2012 Year End Awards

Yes, it's that time of year again where we get to look back and remember some of the highlights (and lowlights) that we've come to know and love/loathe.

Democrat to Watch: Hillary Clinton. With Hillary leaving her post as Secretary of State, the road is wide open to explore her options. This could be problematic for a lot of people within the party, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden, the former because of her role in the Benghazi controversy, and the latter because of the calls for her to run for President in 2016...possibly against Biden.

Democrat to Forget: Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She went from being an annoying, mindless blonde Congresswoman from Florida to being...an annoying, mindless blonde Congresswoman from Florida who happens to be head of the DNC. Although the Left may think she's great for staying on message even after being exposed as a liar, the fact she's such a bold and moronic liar turns off most people from listening to her message.

Republican to Watch: Marco Rubio. With Republicans focusing more on the Hispanic vote, all eyes are looking to Marco Rubio to see if he can bridge the communication gap. His success or failure will have an immediate impact on the 2014 midterm elections, not to mention the 2016 Presidential elections.

Republican to Forget: Mitt Romney. Remember when everyone said Mitt Romney was the only candidate who could beat Barack Obama? So do I...in 2008. You know, when he couldn't even beat Mike Huckabee? Now, in 2012, we found out he couldn't even beat Obama.

Flash in the Pan: Occupy Wall Street. The media darlings of 2011 were nowhere to be found this year. You know, aside from the Andrew Breitbart documentary "Occupy Exposed," that is. As it turns out, Occupy Wall Street was a bigger bomb this year than "Cloud Atlas." Maybe it was "Pot Cloud Atlas."

The Real Deal: Benghazi. No matter how much Leftists have tried to downplay the Benghazi situation, it keeps coming back because there are still a number of unanswered questions related to what the State Department knew and when they knew it. And it's not just Republicans asking questions at this point. As long as the questions remain, Benghazi will not be going away anytime soon.

Raw Deal: Media treatment of George Zimmerman. In an attempt to paint the Trayvon Martin killing as a hate crime, media outlets (NBC most notably) took liberties with the facts to fit their narrative. First, Zimmerman was a white man (he's not). Then, he was Jewish (he's not). Then, he ignored the 911 operator's instructions (he didn't). Then, he shot Martin in cold blood (he didn't). Then, Martin lied about facial injuries he sustained (he didn't). At some point, the media had to have said, "You know, maybe we should do a bit more research before we throw out more accusations that will bite us in the ass later."

Defining Moment: The first Presidential debate between Obama and Romney. No one expected the outcome of the first debate because to that point Romney appeared to be unable to command attention while Obama seemed cool and confident. However, the first debate changed that dynamic and the outcome of the election, in my opinion, because it created the image Obama wanted: that he was the underdog in the election. Once that was established, the rest of the election season was altered to his benefit.

Missed Opportunity: The "fiscal cliff." Hearing the Left and the media talk about the "fiscal cliff" was a great opportunity for Republicans to not only address the central issue, but do so in a way that would help reverse the tide of the 2012 elections. Having wasteful spending remain on the table while hinting at the possibility of tax hikes is morally, intellectually, and politically wrong. But to the so-called Republican leadership in Washington, it's better to capitulate to a bad idea than to fight for a good one.

R. I. P.: Current TV. Al Gore's real contribution to the Information Age is on the verge of financial collapse. As of this writing, I believe you might be able to buy it outright with loose change found in your couch cushions, and it's a shame, what with all the big name Leftists like...well...there was Keith Olbermann.

Man of the Year: Barack Obama. This was a no-brainer because anybody who could win reelection with stated unemployment at around 8%, real unemployment being almost double that, and with an economy that is turning around slower than the QE II has to be doing something noteworthy. Now, hand me my Obama Phone, would you?

The Anna Nicole Smith Lifetime Achievement Award: Sandra Fluke. Who knew complaining about birth control in front of a staged Congressional hearing could parlay into a lucrative job as a Leftist tool all because Rush Limbaugh called you a slut on air? Well, Sandra, I don't think you're a slut. An activist who is only half as smart as a turnip? Yeah, that's more like it.

The Dan Rather Excellence in Journalism Award: Keith Olbermann. The man who loves to portray himself as this generation's Edward R. Murrow found himself fired from yet another job. Just a tip for you, Keith. Maybe at your next job, don't act like such an asshole.

14:59 and Holding: Piers Morgan. Does anybody really even watch his show aside from conservatives waiting for him to say something stupid? With a White House petition to deport him, Morgan came out and said he would deport himself if America's gun laws weren't changed. Ummm...how can I break this to you, Piers? Oh yeah, you can't deport yourself; the government does that. And this twit wants to lecture us on gun laws?

Sign We Are Doomed as a Country: Joe Biden is thinking of running for President in 2016.

