Will the GOP win in 2010?

With victories in Virginia and New Jersey republicans are salivating over the prospects of winning in 2010. With the democrats in control of the White House, congress and the Senate and unable to make legislative progress on any major fronts.
The GOP has a message that resonates with voters. A bank bailout and stimulus package that has left the economy in shambles the democrats are scrambling to get the health care reform passed. While Obama was an attractive as a presidential candidate he has found out the hard way how difficult the job of president really is. He must be willing to make hard decsions in the face of criticism. He should heed the advice of his predecessor former Pres. Bush that his enemies wont be the republicans but his fellow democrats. While health care is important but that he must get many parties to agree with him. He must rise up to the occassion as commander in chief and make a decision. He is the person in charge so he alone must make the decision. The problem here is that we are already in Afghanistan and so our troops are awaiting a decision while defending our freedom.

The race is on for the governorship

There are seven candidates who have announced their intentions to run for governor. A notable candidate is not running former congressman Jim Ramstad. Former Senator Norm Coleman has yet to decide whether he will run for governor. Coleman previously ran in 1998. So far the contendors are Rep. Marty Seifert, former Speaker Steve Sviggum, former state auditor Pat Anderson, Rep. Laura Brod, former Rep. Bill Haas, State Senator David Hahn.

The pundits, media wrong about Sarah Palin

Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska recently announced that she will be vacating her job as governor of Alaska. I think that the pundits and the media are wrong. Palin clearly has a unique brand. She galvanizes conservatives and irritates and annoys the political establishment and national media. Even after being the running mate to then republican candidate John McCain the media continued its attack on Sarah Palin--Why? Because now they have a strong conservative they must compete with. Why? Because women have been told if they want to be a strong feminist they must be liberal. Sarah Palin is a serious threat to the feminist movment and that is why there is an all out assault on her. I dont blame her for resigning her governership. I didnt think the smear tactics could have gotten any worse than during the Bush administration but clearly the left does not like Palin and with allies in the media this makes their job that much easier. It was pretty obvious about this when they went after Palins children. The media has a constitutional respeonsiblity to hold our politicians acccountablility but they are clearly more interesting in ruining the reputations of good people rather than bringing the powerful to justice when necessary.

Is the goverment going to cutback...soon? Capitalism to the rescue

While many Americans and businesses have been forced to do with less and cut back the same has not been true for government. The government has typically gone into 300-400 billion deficits in the last few years. The government is reporting that we will be $1.6Trillion this year! The projections are also not looking good and is in fact going to increase. The only areas that are actually having real job growth is in government. That means that the government will be taking more of our rights and deciding who gets to have what and who gets to do what. I am always concerned about this because everyone seems to have a different definition of a living standard. The market should decide not the government. Why? Because history has shown that a standard of living based on the governments standard is considerably lower than the market standard ie the United States. For example when you have state controls like China, North Korea, former Soviet Union you have considerably lower standard of living. Countries that generally let the market decide tend to have a higher standard of living like the United States, Europe, and Asia. The free market certainly is not perfect but its the best that the human condition has brought us thus far. Yes, we are currently experiencing the ugly side of capitalism but in the long term capitalism trumps government every time. The irony is that capitalism is what will help China and Russia become great powers again.

Governor Pawlenty blindsides Legislative Leaders

With a Democrat controlled legislature, Governor Pawlenty made the boldest political move of his career angering democrats. Pawlenty at a press conference surrounded by fellow republicans stated that he would sign the spending bills approved by the legislature including the tax increases except that he would use line item vetoe and unallotments at his descretion to balance the states budget. He stated that the time for politics as usual is over and that the regular session would end on time. He also stated that he would be willling to work with legislators but that he would not budge on tax increases.

Media gives damocrats again...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refuses to aknowledge that she knew that the CIA was using waterboarding as an enhanced interrogation technique. More evidence has come to light about her knowledge yet her and her staff have stone walled an attempts to get to the truth.

Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein voted on a bill that would have given preferrential to certain contractors on forclosed properties. Her husband owns one of those firms. Anybody in politics knows that if there is an appearance of impropriety or conflict of interest that you are supposed to recuse yourself from voting.

Democratic congresswoman also benefited from a voted that she cast after going after the mortgage industry.

