All across America a new trend is developing. It is not inspired by the pages of Vogue or GQ. It is not sparked by Madonna’s latest outfit in a new music video or trend initiated by the latest fashions on the red carpets of Hollywood or the catwalks and runways of New York or Paris.
Look closely at the above photo.
No, not at the faces of the felons that are the subject of these mug shots. Look at what they’re wearing.
Each of them are wearing Obama related garments.
Be it “Change”, “Yes We Can”, “Obama 08”, “Obama for Change” or just a simple image of our new President’s face, each of these arrested individuals are sporting shirts touting their support for President Obama.
And before any of you try to make excuses and claim that all these people were probably all arrested for some minor charges involving a pro-Obama demonstration, guess again. They were all taken of individuals arrested at different times for different crimes not involving political protest. The crimes range from acts of violence to drug offenses and some minor disorderly conduct infractions. These particular shots come via Sgt Rodney Hicock, an Iowa State Trooper .
Sgt. Hicock is now himself in hot water as Iowa Public Safety Commissioner Eugene Meyer conducts an internal investigation into whether Hicock used a state-owned computer to send a personal e-mail that included these and more jail mug shots of the Obama T-Shirt wearing criminals as an attachment.
Never the less, like never before, criminal blotters across America are being filled with the images of lawbreakers with a political conscious. In the past it was not often that you saw many if any mug shots of criminals captured in their Ronald Reagan T-Shirts, JFK hoodies or Clinton nightshirts. But today Obama gear is taking mug shot photo shoots by storm.
You can draw your own conclusions on the statement that this new trend makes.
As for myself, I see a great deal of symbolism here.
I see criminals whose lives take more from society than give to society and in the end lose their liberty as they sit in a prison cell. I also see them proudly adorning themselves in clothes that boast their pride for an American President who is leading a government that, like them, is doing more damage to society than good and taking liberty away from us all.
But perhaps the ultimate irony here is the fact that these Obama supporters are probably content in jail where, just like the Obama policies that they support, they are given handouts that come at the taxpayers expense.
US Attorney Chris Christie has made it official. On December 1, he will step down from his post as New Jersey’s prosecutor. His departure from the post will be missed. During his past seven years of crime busting, Christie did more to positively effect the state than did the tenures of Govenor Jon Corzine and his predecessor Jim McGreevey.
Christie Resigns from U.S. Attorney’s Office
Elected officials from local townships to county governments and from state agencies to state legislators were indicted, found guilty and arrested. Democrats and Republicans alike, suffered the consequences for wrongdoing rooted out by Chris Christie. And there were many.
Knowing that there is so much corruption in our state is a sad state of affairs. But such corruption is a natural result of a state where the largest source of employment is government. Despite it’s small size in landmass, and being one of the smallest states in the union, it has 21 counties, and 566 municipalities. Some of these local towns consist of as many 274,000 people and as few as 20. On top of that exists the all encompassing, cumbersome state government.
All these governments make corruption quite a lucrative endeavor. The growing amount of governments allows patronage to pile up as so many people have the opportunity to create inconsequential posts that they can hire relatives for. The numerous governments creates the opportunity for numerous contractors to offer so many government officials and employees special favors for the inside track on a “government contract”. The system simply breeds corruption and the people pay for it on top of the price for running the prolific preponderance of governments that make corruption so popular.
Short of mandating a consolidation of governments and reducing the number of “governments” in the state, not much can reduce this rampant scope and popularity of the governmental culture of corruption.
But as the US Attorney for the district of New Jersey, since December 20, 2001, Chris Christie provided New Jerseyans with reasonable justice and a relieving sense of corrective adjustment to a system that is weighed against the working class and in favor of the governing class. On the very day that Chris Christie announced the date of his resignation , a jury found a Democrat State Senator guilty on all the charges that Christie brought against him. The timing only helped to accentuate the positive effects that Christie’s leadership has brought to New Jersey.
But is Chris Christie’s resignation as US Attorney for New Jew Jersey really a loss for New Jersey?
Christie’s leaving one office could mean entrance into another…..the Governor’s office.
With the state in the midst of an affordability crisis that seems only to be worsening, New Jersey is looking for leadership. More than 65% of the population feels the state is on the wrong track and the poll numbers show that only 43% of the state inhabitants approve of Governor Jon Corzine while 46% disapprove of him. In the same poll 51% of respondents feel that Corzine should not be reelected.
This all indicates, that at this point, New Jersey wants “change”.
That makes it seem that the GOP has a great window of opportunity to climb through during the year leading up to next November’s state elections. But such is not the case as of yet.
Having no major media market of it’s own, New Jersey is stuck in between the most expensive and the third most expensive media markets in the nation, New York and Philadelphia. So reaching out to the whole state requires one to go through Philly in the South and New York in the North. This makes running a statewide campaign in Jersey quite expensive and money is something state Republicans don‘t have. This goes especially for the Governor’s race where incumbent Jon Corzine has spent tens of millions of his money in previous races. As a Wall Street millionaire he has the money and doesn’t have a problem trying to raise the funds to compete.
On top of that, state Republicans have not helped themselves. They have failed to provide any believable, appealing alternatives to those offered by Democrats.
They have also failed to provide any leader who inspires a sense of optimism and positive change.
State Senator Jennifer Beck
St. Sen. Joe Kyrillos
There are a number of Republicans inside and outside of the state legislature who are promising and could provide the party with the infusion of innovative ideas and inspirational voices that we need. People like State Senator’s Joe Kyrillos and Jennifer Beck. Former Assemblyman Paul DeGaetano is another and so is Morris County Freeholder John Murphy. Of those four, I am confident that Jennifer Beck will some day be our Governor or one of New Jersey’s two United States Senators but that is not so for this coming race. Time is needed for Senator Beck to establish herself. But for now, the greatest reason why none of these four will emerge as a likely candidate for governor in ’09 is money and name identification. The disjointed access to media in the state makes their names less than household names in the south and to become well known would take millions of unavailable dollars to their campaigns.
Assemblyman Richard Merkt
Regardless of the odds stacked against them one little known Assemblyman has declared his candidacy for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Assembly Richard Merkt made his intentions known for a few months now and although his voting record is conservative oriented, he still lacks the innovation of ideas that inspires anyone. The same goes for former and potential GOP candidate for the nomination Steve Lonegan.
Former Bogata, NJ Mayor Steve Lonegan
Lonegan’s ideas are quite conservative and he has a truly consistent conservative approach to government. But that in and of itself is a problem. Openly conservative candidates do not go over well in New Jersey. Especially under funded, conservative candidates. Like many other potential candidates, Lonegan is severely hampered by the lack of financial resources that will be available to him.
