A Do-Over, Please

With the Republican field down to four, the Democrat field down to one, and the third party field down to, oh, about a hundred, I've come to a realization: there's not really a candidate to vote for right now, and the prospects aren't getting any better.

Granted, no candidate is perfect, but is it too much to ask that the candidates be at least somewhat competent? Mitt Romney's recent comments about the poor in this country and his attempts to right his campaign after such a blunder make me shake my head at the possibility he's going to become the Republican candidate for President.

Newt Gingrich? I've never been more disappointed by a Republican as I have been with Newt in recent weeks. Sure, he's teed off on the Leftist media, but what does he have besides that? If his performance in Florida is any indication, not much.

Ron Paul? The dude is okay with Iran getting nukes. I'll take "Things Not To Say If You Want To Be President" for $200, Alex.

Rick Santorum? Rick, I like you, but you have the personality of wallpaper paste.

On the Left, we have Barack Obama. After years of simultaneously bashing George W. Bush's policies and using them, Obama has shown he's not capable of leading a Boy Scout troop, let alone America.

That leaves us with third parties. Remember the bar scene from "Star Wars"? That's pretty much the extent of the third party candidates.

Back when I was a kid, I would ask for a do-over if my first attempt wasn't that good. It's elections like that when I am begging for a do-over.

The Post-Caucus Report

Winners

Rick Santorum – From single digits in the polls to a close second place finish when it counted. He may not be able to duplicate this performance in New Hampshire, but he’s done a good job in establishing himself as the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney.

Newt Gingrich – This one may seem to be a surprise, given where he finished in the standings, but he managed to weather a media storm in the month before the Iowa Caucuses and still managed a respectable middle-of-the-pack performance. Having said that, he’ll have a major test leading up to Super Tuesday to get back on track and show the Republicans he is a viable candidate.

Jon Huntsman – He actually got votes in Iowa after pretty much ignoring it! A small victory to be certain, but a victory nonetheless.

Losers

Mitt Romney – He won in Iowa by 8 votes after taking a somewhat schizophrenic approach to the state. At first, he echoed Huntsman’s approach, but as other candidates surpassed him on the national level, Romney came out and was doing his best to appear to be Iowa’s best friend. Considering the amount of money and organization he had in Iowa, barely squeaking out a victory over Rick Santorum snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.

Michelle Bachmann – One of the early front-runners in the GOP field, Bachmann’s campaign was marred by missteps and controversy that took the campaign’s focus away from her becoming the nominee. Even though she’s originally from Iowa, that wasn’t enough to propel her into even the middle of the field.

Rick Perry – Perry spent a lot of money and time in Iowa, but didn’t get much in return for his investments. Although I don’t think it’s over for him yet, I see a campaign on life support needing something to break their way to get past Super Tuesday.

Barack Obama – Although he pretty much has the Democrat nomination in the bag, Obama had a video conference with Iowa Democrats at caucus sites. Judging from the news coverage of the event, the conference was rife with technical difficulties, sparse turnout, and a lack of excitement. Just like the Obama Administration!

Astroturf the Caucuses – For all the talk of the Astroturf Wall Street movement crashing the Republican caucuses, there really wasn’t much action on their part. Maybe their activities were more bravado than anything else, but there is another possibility: they’re not the media darlings they were a few months ago. In either case, they look foolish for suggesting they would try to pull something at the caucuses, not following through, or following through and being utterly inept at making the news.

The media – In the past, reporters have done their best to explore the state to find the pulse of the people. This year, there were more reporters knocking Iowa as “too white” or “insignificant” than in previous years. Whether it’s because the media have dropped their pretense of civility or they are repeating the Leftist meme about “flyover country” the media have shown their bitter side. That doesn’t bode well for them, as Iowans are seen as some of the nicest people in the country. That’s like mocking Mother Teresa.

Too Close to Call

Ron Paul – Paul has been a force in Iowa since 2007, and his organization is breathtaking. He certainly improved on his 2008 performance at the Iowa Caucuses, but one has to wonder whether it’s because he’s attracting more people or if he was able to mobilize his supporters to go to the caucuses this year. In either case, Paul’s performance should make him a winner, but his responses to recent controversial statements he’s made or that have been uncovered have left him looking less like a contender and more like someone who doesn’t understand politics well enough to be a contender.