Sign We Are Not Doomed as a Country: Ted Kennedy's son is not running for Congress yet.

The Your Tinfoil Hat Is on Too Tight Award: Senate Republicans are seeking to approve Massachusetts Senator John Kerry as Secretary of State so it opens up a Senate seat for ousted Republican Senator Scott Brown to win back.

Restoring Love Vs. Embodying Hate

An estimated 65,000 people attended Glenn Beck's Restoring Love event in Dallas Cowboys Stadium yesterday with a simple, yet powerful message of love. Love of God, love of country, love of service, love of our fellow human beings regardless of our differences.

Meanwhile, gay marriage supporters (not all, mind you, but a number of them) are spreading a message of hate against Chik-Fil-A. And why? Because the president of the company, Dan Cathy, said he and his company believe in "the biblical definition of the family unit" and gives money to causes that reflect that view.

Humans are emotional creatures without question. It's what we do with those emotions that matter.

With love, we can help people in need. With hate, we can destroy people, including ourselves.

With love, we can bring peace to the world. With hate, we can bring war.

With love, we can fix problems. With hate, they fester and get worse.

With love, we can accomplish almost anything. With hate, we accomplish nothing.


Which emotion do you serve?

It's No Surprise

If you're like me, you've been sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for who pro-abortion and free (at least to her) birth control advocate Sandra Fluke was going to endorse for President this year. My friends, the wait is over.

Fluke's endorsing President Obama.

Whew! Now that we have that taken care of, let's focus on who former American Idol singer Adam Lambert is going to vote for this year!

Really? Was there any doubt Fluke was going to support Obama given how Fluke has connections to the Obama White House? Isn't that like the neighborhood thief endorsing the police chief who turns the other way when there's a rash of thefts in the robber's neighborhood?

But let me take it a step further. Fluke's endorsement of Obama is indicative of how the Left turns a blind eye to women's issues. Sure, Democrats love to talk about the "Republican war on women," but what exactly has Obama done for women since becoming President? I mean, aside from paying his female staffers less? The truth is he's done...nothing substantial. One of his first acts as President was to sign the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which Leftists love to crow about when talking about the Left's commitment to women's rights. Yet, by his own actions, Obama is a fair-weather friend to women.

Remember "Julia," the fictional female cooked up by the Obama reelection team to show how Obama's record on women's issues was superior to the Republicans' record? If you paid close attention, you saw Julia rely on government at every stage of her life. As I pointed out previously, the underlying message is the Left believes women need government at every step because they're not capable of doing it themselves. That, my friends, is pure misogyny, wrapped up in a Obama/Biden campaign package.

Leftists like Ms. Fluke have been conditioned to be just like "Julia": victims that can only succeed through government intervention. And thanks to media outlets like CNN and MSNBC, Fluke can continue to milk her infamy a little while longer. Put another way, the Left keeps using Ms. Fluke and she keeps talking, all the while ignoring or completely missing the irony of her media-driven empowerment being used by the media to strip women of their true power by trying to reduce them to little girls who need a Daddy to help them.

A Daddy like...Barack Obama.

It's no surprise how that works out, is it?

The "Death of Investigative Journalism" Is Greatly Exaggerated

With the 40th anniversary of the Watergate story, the media have taken a look back at the state of investigative journalism and they're not happy with what they've found. They're shocked, shocked I tell you, that investigative journalism has gone the way of the 8 track player! Sure, there are a handful of little-known sources they've found, but they're the exception, not the rule. "We need investigative journalism!" they cry from their computer keyboards!

Let me ask you big-time mainstream media advocates of investigative journalism a simple question. Have you looked in the mirror lately? As much as you whine about the lack of investigative journalism, you fail to see the reason for its alleged decline is, well, you. The journalism profession has become little more than a public relations firm working for the Left and any cause it deems vital, no matter how apathetic the public is about it. While media sources spent precious minutes on Mitt Romney's stupid behavior in high school, not even a microsecond was spent doing a serious story about the national security leaks coming out of the Obama White House. Remember the story about Obama bullying a student in school? No? Not surprising because you guys didn't think it was important enough to address. But Mitt Romney? Why, he's fair game!

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your point of view), bloggers are doing what Woodward and Bernstein were doing during Watergate. I know you media types don't consider blogging to be legitimate journalism because of the lack of accountability when a story is factually wrong (by the way, has the New York Times recovered from the Jayson Blair fiasco?). However, the blogosphere is proving you don't need to go to Columbia to point out corruption in the world around us. And given the state of what passes for mainstream journalism these days, the blogger sitting at home in his PJs is out-hustling the big name reporters you rub shoulders with at dinner parties where the topic of the so-called death of investigative journalism is discussed over brie and Chardonnay.