Notice a pattern here? The media has a only a footnote of democratics for wrongdoing but they go after reuplicans--why? Because they say that republicans are the party of moral values. I think that both parties should be held to the same standard regardless of party affiliation. Just because the democrats dont seem to care about morals doesnt mean we should hold them to a lower standard. Unfortunately the media gets very defensive about this issue because they believe they are better than the rest of us. They think they have the right to hold others accountable but bristle at the notion that they might be wrong.

On Dick Cheney

Ok. I get the fact that former VP Dick Cheney is not happy with the Obama administrations policy on the War on Terror or the fact that the DHS Secretary does not want to call it the War on Terror. Thought we should have learned that from the Clinton administration. Anyways, I dont think that Cheney is helping the country by openly criticizing the Obama adminstration like this. The rule was that ex presidents should not criticize the current administration. I think that should apply to the VP's as well. We all know that Cheney does not agree with the Obama adminstration on almost anything(unless you really dont know or dont care). The problem with Cheney's comments I believe is that it gives ammunition to the terrorists and it undermines peoples confidence in the current administration. I think that we all need to believe that the current administration is doing everything in their power to protect us even while we disagree with it. Its also important because Cheney is a former administration official who sat on the National Security Council. My main concern is that Cheney has not pointed out any specific thing that the current administration has done that would give us cause for concern other than the fact that he has a policy difference with them.

The intolerance of the left

Ok this is really ticking me off!! I am tired puttin up with people who say they are tolerant of other peoples viewpoints but in the same breath criticize those they disagree by personally attacking them. Those who support gay marriage certainly have a right to zealously advocate their position but they do not have the right to demonize those of us who do not subscribe to that philosophy. I think that that was the underlying story with the recently held Tea Parties that were held nationwide. Yes, Fox News did heavily promote this event but still the media still was able to demonize taxpaying, law abiding patriotic Americans who are working hard every day and they dont ask for fame or money. Just to provide for their families and get a decent retirement.

I was also upset with the way that the black and latino communities were treated by the gay and lesbian community. That these communities voted against their own interests by voting down proposition 8 in California.

On Meghan McCain

Ok. Does Meghan McCain thinks she is really going to be taken seriously by the GOP with her liberal rants? Seriously, I know we have nt won in awhile but thats not the right strategy. I mean we should support gay marriage come on. Being democrat like wont help us get more voters. The media has us believing that if conservative republicans would just see the light and become more enlightnened the world would be better place? We should all run away from Meghan McCains view of the republican party. She can be the key note speaker for the Log Cabin republicans but its not going to win any hearts or minds in the GOP. I think you have a wonderful opportunity to bring in young people into the party at time when we need them most. We need some young blooded conservatives who can turn this party into the turbo machine that can compete head to head with the democrats. You Meghan McCain are in unique position given the stature that you have to the party in a way that few people can. I hope you dont waste it.

GOP faces identity crisis

With two major elections lost by republicans we need a change of course. The Obama campaign ran on Change. We need a a new slogan. Its called Leadership. I am glad that Michael Steele was elected as the new chairman of the RNC. He is the one who can bring the party to the next phase. The reality is that elections are a numbers game and another reality is that the demographics is shifting rapidly. That is minorities are increasing their numbers over whites. That is something that the republican party must deal with if we have any chance at winning elections. The problem is not in our principles but in our practice and marketing strategy. Most minorities will tell you that the reason they identify with the democrats is that they think that the republican party is the party of the rich. We have also let democrats define who we are. We must actively demonstrate and promote who we are and what we are about. I think one of the fundamental problems we have is that we have not embraced technology the way that democrats have and that our message does not resonate with minority voters. We are percieved as being insenstive to others. I know that this not true. There are a lot of good and honest people in the party. We must let people know how democrats have failed public policy for example spending hundreds of billions of dollars in the Great Society and netting little result for that. We have democratic members who have consistently promised to deliver to minorities but then excuse ineffectiveness by stating that its an institutional failure not the individuals fault. Many areas of the country that are dominated are controlled by democrats are in continued economic disparate conditions. Doesnt that tell us something?
The fastest way to lose an election is when your principles are not on par with your practice. That is that your principles must connect with voters with what you are doing. I think that that was one of the biggest problems with the McCain campaing was that they kept stating that the economy was fundamentally sound. The economy might be fundamentaly sound but that was not the perception of most people in the country. This was especially true when there was news that Wall Street was in serious trouble. That the banking industry was on the brink of collapse.