The Democratic Party – Normally, I’d throw this group into the Losers category, but something happened that made me think there might be hope for them yet. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz appeared in Iowa and said during a television interview she wasn’t sure if she would have time to meet with the members of the Astroturf Iowa movement. Although some consider this to be a snub (and I’m not saying it’s not), I see it as a parting of the ways between the Astroturf Wall Street movement and the major political party that has given them visibility and credibility. It’s going to be interesting to see how that dynamic plays out, but for now, I’m going to be optimistic for the Democrats for a change.

The 2011 Awards

Here are the 2011 Awards, representing the very best and worst of the year. Enjoy!

Democrats to Watch: Any Democrat up for reelection in 2012. From Obama/Biden 2012 on down to the city dog catcher, every Democrat is going to be scrutinized by the electorate. Why they’re the ones to watch is to see how many are willing to be seen with the President and Vice President on the campaign trail. If they shun Obama and Biden, it doesn’t bode well for the reelection chances.

Democrat to Forget: Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. From vapid Congresswoman who says the most stupid and unbelievable things to garner attention to…vapid DNC Chair who says the most stupid and unbelievable things to garner attention. Wasserman-Schultz makes Howard Dean’s leadership look credible.

Republican to Watch: Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney has been skating for the most part this election season, so much so it seems he’s the heir apparent to the Republican nomination in 2012. That’s not the reason to watch him, though. The reason to watch Romney is to see if he’s a Trojan Horse. There are several positions Romney has taken and not quite explained away that should give any Republican voter a reason to pause. If he wins the nomination, Romney may revert to form, leaving the Republicans with a hard sell to more conservatives Republicans and Independents.

Republican to Forget: John Boehner. Over the past year, coal mines have caved in less frequently than the Speaker of the House has. As we move into the next Congressional session, there may be a movement afoot to have Boehner removed as Speaker, and I wouldn’t cry any tears if it were successful. Boehner might, but then again he is the weepy type.

Underreported Story: “Climategate.” What started out with an email stating “hide the decline” has become a major story. Now, the only decline being hidden is the decline in credibility of those who said global warming was “settled science.”

Overreported Story: Astroturf Wall Street. Remember how the media fawned over the TEA Party? Neither do I. To make up for them missing the boat with the TEA Party, they’ve given us wall-to-wall coverage of Astroturf Wall Street (well, except for the violence, drug dealing, prostitution, and anything else negative). I’m sure they’ll get around to cover the TEA Party rallies…eventually, but gosh darn it, they’re just too darn busy whitewashing Astroturf Wall Street to bother with equal coverage.

Unreported Story: The extremism of the “Arab Spring.” For all of the media coverage of the “Arab Spring,” you would think there would be some coverage of just who the protesters were. Except this is the mainstream media we’re talking about here. You know, the same media who vetted Sarah Palin’s daughter’s boyfriend’s mother’s dog groomer’s ex-husband’s mailman’s second cousin, but couldn’t be bothered to look at any direct ties between Barack Obama and Bill Ayers? Anyway, although Time made the protester their People of the Year, the fact is the Arab Spring protesters are more violent, more radical, and more dangerous than we’ve been lead to believe. No matter how many times the media told us “they’re just longing for freedom” the Arab Spring protestors want nothing of the sort. And our media sold us out by not doing even basic reporting on that fact.

Man of the Year: Glenn Beck. When you consider the amount of energy the Left has put into destroying Beck and the number of times Beck has emerged victorious this year, it’s clear he has more influence than his detractors think or claim he does.

R. I. P.: support for Obamacare. It may have been signed into law, but Obamacare has been challenged since then, and in some cases successfully. These challenges have made Obamacare less popular than it once was, even among Democrats who supported it. As the fight drags on, Obamacare becomes an albatross around the necks of Obama and the Democrats, and the poll numbers aren’t looking good for it.

Flash in the Pan: Astroturf Wall Street. For all of its grand proclamations and stated commitment to change the financial industry, Astroturf Wall Street has accomplished…nothing. Unless you count running up a sizable rap sheet an accomplishment, that is.