That brings us back to the beginning. What alternatives does New Jersey have to the current menage~a~tois between the Democrat governor and Democrat controlled state senate and assembly?
By losing Chris Christie in the corruption busting crusade to change government from the outside, he may now be the best person for Republicans to use to change government from the inside.
He has the name id that others would need to raise tens of millions of dollars to achieve.
He has a reputation of success, taking on government and government officials and for nonpartisanship.
All of this appeals to Jersey’s very large and crucial independent voting bloc and gives him a leg up.
If Chris Christie were to declare his candidacy for governor, for the reasons mentioned above, he would be a figure that people would automatically have reason to rally around.
If he ran on a platform of reform he could be one of the most effective candidates to do so, that the state has ever seen. Christie could discuss reform of the culture of government and corruption. He could call for the outlawing of the dual office holding which consolidates power and increases the opportunity for corruption. He could preach the virtues of reforming many of the practices that have led to illegal conduct in government that he prosecuted. He could promote the consolidation of municipal governments so that we reduce costs and reduce the opportunity for hundreds of governments to be corrupt.
Add to this other reforms such as those to our state’s economy, it‘s contract negotiation process, future pension plans, property taxes, education funding, infrastructure development and you have an agenda of reform that offers real hope to a state populations that wants change.
I do not know where Chris Christie stands on these issues. As a Republican I would hope that he believes in many of the ideological principles that make me a Republican. I would hope that he would want to reform New Jersey’s anti business atmosphere of over taxation which reduces job opportunities and growth. I would hope that he is willing to cut spending by reducing ineffectual programs, the size of government and it’s overabundance of government employees. I would hope that he understands that New Jersey is unaffordable to live in and that taxes must be cut in order to alleviate that problem.
Until I know where Christie stands on these issues, I can not say that he has my support. Besides he has not yet made his intentions known or announced his candidacy. If he does make such an announcement and runs for the Republican nomination, I hope he makes his ideological philosophy clear. Part of the reason for the failures of other recent statewide Republican candidacies is due to their unwillingness to distinguish themselves from Democrats. They have felt a need to go along to get along and it has not worked. There are plenty of Democrats to choose from in New Jersey and given the chance, residents of the state will choose a Democrat acting like a Democrat over a Republican acting like a Democrat on any given day.
With the reputation that he has already established, Chris Christie can offer conservative oriented initiatives and they can be well received. Unlike Steve Lonegan whose conservative philosophy is shadowed by a right wing image problem, Chris Christie has a more independent, nonpartisan image that can make any right leaning initiatives, that he offers up as reform, more palatable and acceptable to a liberal oriented electorate. Chris Christie is the only possible candidate who can do that at this point in time.
There is another potential candidate out there though.
John Crowley has a remarkable story. One so compelling that books have been written about it and actor Harrison Ford will be playing John Crowley in a movie about him.
Bio Tech Millionaire John Crowley
Crowley started his own bio tech business here in New Jersey. He started it not for profit but for survival. Survial of his new born children who were diagnosed with a rare and fatal disorder called Pompe disease. There were no treatments for the disease and since it was so rare, the pharameucitical and science industries did not bother with trying to find a cure. So began Crowley’s creation of a bio tech company that raced time to discover a cure. To date the company he statred to keep his children alive has done just that and his childrens lives have been extended as the treatments so far established have allowed John Crowley’s kids to ward off the worst of the disorders effects. There were many ups and down that the Crowley family took to get to this point but determination and clear thinking got them this far.
Now a multimillionaire, Crowley has pockets almost as deep as Governor Corzine. This gives him the chance to develop name id and possibly mount a competitive race against Corzine. He almost ran for US Senate against Frank Lautenberg but passed that up. Now he has expressed some possible interest in the race for Governor.
Although his financial situation might make Crowley viable, and his story is remarkably inspirational and proof oh his determination, where he stands on the issues is yet to be known.
The unknown positions of both Christie and Crowley prohibit me from leaning to one or the other and it should also prohibit others from doing so too. The way it currently stands, conservative Steve Lonegan has my initial philosophical support. But philosophical support is meaningless. It means as much as a Governor who has the right philosophy but can’t implement that philosophy into the application of government. My philosophical support must translate into tangible support. So should Crowley or Christie articulate ideological lines of thinking similar to Lonegan and an ability to implement them, they could easily win my physical support.
This makes declaring their candidacies as soon as possible, quite important.
New Jersey Republicans need to choose our gubernatorial nominee carefully and we need to close ranks around that nominee as quickly as we can. So the debate must begin and in order for that to happen we need to know who the debate is between and what the players stand for.
The most important declaration of candidacy happens to be Chris Christie’s. Many other potential candidates are awaiting his decision. If he runs, many others will bow out. If Chris Christie does not run, the field will fill up fast. Promising candidates like former candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, Freeholder John Murphy may just go for it again. His spirited, fresh faced, energetic, Trenton outsider image could shake things up quite a lot.
Freeholder John Murphy
In any event, Chris Christie is holding the greatest promise of hope for New Jersey. His crime busting reputation could be the making of New Jersey’s version of what Tom Dewey was to the state of New York and what Rudy Giuliani was to New York City………squeaky clean politicians who are reform minded, and inclined to creating prosperous governments that improve the quality of life for all it’s citizens.
That’s how it could be and if it is to be so, Chris Christie must first make intentions known quickly. The first week of the new year should be the latest for that decision.
Should Chris Christie decide to go for it then he must not be afraid to preach the Republican principles that have, more often than not, reformed government for the better.
Republican defeats have forced Republican candidates to sound like Trenton Democrats. Doing so has only helped to increase Republican losses at the ballot box. Chris Christie is poised to turn that all around but only if he leaves no doubt about his Republican inclinations and no doubts about his desire for the job.
A little girl asked her father, “Daddy? Do all Fairy Tales begin with ‘Once Upon A Time’?”
He replied, “No, there is a whole series of Fairy Tales that begin with ‘If elected I promise’.”
With the election results in, Politics 24/7 presents to you the Winners & Losers, a weekly wrap up of the week’s luckiest and most down trodden, the best and the worst, the top and the bottom.
In this, the innaugural edition of Politics 24/7’s Winners & Losers, we feature the lucky recipeints in the election week results.
LOSERS
HILLARY CLINTON –The concept of President-elect Barack Obama dashes Hillary’s hopes for possibly 8 years by which time a presidential run for her will probably not be in the cards.
RICK DAVIS -The man in charge of John McCain’s presidential campaign failed to pull any rabbits out of his hat and looks for others to put the blame on. He sucked and there is no need to look any further to find blame.
THE MEDIA-Since they turned against Hillary during the primaries, they spent the rest of this election proving that they were in the tank for Barack Obama. They used this election to prove that they are more biased commentators than unbiased newsbreakers.