Maybe the reason the media are lamenting the "death" of investigative journalism is because they're afraid to dig into their own side's misdeeds. After all, it's always much more fun to try to take down the high and mighty when you have a personal vendetta, right? Ah, but when you realize your side, the one you've put so much personal stake into, is no better than the side you hate, it's not so fun, is it? There was a time when investigative journalists would put their feelings aside and go after the crooks, letting the chips fall where they may. But when you can't separate the personal from the professional, you're going to play favorites and, in doing so, help to kill investigative journalism through politically blind neglect.

If you really give a damn about investigative journalism, stop playing favorites and start sending out reporters to shine a flashlight into the dark corners of the Left. Sure, you may not get invited to as many dinner parties with those Leftists, but at least you won't get scooped like the National Inquirer did on the John Edwards story.

Why Wisconsin Matters

The Wisconsin recall effort is over, and the Left is scrambling to put the best possible spin on their failure to unseat Scott Walker. Naturally, they're pretending the whole thing never happened, but for those of us in the real world, it happened. To my friends on the Left, I offer the following reasons why the Wisconsin recall effort matters on a bigger scale.

The exit polls were wrong...AGAIN! To hear the commentators on MSNBC (including woman-hater Ed Schultz) speak of the recall election, it was going to be tight. And in the end, the only things tight were the throats of the MSNBC folks as they choked back tears and more than a little crow announcing Scott Walker had won. When the media do exit polling, they tend to stay in friendly territory as to support their preconceived narrative. This time, just like in 2000 when the media relied on exit polling and screwed up,the polls were wrong, and so was their coverage.

Union power in political matters is waning. The unions used to be a powerful political force in elections, especially for Democrats. However, as their relevance to actual work has waned, so has their effectiveness in achieving political ends. When the unions starting gunning for Scott Walker last year, they were fired up and ready to storm the Cheesehead Bastille. They faced a problem, though: time. Because of the steps necessary to recall a sitting Governor, the unions had to wait. As time went on, their presence waned to the point only people in Wisconsin knew there was even a recall effort going on. When push came to shove, the union efforts failed. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Democrats may cede elections they can't win. Something missing from the recall effort was the presence of Democrat support, especially monetarily. Say what you will about the amount of money Walker raised as compared to his opponent Tom Barrett, but the fact remains the Democratic National Committee didn't see the recall election as that important (even after saying it was very important when Walker's favorability ratings were in the tank). In an effort to try to spin it, Democrats are saying it was just a statewide election with no impact on the larger political battleground. Perhaps the reason they felt that way is because they didn't want to spend money on a losing cause in favor of saving their pennies to try to save their favorite losing cause, Obama/Biden 2012.

This is what democracy looks like? Not so much. The anti-Walker chanters from last year must be scratching their heads at how they could have lost. Either that, or it's the head lice. What they missed out on was the fact democracy isn't standing up, chanting stupid slogans, and making asses of yourselves. To truly enact change, you have to act on it. The recall effort failed in large part because the chanters became a nuisance instead of a sympathetic group willing to take action beyond signing a petition and heckling politicians. On the plus side, though, you had the "pathetic" part down pat. But don't be sad. Soon you'll have a bunch of Astroturf Wall Street folks joining you Lotta-Pa-Losers.

The TEA Party isn't dead. Some of Walker's most strident supporters were members of the TEA Party. They may not have had the media coverage for the sheer body count of the anti-Walker forces, but they made their mark in small ways (such as cleaning up the Capitol after anti-Walker cretins made a mess of the place) and in big ways (like cleaning up the Leftist scum by kicking Barrett to the curb for a second time in two elections). Just because a movement is dormant for a time doesn't mean it's dead. It could be waiting for the next moment to make an impact on the country.

There may be more states in play for Republicans in November. Wisconsin has been a Democrat stronghold for a while, as have many states in the Upper Midwest. This is mainly because of the strong union base in these states. With labor's unimpressive showing in Wisconsin, this may be a turning point for Republicans because union members may not be willing to back the union ticket this time. If other states follow suit, there are a lot of Democrat strongholds that could be toss-ups. Here are a few of them:

• Iowa
• Ohio
• Michigan
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• Minnesota

Although Pennsylvania and West Virginia aren't in the Upper Midwest and Iowa is in more of the central Midwest, all share characteristics with Wisconsin with respect to the working classes in each state. If a worker's revolt happens in even three of these states, Democrats could be looking at a washout in November.

Leftists are starting to see Obama's lack of leadership. One of the post-recall comments made by the Left was Obama should have campaigned for Barrett. (Not that it would have helped...)  This may be a sign the Left has finally seen Obama as a weak leader that doesn't inspire confidence in his followers. If this trend continues, the Left may not come out to vote, which makes the aforementioned states even more important and could tighten some of the races in other vital states, such as Florida. That doesn't bode well for Obama's reelection chances.