The Real Deal: scandals within the Obama Administration. Although President Obama has been touted as one of the smartest Presidents we’ve ever had, his Administration has been plagued by scandals, ranging from the relatively minor (Van Jones) to the more serious (Operation Fast and Furious). Far from being a right wing conspiracy, these scandals amount to rank incompetence, serious malfeasance, or both, and they’re not going away anytime soon.

Raw Deal: Scott Walker being “anti-union.” This is another case where the media forgot to do its job and, well, report the news. The actual collective bargaining deal Walker proposed for Wisconsin public workers wasn’t nearly as bad as the pro-union side made it out to be. If anything, the deal was far more pro-union than the pro-union side. Yet, Walker is called anti-union because he wants to keep Wisconsin’s teachers unions from getting laid off due to a lack of funds?

Missed Opportunity: Republicans sticking up for black conservatives under fire. This past year, we’ve seen black Republicans, such as Herman Cain and Allen West, get clobbered in the media and the Democrats for various things. Yet, one group has been conspicuously absent when this has happened: the Republican Party. With Republicans being painted as racist for decades, this past year was a golden opportunity to turn that around and make Democrats and their pals in the media look like hypocrites. Instead, they sat on their hands. Way to bust those stereotypes!

Defining Moment: The “Arab Spring.” The Middle East changed before our eyes this year, and not for the better. As one leader after another was marginalized, weakened, or overthrown completely, it became apparent a more extremist movement was coming to power, one that wouldn’t work and play well with us no matter how much water we would carry for them publicly. George W. Bush made the same mistake with Hamas, and now Barack Obama owns the mistakes in Egypt and Libya, among others. In both cases, these mistakes are mounting up and will eventually come back to haunt us.

Stuck on Stupid: Eric Holder. Barney Fife was a better law enforcement officer than Eric Holder is. Holder’s record as Attorney General has been rife with inconsistency, incompetence, and illegality. And that’s just Operation Fast and Furious!

The Bottom Line Award: Resa Laru Kirkland. Friendship aside, I have known few conservatives as driven and talented as Resa. She has a passion for life and politics that makes others want to try to keep up. Her vision for a conservative media presence in areas where it doesn’t have a strong foothold yet, such as making documentaries, is ambitious to say the least. For being willing to blaze a trail for others to follow and taking on all the stress that comes with it, Resa Laru Kirkland has earned the Bottom Line Award.

The Anna Nicole Smith Lifetime Achievement Award: Arianna Huffington. Take a struggling joke of an online service, combine it with a rich joke of a website editor, and what do you get? An epic fail. But at least Huffington came away with a ton of money for being ineffective and ham-fisted in her management. Way to be a credit to your gender!

The Dan Rather Award for “Excellence” in Media: Ed Schultz. Over the past two years, Ed Schultz has repeatedly put his foot in his mouth, apparently to prevent the truth from getting out. What has gotten out from Schultz is a steady string of ill-advised comments, out and out lies, and insane jealousy against conservatives in the media. Anger management classes would be more helpful to Schultz than giving him a daily and nightly forum from which to preach to an ever-dwindling audience.

The DEE DEE DEE Award: Astroturf Oakland. After coming out against big banks, where does Astroturf Oakland open up an account? Wells Fargo. Way to stick it to The Man, kids!

The “It Looked Better on Paper” Award: AttackWatch. Obama/Biden 2008 had some success with this same concept when it was known as FightTheSmears. The 2011 version, however, has been met with the one thing the Obama campaign hadn’t anticipated: mockery. Conservatives and independents have had a field day “reporting” themselves and others on AttackWatch to the point no one but the diehards take it seriously.

The Padded Resume Award: Chelsea Clinton getting a job with NBC News. Of course, she earned that gig because she did that…wait, it must have been that piece she wrote for…no, wait, it was because she went to college to study...okay, it’s because she’s a Clinton.

The 14:59 Award: All things Kardashian. When Kim Kardashian’s wedding lasted as long as a bad sitcom and had as many laughs, it’s clear the entire Kardashian 15 minutes of fame can’t expire soon enough.