ELIZABETH DOLE-Despite the anti-republican atmosphere, the North Carolina Senator was one of those few, rare republicans who could have kept her seat. Complacency and overconfidence while in office, a poorly run campaign and a desperate last minute attempt to win that tried to exploit religion in a harsh tv ad, ended her career on a low note.
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -No matter what, he gets the blame for Republicans losing and for the poor economy that helped put the nail in the coffin of Republicans running throughout the nation. Whether it’s his fault or not, he presided over the events we experienced and the buck ( or in this economy, the 25 cents which is the the equivalent of a buck), stops with him.
WINNERS
PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA -You may disagree with him but he won and he is now our president. Should he be? Maybe. Maybe not, that has yet be seen, but he established a campaign that did all the right things, established an exceptional ground game that didn’t just get him elected but won him a special place in history and allowed the United States to thankfully prove that although racism may exist, we can overcome it.
NANCY PELOSI & HARRY REID-As the leaders of the house and senate, they accomplished nothing during the past two years that they were in power. In fact their lackluster, liberal, leadership only helped hinder the Obama campaign. But despite it all they are rewarded with increased majorities and now they have one of their own in the White House. For Reid and Pelosi everyday will be Christmas for at least two years.
THE TWO DAVIDS–David Plouffe & David Axelrod, Barack Obama’s campaign manager and media strategists, respectively, orchestrated an effort that avoided landmines, sidelined the Clintons and made history. Their efforts may not have created the greatest and most creative presidential campaign we ever saw but it worked and achieved a first in American politics. There’s lots of power and money in their futures right now.
JOE THE BIDEN –He wasn’t going anywhere in his own right and as he approaches the end of his long political career, second banana isn’t the worst way to do it.
JOHN McCAIN & SARAH PALIN -Like him or not, he ran hard for what he believes in, served the nation in many different ways and did so above and beyond the call of duty. His campaign wasn’t very well run but that’s to be expected from a person who is less interested in politics than he is in getting good things done for the people. As for Sarah Palin, she can either build upon her fifteen minutes of national fame and re-enter national politics in as few as 4 years or she can just continue holding statewide elected office in Alaska for as long she wants Can you say Senator Palin? Either way, her future is bright.
Together, we must offer sincere congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama.
When, in a few short months, he becomes our 44th President, we must also accord to him the respect and support that an American President deserves from the American people.
Unlike many liberal elitists who have stated their desire to move to another country because a liberal did not win the White House, I do not entertain thoughts of fleeing the land that I love because Senator Obama won this election. I do not lose faith in my nation because of the conclusion that our democratic process reaches. Contrarily, I take pride in my nation’s ability to once again, participate in a peaceful change of power.
On top of that, in this particular case, there is an even greater sense of pride that I feel because of my nation’s ability to overcome long standing, wrongly held, racial biases. Unfortunately Barack Obama’s victory does not mark an end to racism but it does signal our true ability to overcome it.
In that sense, this election was a remarkable confirmation of America’s promise and for this, I am proud.
Admittedly, I may not be pleased with President-Elect Obama’s meteoric rise to power but that is not now, nor has it ever been, based on his color. Although leftists have tried to describe opposition to the Obama candidacy as something rooted in racism, the truth is that my displeasure has been based upon the diverging directions of policies that we have. Those differences will continue to actively fuel my civic duty as a responsible citizen and oppose President-Elect Obama on those initiatives that I feel are mistakes and support him on those that I believe are right and beneficial.
Despite philosophical and policy differences, his actual initiatives are to be judged, individually, and on their individual merits. Yet, regardless of those differences, I proudly embrace President-elect Obama and his future presidency.
On the foreign front, as my President, Barack Obama might be tested, as Vice President-Elect Biden mentioned. If that is so, any nation that might try to test him should know this……
Baracak Obama will be President of my nation and as such any threat against him is a threat against me. Neither President-Elect Obama or I take kindly to threats and neither do the rest of the Americans behind our soon to be President. So think carefully, very carefully, because although the face of the US presidency may have changed, the people haven’t. The American people are still the most generous, resourceful, feisty, vibrant, innovative people that you will come across and the materialization of any threat will encounter harsh and lasting consequences, sooner or later, by the American people on the ones responsible for those threats.
Domestically, despite differences on the issues , we must understand that President-Elect Obama is not the enemy and that his best interests are our best interests. The debate on taxes, energy education, immigration, and how best to defend and protect our nation may get rough but we need to recognize that the election is over and that we are one. As such we need to work as one. We should not need a 9/11 crisis to bring us together only in times of crisis. We should tackle all issues with the same unified vigilance that we have always employed during times of crisis. This does not mean we cannot disagree, it just means that we should allow the democratic process to resolve our differences the very same way that this election did, through vigorous debate of the issues and by arguing our approaches to the issues in the most convincing ways possible.
The election is over and no matter what, President-Elect Obama has won. He will be the President not of republicans or democrats, liberals or conservatives but of all of us who proudly call ourselves Americans.
The euphoria of victory for President-Elect Obama, will be short lived. Once the reality of the awesome responsibilities overtake the moment, euphoria will be replaced by burden. As with most Americans who have become President, I am sure that Barck Obama will rise to the occasion and to do so, he could use our good wishes and genuine support. It is the same type of support that one time President-Elect Bush could have used and it should not be denied to this President-Elect.
With that said, let the campaigning to determine who should lead us in the work that lies ahead come to a close and let the democratic process of governance begin.
Excelsior!
What Is Politics?
A little boy goes to his dad and asks, “What is politics?”
Dad says, “Well son, let me try to explain it this way: I’m the breadwinner of the family, so let’s call me capitalism. Your Mom, she’s the administrator of the money, so we’ll call her the Government. We’re here to take care of your needs, so we’ll call you the people. The nanny, we’ll consider her the Working Class. And your baby brother, we’ll call him the Future. Now, think about that and see if that makes sense,”
So the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what dad had said.
Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him. He finds that the baby has severely soiled his diaper. So the little boy goes to his parents’ room and finds his mother sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny’s room. Finding the door locked, he peeks in the keyhole and sees his father in bed with the nanny. He gives up and goes back to bed. The next morning, the little boy says to his father, “Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now.”
The father says, “Good son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about.”
The little boy replies, “Well, while Capitalism is screwing the Working Class, the Government is sound asleep, the People are being ignored and the Future is in deep poo.”
ACORN offers cigarettes to register the homeless to vote multiple times. Identification is not needed to prove you are who you say you are when voting. New Yorkers register false addresses in Ohio to change that states results. Mickey Mouse is even registered to vote for Obama in Florida. Members of the National Football league are erroneously registered to vote in Nevada ……
These are just some examples of the fraud being used to put Barack Obama over the top in the 2008 and election. Examples like this are widespread. They have sparked countless federal and state investigations but now, during the final hours of our historic quadrennial election, intimidation kicks into high gear.