If the Left wants to disregard the results of the Wisconsin recall election, they do so at their own political peril. It's not nearly as insignificant as they think it is.

My Commencement Address for 2012

Greetings, graduates of [INSERT NAME OF LEARNING INSTITUTION]! It’s a lovely day here in [LOCATION OF CEREMONY], and I am certainly thrilled to be here to give you words of inspiration as you graduate [HIGH SCHOOL, TECH SCHOOL, COLLEGE].

Before we get to that inspirational message, there is a bit of housekeeping to do. First, you have a big question to answer as you enter [COLLEGE, REAL LIFE, LIVING WITH YOUR PARENTS WHILE YOU LOOK FOR A JOB]. Are you happy with the world right now? This one question will guide your future decisions more than you think. If you’re not happy with the world, you might lash out, get disgruntled, or worse yet, become a member of Astroturf Wall Street. (That’s the name I’ve given to Occupy Wall Street because they’re bankrolled by the rich and they’re too dumb to know it.)

Yes, kids, you may think it’s a neat idea to hang out with other people of like mind regarding the evil banks and Wall Street types, but in truth, it’s not that great of a career booster. You know why? It’s the bankers and Wall Street types doing the hiring these days! Nothing spells “disappointment” like losing a great job because you decided to protest the bank for which you applied for a job. But, at least you’ll still be able to get a job at Starbucks where you can serve the bankers and Wall Street types their double mocha frappechinos.

Maybe you can go into politics and really make a difference! I wouldn’t count on it. Government isn’t in the problem-solving business because once it solves a problem, the fundraising around the problem will stop. Politicians aren’t there for you; they’re there for themselves. The sooner you learn that, the less disappointed you will be.

And while we’re here, how are those student loans working out for you? Those are coming due because Uncle Sam is just like a slumlord when it comes to getting paid back for the solid they did you so you could pay for tuition, books, and cheap beer. And if you’re just starting out with the student loan experience, enjoy the decades ahead of you paying for the tuition, books, and cheap beer.

If you are happy with the world around you, what’s wrong with you? There are problems in the world, most notably people texting and walking at the same time. Seriously, unless it’s a text from God (or, for those of you who don’t believe in God, George Clooney), pay attention to where you’re going! Is that so hard?

Okay, I’m going to get off my soap box now, but seriously, look into solving problems, kids.

If I could make one request of you, it would be this.  Could you chip in for gas? If I could make a second request, it would be that you keep learning. Just because Jon Stewart says something doesn’t make it true. In fact, if you’re using a comedy show to get your news, you might want to consider turning in your diploma and working the night shift at the Waffle Shanty. 

Every so often, challenge your beliefs. Pick up a book you may not have considered reading before and read it. If you want to burn it after reading, use the Kindle Fire. Just because you're leaving these hallowed halls doesn't mean your education is over. I've learned more from life than I have from hitting the books. And might I add, my knuckles didn't hurt as much.

At the end of the day, what you get out of life is what you put into it. The returns may be monetary, spiritual, or psychological, but they are there. However, don't expect them to be instantaneous. You DO have to work for the gifts you receive. Of course, if you have to work for them, they're not really gifts, are they? Well, that's something for you to figure out along the way.

Finally, I promised you an inspirational message, and here it is.

At this point in your life, you are smarter than Joe Biden.

Thank you, and congratulations, Class of 2012!

 

Cue Shark Jumping in 3...2...1

From the people who brought you taking a crap on police cars, drug dealing and use, underage prostitution, and advocating killing the police and the Jews, there's something new.

They're putting out a CD.

Mostly, it's a bunch of indie stars, bands you couldn't pick out of a lineup, and the occasional has-been. But the most uproarious track? Michael Moore doing a remake of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'".

Although the Astroturf Wall Street crowd think he has a new career in singing, personally, I think it's a cry for attention...and help. If you take a look a Moore's box office, he's only had a couple of big hits, and those were some time ago. Now, he's on a downward slide, with "Capitalism: A Love Story" doing one of the worst box office performances of his cinematic career. And when you consider it was as exciting as an Al Gore swimsuit video, is it any wonder?

So, maybe Moore got the hint and is trying to get out of the filmmaking business and is testing the waters with trying to be the next Peter, Paul, and Mary. Combined.

Of course, I joke, but Moore has a serious problem: he doesn't have a good fallback plan. His musical talent reminds me of the 1910 Fruitgum Company and his filmmaking leaves a lot to be desired (like the truth).

Well, Mikey, if the signing thing doesn't work out for you, you could go into the auto industry. I'm sure GM would be willing to put you on the line...