Firing a Few Rounds

Honestly, you can not be completely surprised I have a few rounds left to fire off in the circular tent squad.  I already unleashed most of the clip in my first election analysis.  However, there are two other things I want to address.

First is Chris Christie.  I have heard a lot of people blaming him for the election loss, though I feel that is a lot more emotion than deep analysis.  It is pretty easy to knee-jerk against a guy who embraces the most dangerous president since Woodrow Wilson.

That said, I think they may be preparing to kiss here.

That being said, I do assign a very small portion of blame to Chris Christie.  The problem was not Governor Christie's complimenting of Barack Obama.  The problem is that he complimented him, at best, for getting nothing done.  At worst, he complimented Obama for a job badly done.  Power was inevitably going to return slowly considering how widespread the damage was.  The real problem lay and still lies in what is happening while the power remains unrestored, particularly the logistical nightmare triggered by the disruption of commerce.  People starve, freeze and live in filth as long as that has not recovered.

Yet, FEMA under Obama, much like under Bush, was woefully unprepared to deal with a disaster of this magnitude.  And Chris Christie complimented him on a job well done, a move which I have no doubt helped to solidify the appearance of Barack Obama being in control, despite people suffering a week later when the polls opened.  He complimented the president for doing a few photo-ops in a bomber jacket.

Ultimately, I think that the governor killed any prospects he had of national office.  While I do not hate him like some seem to now, I am immensely disappointed in the man.  No one should be in the business of giving undeserved accolades, whether because they are blind, for the sake of their own reelection (Christie will be up for reelection next year) or just to seem bipartisan.

Finally, my last problem is with those people who believe that the Republican party should divorce itself from the social wing.  This seems to come up every election (often from liberals...hm...) and frankly, I think is a foolish idea to consider.

For one, social conservatives bring the bulk of the energy and enthusiasm to the GOP fold.  Additionally we have numbers that moderates lack.  Splitting the party along these lines would shrink the influence of conservatives and right-leaning libertarians as they would fight amongst themselves more to vie for influence than come together.  The Republican party serves, in many ways, as a means to smooth over the differences between the two and allow them to face the left side of the aisle with greater unity.

The other problem is approaching moderates as some sort of monolithic block.  I believe this to be silly, at best.  The fact of the matter is, everyone who claims to be moderate/independent leans one way or the other.  It is not a matter of dumping social conservatives to appeal to these people; it is a matter of making a cogent argument to them in the first place.  I do not believe conservative values will fail to resonate with people when articulated clearly. 

Moderate candidates cannot do this and that, I believe, is where the problem truly lies.  As long as we keep selecting Doles, McCains and Romneys to represent conservatism on a national stage, we will continue to fail.  Now, I do think it is reasonable to debate which issues should take precedence.  Dropping certain planks because they are politically inconvenient is not the solution, however.

I believe the Democrats and progressive recognize our weaknesses when we choose moderates.  It is why they goad us into considering dumping certain ideologies and morals, particularly when elections go their way.  They wish to use this period of post-election soul searching to divide us further.  The least I can ask is that we don't fall for this kind of silly, knee-jerk stupidity.

Since there is one more big, very important topic that I wish to discuss, there will be one last blog post tomorrow or Tuesday.  Until then, readers!

Also, I hope you spent at least a little time today thinking about the veterans in your life.

Shooting the Circular Tent Squad

I think I just mixed metaphors.

Yes, yes I did.

It was not an aimless mixing, however.  Though the wave seems to be subsiding now, I noticed over the past few days a tendency for conservatives to lash out at each other in the wake of the election.  And by lash out, I do not mean "have introspective conversations with one another that occasionally become heated, but otherwise stay cordial."  I mean full blown nastiness as people would fly off the handle at each other over relatively minor disagreements over causes for the election results.  Likewise, in the immediate aftermath, I saw many jump to hilarious conclusions or assume that single issues were the sole reason for our election defeat.

Now, I do not blame people for getting emotional.  I think all of us conservatives flipped out at some point following the election.  My moment was the morning immediately after.  However, I feel we should be careful with how out of control we allow our emotions to get or, more accurately, who we take those emotions out on, no one being preferable.  Perhaps our gut feelings are right or maybe they are wrong, but we most certainly can stand to wait a day or two to articulate them in a way that does not involve attacking our friends and allies.  It is what I did and do you see any profanity in this post?  Hell no!

...Oops. (Warning: it happens again).

Part of the reason this knee-jerk emotionalism bothers me so much is that it is what liberals do.  So many liberals arrogantly began to preen about their victory, showing little grace and class in the aftermath of the election.  Indeed, the hashtag #F---WhitePeople was trending on Twitter for a time immediately following the result.  However, conservative reactions were not much better and I was disappointed.  Keep yourselves in check, people.  Be better than them.

That leads me to a few incidents that occurred during the election.

Congressman Ego.