Confirmed reports have just been released detailing that two Black Panthers have been guarding entranceways into polling places in Philadelphia. One brandished a nightstick. When asked to remove himself from the property the Obama enforcer refused.
Philadelphia police had to escort the Black Panther away.
Random incident?
Nothing that occurs in the Obama campaign is random. Voter fraud is sponsored by the Obama/Biden campaign through coordinated activities with ACORN and so is their “Give Over Your Vote” effort.
Is there a racial component to all this? Well liberals will accuse the delivery of these facts to be racist propoganda. But when considering the facts in this case, critics of voter intimidation would say that a Black Panther guarding the entrance to a polling site has a racial component to it. The Obama enforcers refusing to leave while shouting “you can’t stop a black man from winning this election” just confirms it.
If Black Panthers with nightsticks are being used as poll workers, I can’t wait to see what type of people will be used to fill out the presidential cabinet of a Barack Obama administration.
All indications are that by as early as 8:30 pm, on the east coast, we will be having to get accustomed to hearing the words “President-Elect Obama.”
The only question that seems to really remain is whether or not Obama will win by a landslide or not. It won’t make a difference how much he wins by, a win is a win, but having already baptized Barack Obama as the King of Kings, the media needs to create some kind of suspense.
Yet, despite the polls I have a feeling that polls are a bit off.
We know that all the polls have been recalibrated to make up for assumed higher democratic turnout as well as a higher than normal number of first time, younger and African-American voters. In trying to adjust their polling results for these anticipated factors, pollsters have intentionally polled more democrats than usual. That would of course account for more positive results for democrats than for republicans.
Given the current political atmosphere such tweaking of the polls probably does reflect the actual voter turnout and help to make the poll results more accurate. Probably, but not definitely. I have a feeling that many of theses polls, which already have a liberal bend to them, may have been bent toward the left much further than necessary .
If that is the case, it still does not mean that Obama is not favored in this election. He is, but I don’t think by quite as much as the polls would have us believe. I hope not anyway.
In fact “hope” is what I am really going on here. Hope and a sense that not quite everyone is convinced that Barack Obama is the great savior that liberals make him out to be. In fact I do believe that many people see Barack Obama as an unaccomplished blowhard who only has experience with running his mouth.
The hopeful sense of something not being right with the polls and that most people do not trust Obama, leads me to make a hail Mary pass and predict McCain to be the winner. This sense of hope is reached because I do not believe most people trust Obama’s experience and believe him to be sincere. I also think they do not appreciate his promise to spread the wealth through increasing the size and scope of government.
Additionally I believe that Obama has not closed the sale in these final days.
Given the undeniably negative atmosphere for republicans and the undeniable popularity of state and local democrat candidates further down the ballot, Obama should be ahead by a lot more than he actually is. Given the popularity of local democrats, Obama’s poll numbers are much lower than they should be.
So it is with more of a sixth sense than facts that leads me to predict that John McCain will win with 286 electoral votes to
This leap of faith gives McCain the most hotly contested states of Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. If he can actually win Pennsylvania and Virginia it would also indicate that other hotly contested battlegrounds states like Missouri and Nevada are also likely to trend towards McCain, so I also call them for him.
Is this likely? If you believe in some of the polls, no, its not. But I believe in miracles. I have made myself believe that even though McCain’s campaign sucked and never properly articulated our case, the right combination of people in the right number of states know that this election is less about personalities and more about ideologies. I believe that enough people know that the differences between Obama and McCain are wide. They understand that on the economy one moves to socialism and the other tries to strengthen our economy. That one wants to raise taxes and spread a small amount of wealth while the other wants to lower taxes and spread the opportunity to achieve greater wealth. I still believe that most Americans prefer the candidate who waves the American flag more than the candidate who wants America to wave the white flag of surrender.
If such sentiments do exist, maybe people are not voting as much for McCain or Obama as they are for the principles that they represent. If that is the case than I truly believe that most people support the American way over the old Soviet way. I believe most people believe more in John McCain’s way than Obama’s way.
All of this causes me to feel that we just might relive a “Dewey Defeats Truman-like episode in history.
The problem with that thinking though, is that back in 1948 polls were only taken up till the week before the election. The data that the media was basing their projections on did not include the seven days leading up to the election. They did not capture the undecided voters who broke for Truman during the closing days of that election.
Today, polls are being taken and interpreted up to the very last minute. That makes up for the mistakes that were made when The Chicago Tribune erroneously declared that Tom Dewey beat President Harry Truman. But a boy can dream, can’t he? History does repeat itself, occasionally. So maybe, just maybe we can be experiencing a little déjà vu. Maybe the apparent tightening of the polls in these closing days are being undervalued and causing pollsters to underestimate the depth of support for John McCain’s candidacy.
My heart tells me McCain does it. Logic tells me that Obama will be President. But, like millions of Americans who are voting for Obama based on his appealing to their hearts more than their heads, on this one, I am going with my heart and believing that Senator John McCain will win and spare our nation from a costly education in socialism.
Twas the Night Before Elections . . .
Twas the night before elections
And all through the town
Tempers were flaring
Emotions all up and down!
I, in my bathrobe
With a cat in my lap
Had cut off the TV
Tired of political crap.
When all of a sudden
There arose such a noise
I peered out of my window
Saw Obama and his boys
They had come for my wallet*
They wanted my pay*
To give to the others*
Who had not worked a day!*
He snatched up my money
And quick as a wink
Jumped back on his bandwagon
As I gagged from the stink
He then rallied his henchmen
Who were pulling his cart
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart!
On Fannie, on Freddie,
On Biden and Ayers!
On Acorn, On Pelosi’
He screamed at the pairs!
They took off for his cause
And as he flew out of sight
I heard him laugh at the nation
Who wouldn’t stand up and fight!
So I leave you to think
On this one final note-
IF YOU DONT WANT SOCIALISM
GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!
New Jersey is a state in crisis. A manmade crisis that has created a state that is unaffordable and a government that is inconsequential. For more than 5 years little has come out of its state capital to make much of a difference in the lives of its approximately 8,725,000 people. Yet from its lush green, rolling hills and mountainous peeks in its northwestern corner to its Victorian Painted Ladies along Cape May on its southern seaside corner, New Jerseyans are battered, burdened and brushed aside by a state legislature that is as effective as a sail boat without a sail. From it’s northern mountains to it’s southern shores and all the suburban sprawl in between, New Jersey’s citizens suffer. While most of the nation is realizing a national economic pinch, New Jerseyans are trying to cope with an economic punch.
