The CW is wrong. Contemporary Wisdom says the party-backed candidate beats the independent every time. But not in New York's 23rd District. Not only has the independent candidate forced the party favorite out of the race, but it looks like Doug Hoffman may be the first Conservative candidate to win a congressional seat.
The problem is, this isn't what the GOP thought would happen. They didn't expect it, for they, like the Democrats, have become used to the apathy of American politics. They've become used to single-lever supporters, who, like me so many times in the past, reach for that party-line lever, instead of voting for each individual on the ticket according to their stand on the issues. This is what the GOP thought would happen, when the New York party bosses chose a liberal RINO as its standard bearer.
But this isn't a normal election year. This is the Year of the Tea Parties. This is the Year of Referendum. This is the Year of Stopping Obama. And this is the year when people stopped being single-lever supporters, and started acting like Americans.
When it comes to politics, we stopped acting like responsible Americans long ago. We became apathetic. Party was everything, no matter the principles relinquished. And that's where the GOP got it wrong. No longer are Americans content to choose whichever candidate the party masters provide. Doug Hoffman is but the forerunner of a greater movement. Presented with two options, neither of which was particularly palatable, Mr. Hoffman did what all Americans could and should do. He presented himself as another option. So now, in one district, Americans do not have to choose the lesser of two evils, they can look to their principles, and choose a candidate that exemplifies them.
Even Newt Gingrich doesn't get it. This is how politics is supposed to work. Candidates are presented, and it is the responsibility of all Americans to look hard at the positions of the candidates, and then to vote upon their principles. When neither candidate is acceptable, two options are available to every American - sit by and watch, or create another option out of whole cloth. This is what Doug Hoffman has done, and whether he wins or loses, his actions have set in motion a fundamental shift in conservative voters actions.
This is where the GOP gets it wrong. Doug Hoffman is a good thing for American politics, for his candidacy, and those voting for him, and the resulting removal of the party favorite, is the best of American political responsibility.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Passing of a Greater Generation
Every generation stands upon the shoulders of the prior, to its betterment, or its downfall. We who now stand, lifting the next higher, do so at our peril, for it is our responsibility if they fall prematurely. Thank God we had better men than we to lift us up.
So many have passed on, so many have struck their colors at the end of the longest march, ready to finally pull off their boots. But this is a nation that, as a whole, has forgotten how to mourn greatness.
Ed McMahon, TV Celebrity, was remembered fondly by all, but his greatness was glossed over. CNN remember it with one line: "He later joined the Marines and served in World War II and Korea." Colonel Ed McMahon, USMC, was more than a TV celeb, he was a real man, a father, and a hero.
Much has been made of celebrities like Eddie Albert, Bea Arthur, Gene Autry, Humphrey Bogart, Charles Bronson, Jimmy Stewart, Michael Caine, Kirk Douglas, Clark Gable, James Garner, Audrey Hepburn, Lee Marvin, Walter Matthau, Ray Milland, Audie Murphy, David Niven, Sir Laurence Olivier, Jack Palance, Tyrone Power, Rod Steiger, Peter Ustinov, and others, known more for their silver screen achievements than anything. But none of them made much of themselves, as heros never do, for each served their country with distinction in time of war. We mourn many of them without realizing what heroes they were. We should thank those left for their service.
Though not a celebrity, another true hero has left us, Colonel Timothy Donovan, father of John, of theDonovan and Argghhh!, who passed yesterday. Rest in Peace, Sir, and know we mourn the loss of another hero, one who held his family, and his country, high.
So many have passed on, so many have struck their colors at the end of the longest march, ready to finally pull off their boots. But this is a nation that, as a whole, has forgotten how to mourn greatness.
Ed McMahon, TV Celebrity, was remembered fondly by all, but his greatness was glossed over. CNN remember it with one line: "He later joined the Marines and served in World War II and Korea." Colonel Ed McMahon, USMC, was more than a TV celeb, he was a real man, a father, and a hero.
Much has been made of celebrities like Eddie Albert, Bea Arthur, Gene Autry, Humphrey Bogart, Charles Bronson, Jimmy Stewart, Michael Caine, Kirk Douglas, Clark Gable, James Garner, Audrey Hepburn, Lee Marvin, Walter Matthau, Ray Milland, Audie Murphy, David Niven, Sir Laurence Olivier, Jack Palance, Tyrone Power, Rod Steiger, Peter Ustinov, and others, known more for their silver screen achievements than anything. But none of them made much of themselves, as heros never do, for each served their country with distinction in time of war. We mourn many of them without realizing what heroes they were. We should thank those left for their service.