The WTF Moment of 2011: Iran getting nuclear weapons (and, yes, I believe they have them and have had them for a while now), and the world being mostly okay with that.

The With Friends Like These Award: The Obama Administration’s treatment of Israel. Although it’s safe to say President Obama and Israel may not see eye-to-eye on a lot of issues, it’s also safe to say the President’s not exactly a friend of Israel. Whether it’s the ill-conceived pre-1967 borders for Israel as a starting point to Middle East peace or the frequent anti-Israel sentiment coming from Administration officials from Obama on down, it’s clear Israel doesn’t need any more friends like Obama.

The Coincidence? Award: Let’s play connect the dots. The Left wants to expand the number of people who can vote to include the homeless, ex-convicts, and illegal immigrants. A part of this effort includes making it as easy as possible for said potential voters to vote. What’s a major stumbling block to that effort? Requiring those silly little details like proving you’re an actual voter with a real address and that you look like the person you claim to be. So, when states do things to curtail that effort, the Left gets mad and decides to go after those states. And who needs a lot of help to get reelected and has the power to make it tough for states to enact these laws? Why, it’s President Obama! Funny how that works out, isn’t it?

The Pot Kettle Black Award: People who want us to accept Islam without question, but bash Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow for his Christian faith.

Do Republicans Have a Problem With Conservatism?

Watching the potential contenders for the Republican nomination in 2012, I've noticed something. Every time a conservative Republican comes to the forefront, the bulk of the party isn't that supportive, or are actively hostile towards him or her at the other extreme. Then, when a less conservative candidate leads the party (or in the case of Mitt Romney maintains his 21-23% of the vote), the party faithful circle the wagons to protect the candidate.

As a conservative, I find this trend disturbing. I have serious reservations about both Romney and Newt Gingrich, mainly because of their lack of conservatism. Sure, they talk a good game, but both of them have issues that should make any conservative Republican second-guess whether the candidates are truly being honest with us.

One of the biggest "offenders" in my opinion is Mitt Romney. In 2008, he was touted as one of the more conservative Republican contenders, yet a deeper review of his record showed his actions didn't match his rhetoric. Hello? Romneycare? Government takeover of health care? The blueprint for Obamacare? That's not a conservative in my book.

Gingrich isn't much better. Not only does he have the support of a Romneycare clone on his record, he has a left-leaning environmental agenda. Sitting with Nancy Pelosi may have been a mistake Gingrich has admitted making, but what has he done to distance himself intellectually from that stand?

Yet, to hear Republicans talk, we have to choose between Romney and Gingrich or else we'll get another four years of Obama. However, I would argue getting Obama Lite isn't a step in the right direction, either.

Think of it this way. If you're driving at a wall at 100 miles an hour and you slow down to 95 miles an hour, you're still not addressing the major problem: you are driving towards a brick wall at a high rate of speed. The 5 mile an hour difference isn't going to make you any less dead upon impact. Not even with airbags and seatbelts.

Once you get past the two current frontrunners, the same line seems to come up: "I like Bachmann/Santorum/Paul, but they can't win." In Ron Paul's case, they're right. But as far as Bachmann and Santorum are concerned, why can't they win? Are they polarizing? Absolutely. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not. Leaders tend to be polarizing figures, while people who seek to please as many people as possible tend not to be good leaders. We're seeing that now with the current Administration and their attempts to be all things to all people and failing miserably.

So, why should we replace one failed leader with someone with the same traits as that failed leader?

I think the Republican leadership has let the Left into their heads and made it seem as though conservatism is a bad thing. It's not. Speaking personally, I want more conservative leadership, and that would certainly drive me to vote for the Republican candidate in 2012. But if you keep throwing John McCain 2.0 in my face as the "only choice to beat Obama," you will lose my vote. Say what you will about the Left, they are not afraid of what they are. Republicans, on the other hand, are and it's because the "leadership" has let the Left set the ground rules for political combat.

The GOP has a major problem within its midst right now, and it stands to ruin the party's 2012 Presidential chances, and other chances down the road.