Rising prices across the nation only compound the rising cost of living in New Jersey. Costs that have been increasing every month since the states liberal led assembly and senate went to work with disgraced former Governor Jim McGreevey and than his successor, former Goldman Sachs financial genius, Governor Jon Corzine. It is a liberal menage-a-tois that has done nothing with our state problems accept make them more expensive.
Ever since Corzine took office, all we have seen in New Jersey are new proposed taxes and rate hikes. Our Governor has proposed everything from ridiculously high, progressive, toll increases on our critical roads, to creating new tolls on roads that have not had a one before. When he first came into office he invented a whole new slew of taxes. One even took advantage of the state’s motto by implementing a tax on any landscaping or planting of shrubbery and flowers. Now that’s one way to keep the garden in “the Garden State”, isn’t it?
Despite the despair of its citizens, state government in New Jersey simply adds to the high cost of living in the state. They have done little to curb the excesses of it’s own governance or of public employee and teachers unions who hold us hostage to their whims, little to improve public transportation, public safety, education, or any quality of life issues that affect us. What they have done is cost us a lot more for a lot less and created one of, if not the most, unfriendly business environments in the nation.
But even though the state of the state is in the midst of malaise, you would never know that there was an election in New Jersey. Its liberal loving legions are undoubtedly voting for Barack Obama to become our next President. It is so definite that neither Obama or McCain have wasted anytime or money in the state since they got their party’s nominations. But even putting the presidential election aside, you would think that there would be some acknowledgment of the fact that we have an election for the United States Senate going on here. Yet, you would never know it.
Even though it is an election for federal, not state office, you would think the people of New Jersey might have an ounce of interest in trying to better the conditions of our state by electing someone who’s representation of us in Washington, DC could help to benefit us here in New Jersey. But such is not the case.
Instead the four term incumbent Senator Frank Lautenberg is going to be sworn in to a fifth term in office as one of the two very best New Jerseyans to represent us in Washington, DC. It would actually be a laughable arrangement if it wasn’t so pathetically sad.
For twenty-four years Mr. Lautenberg has represented New Jersey in the federal government by promoting his own self interests. He has not made one iota of difference for the state or the nation since his first term in office.
Over two decades ago Senator Lautenberg spearheaded efforts to eliminate smoking on airplanes. During that same first term he was instrumental in effectively raising the legal age for drinking from 18 years of age to 21, throughout the nation. Lautenberg fought hard for the passage of his legislation that linked federal funding to states for their roads to their raising the legal drinking age. No state wanted to lose out on the federal money available to maintain and build their roads. So this resulted in a uniform legal drinking age throughout the nation and prevented teens from driving across state lines so that they could legally drink in one state and then get behind the wheel to drive back to their home state while intoxicated. The bill may have actually saved lives. It was a responsible and, at the time, a creative measure.
But since that first time in office, Frank Lautenberg has produced nothing. His name has joined many others on various liberal pieces of legislation but the extent of his efforts stopped after allowing a staffer to put his name on the bill.
Lautenberg has not been in the forefront of any legislative initiatives or in the lead in opposition to any legislation. Frank Lautenberg has provided no solutions to our nations problems. For display he has simply offered a press release or sound bite in regards to issues, but little, very little, more than that.
On taxes Frank Lautenberg has never opposed an increase that has been proposed. On the budget, the only thing he has endorsed cutting is spending on our national defenses. He has never once moved to significantly reduce government spending or it’s size.
His spending habits are perhaps best exemplified by his staff. It is one of the three highest paid staffs in the entire US Senate. This is odd when you realize that he is one of the least active members of the senate. Yet his staff is occupied by countless consultants and a number of state directors. Even though New Jersey is a relatively small state, Mr. Lautenberg requires three state directors, including a number of South Jersey directors. These are obviously patronage positions made available to help consolidate Lautenberg’s power. South Jersey is where his greatest challenges to re-election come from. It is where Congressman Bob Andrew comes from and where he challenged Lautenberg for the nomination from.
Even though New Jersey ranks last among all states in the amount of return on the dollar we recieve from Washington, Frank’s staff is one of the highest paid in the federal government and for what? Two press releases a week and his seal of approval for a far left agenda?
The fact is that until this election rolled around one had to take pause and try to recall if Frank Lautenberg was still in the U.S. Senate. The man was scarce and his accomplishment are even more scarce. Now that he is running for re-election he has tried to demonstrate himself as a doer. He most recently proclaimed great pride in what one ad described as his forcing homeland security money to be allocated by need rather than politics. It might be a powerful issue if it were true. First of all, Lautenberg, as well as his senate cohort Bob Menendez, have brought back little money from Washington to New Jersey. In the case of homeland security money, what the state did receive was being allocated by a liberal led state legislature and governor who only gave the money to districts that were represented by Democrats. This pattern finally and only changed after Republican lawmakers took the issue to court. Then and only then was the allocation of homeland security dollars doled out based upon the security needs it was meant for.
The truth is that Frank has little to run on. It is hard to have to go back more than two decades in order to demonstrate ones effectiveness.
Not that it matters. This is New Jersey. Here. where liberals rule, two plus two does not equal four. In fact, here in New Jersey, just adding two plus two together costs you 5 in new taxes and then you must subtract the total of the equation and give that amount to the union whos leader slept with Governor Corzine and negotiated contracts behind closed doors.
So common sense is not something that you find a large quantity of New Jersey. It is something that we have to import from neighboring states and in the Northeast it is hard to find. But it explains why Lautenberg is being rewarded with a fifth term in office. That and the fact that the New Jersey Republican party is so unorganized and out of touch with the ability to tap into the political despair that we are in, all accounts for why one would not know that there was election for the US Senate in Jersey.
Lautenberg is the wealthy owner of ADP, the paycheck service that rakes in millions for producing the checks that many American’s receive for their livings. So he has oodles of dough and even has the financial backing of the Democratic National Committee and the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.
The Republican nominee does not have Frank’s wealth, nor does he have the great deal of money coming to him from the RNC or Senate Republican Campaign Committees. They’re tapped out.
On top of that Frank Lautenberg even refuses to debate the issues and will not go face to face with his opponent.
All of this makes the fact that there is a race for the United States Senate in New Jersey, a well kept secret, much like Frank Lautenberg’s accomplishments.
But there is a race and it’s one that could truly help to turn the tide of inaction and lack of solutions or innovation in this state. It could come from Dick Zimmer.
Dick Zimmer is a former 3 term Republican congressman. While in office Congressman Zimmer brought about more productive measures in just one of his two year terms than any of Frank Lautenberg’s four, six year terms in office.