Though not a celebrity, another true hero has left us, Colonel Timothy Donovan, father of John, of theDonovan and Argghhh!, who passed yesterday. Rest in Peace, Sir, and know we mourn the loss of another hero, one who held his family, and his country, high.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
An Inheritance Unwanted
I believe President Obama has a problem with his inheritance. He doesn't like the fact that our country existed prior to his taking office, that it had an economy, a debt, a standing on the world stage. He doesn't like it one bit, and he's back to blaming President Bush for his woes. He won't ever say that Pres. Bush inherited his problems from Pres. Clinton, or Pres. Clinton from Pres. Bush, etc.
But what he also won't say is, "I'm sorry," to the multitudes of generations to whom he's leaving a grossly weakened economy, an immeasurably higher debt, and a considerably lessened standing in our world. We're a joke waiting for a punchline.
We're owe our souls to the company store, and it's owned by the Chinese, who are giving us advice on how to run a capitalist economy. There's a joke for you. And all the President can think of is passing health care reform that will further indebt us and our children.
Fathers used to look forward to leaving an inheritance to their children. Now, I wonder just what that inheritance will be, and will they damn us for it.
But what he also won't say is, "I'm sorry," to the multitudes of generations to whom he's leaving a grossly weakened economy, an immeasurably higher debt, and a considerably lessened standing in our world. We're a joke waiting for a punchline.
We're owe our souls to the company store, and it's owned by the Chinese, who are giving us advice on how to run a capitalist economy. There's a joke for you. And all the President can think of is passing health care reform that will further indebt us and our children.
Fathers used to look forward to leaving an inheritance to their children. Now, I wonder just what that inheritance will be, and will they damn us for it.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tax the what????
Taxes, taxes, taxes. Tax this, tax that. Tax income. Tax cigs, tax beer. Tax clothes, tax homes, tax cars. Tax soda, tax fast food, tax cosmetic surgery.
Hmmm. Tax things purchased. How about we just limit taxes to that. Let's get rid of the Income Tax, and just tax everything that people purchase. You know, like, a SALES TAX!
That's what Congress is floating. Not a sales tax per se, but a piecemeal taxing of goods purchased, according to whomever they think owes more to society, according to their views on human health and behavior.
The problem is, that defies the Constitution, and won't hold up under scrutiny. The Constitution states that one of the powers of the Federal Government is to "lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States."
The problem here is the 'uniformity' of the taxes proposed. Even the sliding scale of taxation on income could be said to be non-uniform, if pushed. But a sales tax, say 10%, that would be uniform.
Granted, people would at first slow down on purchasing luxury items, even higher-price non-luxury items, but only at first. People would learn to budget, something Congress has never bothered to try to learn, and our society would begin to save before purchasing, such would be the power of seeing the 10% added to the bottom line every time they pulled out their wallets.
But given time, spending would resume, as people saw greater and greater return on their hard work. Every paycheck would be a little slice of instant gratification. Bank accounts would skyrocket, investing would boom, and our economy would soar.
Income taxes are confiscatory, sanctioned thievery, and should be abolished. A Sales Tax would be a voluntary contribution, paid by all, uniformly, and would stimulate the economy like President Obama has failed to do.
Hmmm. Tax things purchased. How about we just limit taxes to that. Let's get rid of the Income Tax, and just tax everything that people purchase. You know, like, a SALES TAX!
That's what Congress is floating. Not a sales tax per se, but a piecemeal taxing of goods purchased, according to whomever they think owes more to society, according to their views on human health and behavior.
The problem is, that defies the Constitution, and won't hold up under scrutiny. The Constitution states that one of the powers of the Federal Government is to "lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States."
The problem here is the 'uniformity' of the taxes proposed. Even the sliding scale of taxation on income could be said to be non-uniform, if pushed. But a sales tax, say 10%, that would be uniform.
Granted, people would at first slow down on purchasing luxury items, even higher-price non-luxury items, but only at first. People would learn to budget, something Congress has never bothered to try to learn, and our society would begin to save before purchasing, such would be the power of seeing the 10% added to the bottom line every time they pulled out their wallets.