The Real Astroturf Wall Street

In my continuing "coverage" of Astroturf Wall Street, I did a bit of digging and found the following. (My responses are in bold.)

http://news.yahoo.com/occupy-wall-street-draft-manifesto-183205447.html

A MESSAGE TO AMERICA FROM THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY IN ZUCOTTI PARK

Dear fellow Americans,

We are assembled in Zucotti Park — which we’ve renamed Liberty Plaza — in the financial district of New York, because we believe that the American economy is heading in the wrong direction and we have a few ideas for what to do about it. Yeah, like taking a crap on police cars.

There is a feeling shared by a growing number of people on the streets of the world that the global economy has become a kind of Ponzi scheme, a global casino, run by and for the benefit of the 1 percent. You mean like Michael Moore?

We believe that it is possible to inject justice into the global economy. We have come up with the following list of things that can be done right now to rejuvenate democracy and economic justice in our country:

• Halt foreclosures for the unemployed, sick and elderly Why? A mortgage is an agreement, and the terms of the mortgage allow for the foreclosure on people regardless of their personal circumstances. There is no exception to paying your mortgage if you get sick, lose your job, or are old.

• Increase funding to public services by taxing the richest 1 percent Which will result in the rich paying more, unless they find loopholes, and resulting in nothing positive happening. What happens if those taxes don't solve the problem? What will your solution be? MORE taxes?

• Forgive all student loan debt See above regarding mortgages.

• Reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act in order to control speculation Glass-Steagall wouldn't have prevented the current situation because it comes from the same entity that allowed the banks to do what they did. Furthermore, what about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, two government or quasi-government agencies who back the majority of the loans out there?

• Work with the other G20 nations to implement a 1% “Robin Hood” tax on all financial transactions and currency trades You DO realize a) it wouldn't work unless you have an overbearing bureaucracy overseeing it, and b) it would have to include every financial transaction, including donations to charity, right?

• Ban high-frequency ‘flash’ trading and bring sanity to the markets In other words, deny the Internet even exists.

• Break up the “too big to fail” banks that threaten our future How will this help anything? You're actually advocating weakening the banking industry to try to "save" it. If you break up a big bank into smaller banks, you are ultimately making it easier for banks TO fail, thus worsening the problem. Let's just say I'm glad you're not doctors.

• Arrest the financial fraudsters responsible for the 2008 meltdown and bring them to justice If you were serious about this, you'd be trying to arrest Barney Frank.

• Ordain a Presidential Commission tasked with ending the influence corporate money has on our elected representatives in Washington A Presidential Commission started up by the current Administration, with a lot of former Goldman Sachs folks on the federal payroll?

If you agree with any of these demands, then join us! We will stay here in our encampment in Liberty Plaza until President Obama responds to each of these demands. This is just the beginning, there is more to come as we work together to reshape America.

— The People’s Assembly of New York City

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/17/occupy-wall-street-the-draft-manifesto/#ixzz1dUU6vuPe

When looking over this manifesto, it's clear there are two motivations at work: greed and envy. Their slogan could easily be "You have what I want. I want what you have." And while we're here, is it any coincidence their "solutions" to the problems serve to make the problems worse?

Sorry, Astroturf Wall Street. Go back to the drawing board and come back when you have a serious proposal on the table.

Still Want to Say Herman Cain Is Done?

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/16002149/investigator-herman-cain-innocent-of-sexual-advances

The Left has been trying to portray Herman Cain as a sexual predator, but it's backfired in a big way. Cain hasn't lost much support, has seen a spike in contributions since the initial allegations of his sexual activities went public, and we keep finding inconsistencies in the accounts of the accusers.

So far, Cain is having the last laugh. Having said that, we have not heard all of the allegations from all of the women. There may be more substantive charges in the wings, but the problem the accusers face now is the environment created by those who have already come forward and been scrutinized. Even possibly legitimate claims will be cast through the prism of the claims that have been found less than honest, which means they may not be believed at first, if at all.

And the Leftists in the media will be left with a henhouse full of egg on their faces.

Cue the Pointing and Laughing in 5...4...3...2...1...

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/11/09/occupy-oakland-protesters-deposit-funds-at-wells-fargo-after-bank-attacks/

Astroturf Wall Street wants everyone to bank at credit unions...except for them?