While in office Congressman Zimmer fought wasteful government spending. When it came to his own staff budget, unlike Frank Lautenberg who uses every dime given to him to have one of the highest paid federal staffs in government, Zimmer returned money that his staff budget didn’t require, to the federal government. He even tried to pass legislation that required unused portions of staff budgets to be returned to the federal government and applied to deficit reduction.
As a congressman, Dick Zimmer’s fiscal conservatism and legislative initiatives earned him the title of “Taxpayer Hero” by Citizens Against Government Waste each year he was in office.
Zimmer’s zealotry did not stop with economic issues though. He proved himself to be a man of great social conscience and activism. When a toddler in New Jersey was brutally assaulted and murdered by a convicted sex offender who recently moved into the girls neighborhood, Dick Zimmer made government work for the people and he wrote and fought for passage of the federal legislation known as Megan’s Law which mandated that parents be notified when a convicted sex offender moves into their neighborhood.
Zimmer was also responsible for no frills laws which eliminated luxuries in federal prisons for criminals who were there to be punished instead of comforted.
He did this while also never allowing the United States to roll over in the face of international opposition or belligerent enemies. Zimmer knows that the best America is a strong America, not just militarily but economically as well as educationally.
These are but a few examples of Dick Zimmer’s active participation in government. They exemplify his ability to implement improvements into our lives through a government that he helps to make work for us, not be a burden on us.
Dick Zimmer knows that the purpose of holding elected office is not for the title or ability to hand out patronage to consolidate power. He knows that it is an opportunity to empower the people he represents and a chance to improve lives through legislative action as opposed to putting out press release announcing that he put his name on someone’s legislation.
Frank Lautenberg on the other hand has spent about two decades proving that he knows how to make government work for him. It finances his patronage mill and pays him well to do nothing more than repeat the words of some of his more active and innovative liberal buddies in the Senate.
Perhaps the most accurate description of Frank Lautenberg and his long, lackluster waste of time in the Senate is best exemplified by the Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Station in Secaucus, New Jersey. Built at a cost of more than 600 million dollars the transportation committee that Lautenberg chaired invested our tax dollars in it because of the dire need to expand and improve public transportation in New Jersey. Here in New Jersey one must drive everywhere. You must even drive long distances to catch a train to somewhere. So this terminal was built in Northern New Jersey where there is a need to help increase public transportation to and from neighboring New York City.
The More Than $600 Million Dollar, Empty, Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Terminal in Secaucus
Well the genius of the transportation committee, under Lautenberg’s leadership, allocated the money and after years of construction it was finally finished. It’s a beautifully cavernous, multi leveled facility and it was humbly named after the man who designated the money for it…..Frank R. Lautenberg. Well years later it still stands but it does so empty. With no parking made available anywhere near the facility, it is impossible for commuters to access it and so except for the occasional tourist in world famous Secaucus, New Jersey, no one uses it.
So here we have a useless, hollow monument to Senator Lautenberg that cost a lot but does little. It’s just like it’s namesake. Senator Lautenberg is a useless living fossil who costs taxpayers a lot but does little for them.
It’s time to retire Senator Lautenberg. It was time for his retirement 8 years ago when he did retire only to be brought back to run for the senate when Senator Bob Toricelli was found guilty of accepting gifts and other bribes. When it became obvious that he was not going to win re-election, state democrat leaders illegally took Torricelli off the ballot and replaced his name with Lautenberg’s.
Let’s face it folks, we have gotten all that we can we out of Lautenberg. He was devoid of ideas and enthusiasm after his first term more than 18 years ago. Since than we have been waiting for him to do something worth anyone’s while. How many more terms in office does he need to provide us with something meaningful?
When all of New Jersey’s major daily newspapers, liberally biased newspapers, from the Asbury Park Press to the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Gloucester County Times to the Courier Post have endorsed Dick Zimmer, a Republican, you know that there is something wrong and that something is Frank Lautenberg.
With all the problems that are going unaddressed or worsening here in New Jersey, it is time that we shake things up. It’s time for some new thinking and representation in Washington that can help make the federal government work better for us than our state government does.
It’s time for Dick Zimmer.
So this Tuesday, November 4, 2008, regardless of who you cast your presidential vote for, be sure to vote for New Jersey and cast your ballot for Dick Zimmer for US Senate.
Even if his time hasn’t come, we know for sure that Frank Lautenberg’s time has gone.
Presidential Summit
There was a presidential summit and the presidents of the world were asked to propose topics to discuss about.
The president of the United States said, “I think we’d see about how to stop wars.” Everybody applauded.
The president of Somalia said, “I think we’d see about how to stop hunger.” Everybody applauded.
The president of Costa Rica stood up and said, “I think…” Everybody applauded.
As far away from the dysfunctional mentality of politics as Alaska is from Washington, D.C.
There are quite a few critics of Sarah Palin out there. They don’t outnumber her supporters but they are louder than those who stand by her. Her supporters are not among the Hollywood elite or the newsroom water coolers. They are not the ones at the Emmy’s accepting trophies for their mindless portrayal of some lovelorn, sex and drug addicted, mistress on a never ending daytime soap opera. They’re not the ones sitting on sofas and describing their view of things while they wave their diamond, bedazzled fingers in the air during animated conversations from the insides of a studio.
No, supporters of Sarah Palin are the people who are hard at work during the day establishing their views based upon the real lives that they live. They are the people who appreciate the changing courses in Sarah Palin’s life which brought her to the vice presidential nomination.
Her critics like to make of fun her religious values and belittle her mayoral experience. When making fun of those characteristics doesn’t get them far, they attribute fictitious actions to her in the name of her faith or in the line of her duty. Yet, admirers of Palin appreciate the changing paths that brought her leadership to them. They appreciate the fact that by drawing from her personal, religious faith, she has functioned with sincerity, bravery , confidence and conviction. And she has done so without enforcing that personal faith on others and intruding on their own beliefs.
For all those who denounce Sarah Palin and her selection for the vice presidential nomination, I suggest that they take forty minutes out of their lives and get a grip on their loose cannon critiques of her. Pick up a copy of….
SARAH: How A Hockey Mom Turned
Alaska’s Political Establishment Upside Down by Kaylene Johnson, Epic Press
Long before Sarah Palin was nominated for Vice President, Alaskan author Kaylene Johnson penned this quick read because she felt the story around this new Governor of Alaska was remarkable. Obviously she was right. The 140 or so pages of this paperback, details Palin’s path from small town girl to big time leader.
In it you get a sense of her unintentional role as David going after Goliath and you come to realize that Sarah Palin is not your typical politician। You will understand that she never set out to conquer the world. She simply set out to do her part in the world and fell into circumstances that forced her right the wrongs she found and to stop those who tried to use the system to short change the people around them. As each page in this book turns you develop a sense of how Sarah Palin was never driven to put her name on any ballot to fulfill some aching desire for greatness or the admiration of millions. Unlike many vain politicians who seek the praise of others and set out to achieve personal greatness, Sarah truly set out to do what she felt needed to be done and in doing so, greatness found her.
