of you.  

I also want you to know that I personally find just about everything you do and 
say to be offensive to every one of my sensibilities.  I promise you that I will 
work tirelessly to see that you do not get a chance to spend two terms 
destroying my beautiful country. 

      
Sincerely,

Every real American
      

Ms Kathleen Lyday
Fourth Grade Teacher
Grandview Elementary School
11470  Hwy . C
Hillsboro , MO   63050

3 Little Pigs

Hello again good folks of the Blog.
Sorry I haven't been on the site lately, between school work, extracurriculars, and learning to tie my shoes I've been very busy and haven't had much time to breathe.
I recently stumbled upon an advertisement for The Guardian that seemed to combine modern political allegories with a children's story we all know and love. Although it really doesn't have any modern significance, I figured it'd be something you guys could appreciate and chew on.

I also have a question regarding regarding the Republican Primaries (I'm assuming you all keep up). How the hell did Santorum make it this far?

Until we meet again...
-Zach

Ronald Reagan: We Must Fight

The Battle for Delegates in the 2012 Republican Primaries

Guess who's back? I am! Sorry I've been away, for any of you who read this blog regularly (a phenomenon that I assume is as regular as snowball fights in the ninth circle of hell.)

Anyway, no long introductions. On to the issue I want to present to you today, the illusion of delegate counts in the current primary race between Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum.

These are the pledged delegate counts for each state we've had so far:
New Hamphire - 7 for Mitt, 3 for Ron, and 2 for Jon Huntsman.
South Carolina - 23 for Newt, and 2 for Mitt
Florida (Go Marlins!) - 5o for Mitt.
Nevada - 14 for Mitt, 6 for Newt, 5 for Ron, and 3 for Rick.

And that's it. You might say, "But Jeffrey, what about Iowa? What about Rick Santorum's three state sweep in Colorado, Missouri, and Minnesota? What about Maine?" Well, the fact is, delegates in those states don't get allocated for a long time. Months, in a process that takes delegates chosen at precincts to county conventions, who elect delegates to go to state conventions, who elect delegates to go to county conventions.

So, who's going to get the delegates? You would think it would be proportionally related to the straw votes that these caucus states hold, but not necessarily. Delegates aren't bound to the choice of the people. Even in Nevada, a binding caucus, the reality is that delegates don't necessarily have to be faithful. It really comes down to who has the most fervent supporters, and in tha arena, we all know who wins. The Ron Paul campaign has not kept it a secret that they expect "the majority of delegates" from Iowa, Nevada, Minnesota, Maine, and even possibly Colorado, where Paul came in a distant fourth. This seems improbable, but the numbers tell a different story.

See, it's the Ron Paul supporters who stay, and they, of course, are going to put their man in. In the words of Rachel Maddow (I can't believe I'm actually quoting her), "it doesn't matter who you're voting for, your vote counts for Ron Oaul." From a campaign press release - "In one precint in Larimer county, the straw poll vote was 23 for santorum, 13 for Paul, 5 for Romney, 2 for Gingrich. there were 13 delegate slots, and Ron Paul got ALL 13."

Doug Wead, senior advisor to the Paul campaign, says that when following votes on the precinct llevel, Paul has won every caucus state. Missouri, of course, was a primary that went to Rick Santorum, but delegates are not chosen until the March 3rd Caucus.

So, Ron Paul is building a quiet majority, and even though has doesn't have a very godo chance of winning the nomination, he's going to weild a lot more power thean most people think, and that the RNC would like him to have. The Republican National Commitee has taken steps to prevent Paul supporters from swamping the caucuses, releasing verbal memos to not appoint delegates under 4o (Paul's most powerful demographic), change caucus locations, or forcing voters to sign declarations of preference. But, it seems they'll have a tough time stopping the Revolution.

We have yet to see concrete results that can allow us to actually figure out the state of affairs in the race for the nomination, so I urge caution when listening to FOX, CNN, MSNBC, etc. It should indeed be interesting to see how things pklay out, especially after Super Tuesday. But, for now, on to Arizona and Michigan!

Occupy The PGA

I am a member of golf's 99%. I play golf, but have not yet made it to the professional level. I have played the game for 
over 40 years, but have not really put in the practice time and study to be the best. I also probably do not have the skills 
to really get there either. However, I now feel that I should be paid by the successful professionals for trying. 

It isn't fair that those players who have worked harder, have studied the game, have better equipment and are stronger 
and more skilled should make all that money. Oh sure, they have their charities that they give millions of dollars to, but I 
am sure that they write all that off on their tax returns to reduce paying their fair share. Is that fair? 

They should pay for my golf, buy me new equipment and pay me some of their winnings. The system should be changed 
to accommodate people like me and you! Let's occupy a golf course and demand that those who are exceptional at what 
they do pay for us who aren't. 

Romney Wins Florida

Tuesday January 31, 2012 marked the most significant day so far in the race for the republican candidacy. Florida is the country’s fourth largest state with over 19 million people in 67 counties. The size of the state didn’t deter the candidates from campaigning all over the state.
  When push came to shove Mitt Romney came out on top. It was his most decisive win yet, winning by 15% over Newt Gingrich. Romney got 47% of the vote in Florida as compared to his 39% in New Hampshire.
  “Romney’s decisive victory in Florida has propelled his campaign well past those of the other candidates. But, even if he should be successful in gaining the republican candidacy, he must shift his attention to the Obama administration, so that whoever the republican candidate may be, he has a better chance of recovering the white house from the liberals,”  Republican Noah Peskin said.
  Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich came in second in the race polling at about 32%. Known as the “conservative alternative” to Romney, faced an uphill battle in Florida, fighting against all of Romney’s negative adds for him.
  “I think that Romney is beating Gingrich because he is a more moderate Republican, so he draws a broader base. Also, Romney has something like four times more capital than Gingrich so his resources are nearly unlimited,” Republican Mitchell Kaufman said.
  Third place was reserved for Rick Santorum, the senator from Pennsylvania. Polling at 13%, Santorum’s popularity has been steadily dropping since his surge in Iowa a few weeks ago. Santorum is the social conservative of the bunch, the family man. He is strongly against abortion, pro-gun, and believes in strict immigration laws. Because of this, he is not hugely popular among the more moderate republicans, and especially unpopular with the independents.
  “I don’t like Rick Santorum because he is way too conservative for the mainstream, especially with social issues,” Democrat Michael Norwalk said.
  Rounding out the polls, Dr. Ron Paul. His following, which seems bigger than it actually is, is not enough to keep him afloat. His libertarian views are extremely popular with the college age kids of America. However, the college base is not pulling its weight in these primaries, where Paul has not broken the top two anywhere but in New Hampshire. Things could be looking up for Paul in Nevada however, where the Libertarian base is strong.
  “Well, Paul doesn’t have the money spread his message like Romney can, he doesn’t have a super pac, and his message is threatening to the media so I think they purposely ignore him. I think he will do well in Nevada, he has done well there in the past, so it is fairly obvious that Paul could place first or second in Nevada,” Libertarian Jeffrey Greenberg said.
  With Florida in the books, the candidates shift their gaze to Nevada and beyond to Super Tuesday in March. At this point in the race, it is unlikely that any of the candidates will drop out. The four of them will go all the way to the Republican National Convention this summer. That could be irrelevant though because it already looks as though Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are going to be the two real competitors. Some even say that Romney already have the race in the bag. And there are even those, myself included, that say he already has one foot in the White House’s front door.