But given time, spending would resume, as people saw greater and greater return on their hard work. Every paycheck would be a little slice of instant gratification. Bank accounts would skyrocket, investing would boom, and our economy would soar.
Income taxes are confiscatory, sanctioned thievery, and should be abolished. A Sales Tax would be a voluntary contribution, paid by all, uniformly, and would stimulate the economy like President Obama has failed to do.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Obama stops short
Liberals always stop short of solving a problem, simply by refusing to get to the root.
Root Cause Analysis is the process of figuring out the chain of events that caused a problem, and fixing each in turn, right down to the first. But for liberals, when it comes to fixing problems, they tend to stop at whatever solution makes for big government spending more money.
One of the primary reasons health care costs have risen so much so quickly is the litigious nature of our society. In all the rhetoric about President Obama's health care plan, no one, and I mean no one, in congress has mentioned the rising cost of physician insurance, which has skyrocketed in comparison to personal insurance. Doctors pay through the nose for malpractice insurance, not because so many of them perform poorly, but because lawyers manage the tort system so well that a single suit can shut a doctor down.
Tort Reform won't happen though, and it should be no surprise to anyone that that's the last piece of the problem that will ever be addressed, simply because the majority of politicians are lawyers.
Maybe that's the root cause of a lot of our problems.
Root Cause Analysis is the process of figuring out the chain of events that caused a problem, and fixing each in turn, right down to the first. But for liberals, when it comes to fixing problems, they tend to stop at whatever solution makes for big government spending more money.
One of the primary reasons health care costs have risen so much so quickly is the litigious nature of our society. In all the rhetoric about President Obama's health care plan, no one, and I mean no one, in congress has mentioned the rising cost of physician insurance, which has skyrocketed in comparison to personal insurance. Doctors pay through the nose for malpractice insurance, not because so many of them perform poorly, but because lawyers manage the tort system so well that a single suit can shut a doctor down.
Tort Reform won't happen though, and it should be no surprise to anyone that that's the last piece of the problem that will ever be addressed, simply because the majority of politicians are lawyers.
Maybe that's the root cause of a lot of our problems.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
2010
I'm looking forward to 2010. In all honesty, I think it will be a great year for America. We should be in the midst of a mild depression, President Obama will probably have nationalized health care, China will be the only super power on the planet, and Hilary and Newt will probably be talking up running against Obama in two years.
You're probably asking why 2010 would be a year to look forward to, in light of all that. Only one thing could give me such hope. Conservative America.
In America, there are Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Communists, and Independants. There are Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, Anglos, Euros, and Africans, Americans all. But there are only three types of people in America that matter in 2010. Liberals, Moderates, and Conservatives.
It is the Conservatives that give me hope for 2010, for in light of all that President Obama has said, and all that he has done regardless of, or in spite of, what he has said, Conservatism seems to be finding its voice, singular and stentorian. A united voice, not so much against anything specific, but for a set of ideals that are diametrically opposed to the President's current paradigm. Conservatism has found the will to express itself. No longer are we the Silent Majority.
In the end, as 2010 ushers in a new Conservative Congress, as I think it will, the epitaph for President Obama's administration may already be written. In my opinion, President Obama, the messiah of change, will go down in history as the man soley responsible for the resurrection of American Conservatism.
You're probably asking why 2010 would be a year to look forward to, in light of all that. Only one thing could give me such hope. Conservative America.
In America, there are Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Communists, and Independants. There are Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, Anglos, Euros, and Africans, Americans all. But there are only three types of people in America that matter in 2010. Liberals, Moderates, and Conservatives.
It is the Conservatives that give me hope for 2010, for in light of all that President Obama has said, and all that he has done regardless of, or in spite of, what he has said, Conservatism seems to be finding its voice, singular and stentorian. A united voice, not so much against anything specific, but for a set of ideals that are diametrically opposed to the President's current paradigm. Conservatism has found the will to express itself. No longer are we the Silent Majority.
In the end, as 2010 ushers in a new Conservative Congress, as I think it will, the epitaph for President Obama's administration may already be written. In my opinion, President Obama, the messiah of change, will go down in history as the man soley responsible for the resurrection of American Conservatism.
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