It is a simple story but it is also a powerful one। One that will allow people to understand why John McCain selected this woman who was relatively unknown to the lower 48, but is a hero to fellow Alaskans. Readers will come to realize that Sarah Palin was not picked for looks or her gender or to try to win over jilted Hillary supporters. She was picked because she is a doer and because she is as far removed from the dysfunctional mentality and workings of Washington as her state is. She was picked because her direction and leadership offers what all Americans, regardless of their gender, needs…….honesty, integrity and sincerity of purpose. You will see that in choosing Sarah Palin, John McCain took on a partner who is the antithesis of all that is wrong in politics. Someone who cares not about the comfort of the political class but the needs of the working class.
If you think you hate Sarah Palin or if you thought you liked her, read this book.
After reading it, Palin critics will have to reassess their opinions and mindless attacks। Fans of Palin will be wanting to run her for President instead of John McCain and they will better understand why the left is infatuated with here and fixated on tearing her down.
George W. Bush, in an airport lobby, noticed a man in a long flowing white robe with a long flowing white beard and flowing white hair. The man had a staff in one hand and some stone tablets under the other arm.
George W. approached the man and inquired, “Aren’t you Moses?”
The man ignored George W. and stared at the ceiling.
George W. positioned himself more directly in the man’s view and asked again, “Hey there! Aren’t you Moses?”
The man continued to peruse the ceiling.
George W. tugged at the man’s sleeve and asked once again, “HEY THERE! Aren’t you Moses???”
The man finally responded in an irritated voice, “Yes, I am.”
George W., a bit peeved at this point then asked, “Why the cold shoulder?”
To which Moses replied, “The last time a bush spoke to me I ended up spending forty years in the wilderness.”
With the new year here, we have the opportunity to reflect on the year gone by and to thank the passage of time for resolving some situations. While some happenings in 2008 came and went, other events of 2008 still require time, time that will absorb much of 2009 and even beyond.
So today, before we forge ahead with the rest of this new year, we reflect on the events that shaped politics and the politics that shaped events, by presenting to you the 10 most significant political stories of the year that helped to get us where we are today.
TONY SNOW
10. – THE DEATHS OF TIM RUSSERT and TONY SNOW
TIM RUSSERT
Both of these men loved politics. For a time they were both involved in politics on different sides of the aisle and during a different time they covered both sides of the aisle in politics . Tony Snow started in print and broadcast journalism delivering political news and commentary and ended his career in politics as the Press Secretary for President Bush. Tim Russert began in politics working for a political legend, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York and ended covering politics on NBC. As host of Meet The Press, Tim became a part of every American household and despite his personal left leaning tendencies Tim Russert was respected for probing questions that were leveled at liberals and conservatives alike. Tony Snow was also a partisan. For decades he was a favorite in conservative circles, yet when delivering a news story people of every party carefully listened to the insightful delivery of facts that he presented. His last major endeavor was one that helped provide the White House with the ability to properly convey the right messages. Tony served as Press Secretary for 17 months. Probably the most understandable 17 months of the Presidents two terms in office. Tim Russert died after suffering a massive heart attack on Jun 13th at the age of 58 and Tony Snow died after battling colon cancer on July 12th at the age of 53. In life they shaped politics and political opinion. In death, they left us a legacy of lessons and examples to follow.
FORMER NY GOVERNOR ELLIOT SPITZER
9 . – IS THAT CAMPAIGN MONEY IN YOUR POCKET OR ARE YOU JUST GLAD TO SEE ME?
The Empire State helped to set a tone for 2008 when early in the year, New York’s Governor, Elliot Spitzer got caught up in scandal. After serving only 14 months in office the rising Democrat star found himself standing next to his wife announcing his resignation. Suspicious transfers of money in and out of Spitzer’s bank account led federal investigators to believe that he might be taking bribes. However their probe discovered that for over several years Spitzer wasn’t taking bribes, he was paying out at least $80,000 for prostitutes. The period covered his tenure as New York’s Attorney General as well as his brief time as Governor. The happiest people of all in this episode were David Paterson and New Jersey. As Spitzer’s Lieutenant Governor, Paterson, became New York’s first African American Governor, and the nation’s first legally blind one. New Jersey was just happy to know that they were no longer the only state in the region to lose a governor because of sexual scandals and illegal conduct.
8. – WEEKEND AT KIM’S
NOT WANTED but is he dead or alive?
Around August rumors began to circulate that North Korea’s obscure and, to put it kindly, eccentric leader, Kim Jong-Il, was dead. Since then no reputable sources have either seen him or heard from him. Not that that is unusual, few people have ever heard or seen Kim Jong-Il, but what is unusual are recent decisions that Kim Jong-Il supposedly made to eliminate efforts to develop nuclear power. Did Kim make that decision? Is North Korea really abandoning nuclear ambitions? Or is North Korea propping up Kim Jong-Il, like a bad, out of sync, Korean version of “Weekend At Bernie’s” while a different, unknown, brain dead ruler is pulling the strings and, at the same time, trying to pull the wool over our eyes? All jokes aside, the sensitivity of the situation is a dire one. Chaos on the Korean Peninsula could create a ripple effect that no one can afford. Dramatic events could alter sensitive relations with South Korea and negotiations with the United States. All of which could result in tensions throughout the world including those involving hard feelings between North Korea and Japan. And let us not forget North Korea’s greatest ally, China. With their booming economy, the Chinese are ambitious. Knowing who is in charge of things could be helpful in 2009.
BID WELL TO FIDEL?
7. – BID WELL FIDEL?
In 1959 Cuba took on the face of Fidel Castro. Just 90 miles off of our shores, Cuban communism and Castro were too close for comfort. As much as we didn’t like it, invasions, coups and even assassination attempts did not eliminate Castro’s hold on power. However, time did reduce Castro’s influence. As time changed most of the world, Castro and Cuba didn’t but the logistics which helped to make him a thorn in our side did change. The, once feared communist Soviet-Cuban relationship lost it’s potency as the Soviet Union lost it’s hammer and sickle. As time went by, our concerns with Cuba focused more on human rights for Cubans than defense from Cuba. So it was still welcome news when, in February, we discovered that an ailing Fidel Castro was resigning from office. Not that it mattered much. Before stepping down, Fidel told the Cuban Communist Party that they were too elect his brother Raul to be the new Commander in Chief. The event did not change things very much but after almost 50 years in power, and events such as the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Elian Gonzales and other disconcerting situations, as minor as the effects of this change may be, Fidel’s painstakingly slow departure from the world stage is welcomed and ranks as the seventh most dramatic political occurrence of 2008.
6. – THE GEOGIAN-RUSSIAN WAR
It was not a battle that reshaped Europe again but the surprising developments that caused the Russian Army to invade a neighboring, breakaway Republic with internationally recognized sovereignty, gave us all a glimpse of reality. It may not be the Soviet Union anymore but a bear by any other name is still a bear and the vulnerabilities of newly formed and reformed European nations and those with relatively new freedoms still offer some new Russian leaders the same old reasons for wanting control. The incident helped to demonstrate that freedom in parts of Europe is still a fragile concept.
ROD "How much do 'ya want" BLAGOJEVICH
5. – THE EBAY APPOINTMENT
2008 ended with a story that will carry well into the first months of 2009. As President-Elect Obama vacated his seat in the U.S. Senate, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich began a private auction process to determine who will fill the vacancy. As investigators, under the direction of federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, investigated Blagojevich for numerous improprieties, they discovered that he was basing his appointment to the senate seat on who could give him the most for it. Blago wanted either a “cushy union” job, a high paying cabinet position or at the very least an enormous financial campaign contribution. After being arrested the Illinois state legislature began impeachment proceedings against Blagojevich and he began digging in his heals refusing to resign. The events have the potential for drawing in some big name co-conspirators and participants. From Rep. Jesse Jackson, jr. to President -Elect Obama’s incoming Chief of Staff, Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuelle, many reputations may yet be questioned in this scandal. And to make things even more interesting, Blagojevich took the opportunity to raise the stakes and named Roland Burris, a long time, old line, liberal Chicago Democrat party machine hack to replace Barack Obama. Not at all concerned with peoples faith in government, or the integrity of the process, Burriss accepted the tainted appointment and in doing so, puts the United States and it’s Democrat leader, Harry Reid in the position of denying to seat someone that would be the only African American in the United States Senate. So coming in as the fifth top political occurrence in 2008 is the story that will keep on bleeding and keep us reading…..the process to replace a Barack Obama in the senate.
4. – BRINGING OUTSIDERS IN
GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN
One of the most important political decisions made in 2008 was John McCain’s selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for Vice President on the Republican ticket. It was a controversial choice for some and one of the only right decisions made in the opinions of others. No matter how you see it, it remains one of the most spoken about political stories of the year. Beyond the newsworthiness are the implications. For many it was a sign of the fact that government needs thinking that is as far removed from the Washington D.C. mentality as Alaska is from Washington D.C itself. Many Americans are tired of Washington politics and want common sense as opposed to the one hand washes the other, old boys bureaucracy that we perceive as screwing us more than helping us. Sarah Palin embodied, and still does embody, that thinking. She is a political outsider who became a Governor by opposing the political class while representing the working class. Without abandoning conservative Republican principles, Sarah Palin fought against corrupt Republican and liberal politicians. Although picking Sarah Palin for Vice President may have been the right decision for John McCain, trying to restrict and control her wasn’t. By trying to script Sarah Palin, the McCain campaign lost out on the greatest advantageous quality Palin brought to the ticket…….her anti-establishment, outsider qualities. As McCain lost the election for President, Sarh Palin won exposure. Exposure that has made her a person who conservatives look forward to advancing the cause and for Americans to have to consider for national leadership in the future. So at number four in 2008 is the selection of Sarah Palin for Vice President. Thank you senator McCain!
3. – “OILS WELL” IN THE ECONOMY?
The price of oil ranks third on our list of top stories. As prices for a barrel of oil soared to heights in excess of 150 dollars a barrel , gas prices flew up to over 4 dollars a gallon and the ripple effects raise the cost of everything from milk, eggs and bread to lumber, air fares, and life in general. The high cost of energy generated heated debates over domestic oil drilling, and pushed issues like immigration and terrorism off of the front burners in the race for President. Based upon the duration of the immediate negative effects of the price of oil combined with its ripple effects on the economy, its control of the political agenda and the long term policy initiatives that it created, oil prices is number 3 in ‘08. It is also likely to become a top story again, at least around August of ‘09, when the now delightfully low prices we see rise back up.
2. – THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA
PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA
Putting all political opinion aside, Barack Obama ran a long hard campaign, that Republican strategists are dissecting in order to reproduce in elections of their own. The Obama campaign not only effectively tapped into voter dissatisfaction, they organized it and organized it well. Their utilization of the internet was exemplary and their ability to win favor through eloquence and style over substance and fact was done to political perfection. Despite some pitfalls such as Bill Ayers, ACORN, Rev. Wright, admitting a desire akin to socialism by stating that he wanted to spread the wealth, Barack Obama won big. To do so his campaign raised historic amounts of money and more than just raising that money, they spent it right and put it to good use. A use that mobilized the forces well enough to produce his substantial victory. The election of President-Elect Barack Obama comes in second not only because of how he won but because he did win. His victory marked the election of America’s first African American President. Like any other first, it is notable and in this case it is profoundly notable. It demonstrates an undeniable ability for our nation to overcome racial differences and the evidence of decency overcoming prejudice is promising. The effects of President-Elect Obama’s leadership are yet to be seen but the lessons learned and points made by his election are unquestionable.
1 . – BAIL OUT MANIA
POLITICS 24/7 considers the 700 billion dollar bailout that the federal government approved to be the most profound and important story of 2009. Not only was the suggested need for this bailout indicative of our wrong ways of the past, it signaled a continuation of wrong ways in the future. Our promotion of spending as the answer to all of our problems has created generations ands a government that spend beyond our means. The 700 billion dollar bailout meant to solve our problems didn’t solve our anything, it just provided a quick fix. It did however, create more problems. It has called upon more people and more industries to put their own hands out. The bailout set in motion a sense of government control that has taken freedom, with all of it’s risks and promises, out of the free market and it has helped to move America closer to the socialism that we have fought against in the past. Many major events come and go in politics. What we once saw as earth shattering developments often become something that we later laugh about but we fear that bailout trend established in 2008 is no laughing matter for any time.
2008 was an intense year. There were many events and some of the most dramatic ones did not involve politics. Human nature played a role in all of them though and hopefully our better instincts will drive the events and politics of 2009.
With that in mind we wish everyone a happy new year and hope that our better instincts help to make each and every day better than the last.
All across America a new trend is developing. It is not inspired by the pages of Vogue or GQ. It is not sparked by Madonna’s latest outfit in a new music video or trend initiated by the latest fashions on the red carpets of Hollywood or the catwalks and runways of New York or Paris.
3. – “OILS WELL” IN THE ECONOMY?
1 . – BAIL OUT MANIA
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