First is the situation with Todd Akin.  Now, before you think I'm crazy, I am not defending his statements, but I do feel the need to defend him against how he was treated.  It is true he said something colossally stupid then compounded the problem by having a massive ego to boot.  Sadly, that colossally stupid thing was also taken out of context, as his overall point was that the child conceived in rape has a right to live.  However, pulling back from the man was not the solution.  He was the candidate we had to deal with.

He received far too little support (considering a straight apology and an admission of the stupidity of his statement) and he was still ignored until the last minute, despite running against a woman considered the most vulnerable senator in the country. I feel giving him greater support could have given him a shot against Claire McCaskill.  However, even if he could not have possibly won, at the very least, I feel that we could blame Akin and only Akin had he the support.  As it stands now, we will never know.

Next is Richard Mourdock.  His statement on rape was ill-conceived, but not wrong.  Anyone with common sense knows he was referring to God's plan for the child conceived in rape, not that God intended the rape.  This has been Christian belief since its founding, yet liberals pretended to be shocked at it due to (very) inartful wording.  Though not as strong as Akin's, I believe the blowback and lack of support, again, damaged Mourdock's effort severely.

Richard Mourdock

Indeed, he was asked a question that he doubtless could not have prepared for in that debate, since rape was not a pressing issue this election season.  Liberals brought it up, of course, but it is doubtful it filtered down into state races all that often.  Are conservatives telling me that if blindsided by a question, they're not going to fumble for an honest answer of what they truly believe?  If you say no, you're daft. 

I also don't buy into the argument that these men were not ready for prime-time.  Akin was a six-term congressman and Mourdock had won several statewide elections in Indiana.  Both had ample experience.

Both just ultimately made mistakes that we all make and they (and we) paid the price.  Acting like we need to find perfect men and women to represent us is an election is a pipe dream.  We are the ones who believe that man is inherently imperfect and will make mistakes.  If I may be blunt, sh*t happens.  The least we can do is stand by our fellows when they stumble instead of leave them out in the cold to be torn apart by the wolves.  We do ourselves no favors when we show a willingness to abandon otherwise principled men to gratify our own egos (even as Akin gratified his).

I would continue, but this post has gotten uncomfortably long.  As such, I'll save additional thoughts for later today or the rest of the weekend.

On the 2012 Election

Well, after taking a kinda-sorta break immediately following an election that was a disaster, I am back and in full force.  I have my ice cream, my vodka and my fuzzy bunny slippers and I am all ready to curl up and cry for another few months.  Yes, I will be eating all three.

In all seriousness, as I slowly recover from the utter demoralization of Tuesday, let me give you my thoughts on what happened.

This man loses more gracefully than liberals win, sadly.

First of all, I was utterly shocked by the result.  Not only did Mitt Romney lose, but the Republicans lost seats in congress (though they maintained their house majority).  You already know this.  I think I can also say with confidence I was as flabbergasted as the rest of the conservative movement by this.  It seemed like the momentum was on our side, with the terrible shape the nation is in, and people would be wise enough to make the change needed to fix our ever-growing problems.

They did not and now the question is why?  Let me take a stab at it.

First, I honestly believe Romney was a bad candidate.  Now, do not get me wrong, conservatives did not have a good crop to choose from to begin with.  Most of the others had baggage or inherent flaws.  I love Rick Santorum and Herman Cain (the latter's recent advocacy of a third party notwithstanding), but I also realize neither could have won.  I am also not shortchanging Mitt, for I believe he put as much effort as he personally could into his bid.

However, Romney had several glaring issues, among them Romneycare.  It took the issue of Obamacare off the table almost entirely.  It was most certainly mentioned here or there, but its taxes, spending and rationing never got the play it should have.  Indeed, with Obama's re-election, many businesses fully intend on avoiding its costs and a firmer argument against it may have avoided the lost jobs we will be seeing.

He also never truly has been a conservative.  In this election, it seemed imperative to me that our side draw a clear distinction between ourselves and Barack Obama and, in so doing, show those demographic groups who often vote Democrat that we have their best interests at heart.  That never happened. Romney certainly talked a good game and selected Paul Ryan, to his credit, but it never truly got beyond that.  Thus the lines between the "devil we knew "and the "devil we didn't" became increasingly blurred, particularly during the third debate.

However, moreso than Mitt's own flaws as a candidate was his campaign apparatus.  I believe he surrounded himself with establishment advisers who gave him bad advice.  Part of me genuinely wonders if it was Mitt himself who preferred passivity or the advice he was given to be less aggressive.  Perhaps it was a combination both.  Either way, his campaign was mismanaged, much in the same way John McCain's was (though McCain was a charisma black hole, if what happened Sarah Palin is any indication).  His lack of aggressiveness on issues like Benghazi allowed to truth to stay sealed up tight.

Additionally, I am hearing stories now of a truly weak ground game by the Republicans, which, if true, is truly absurd.  Millions of conservatives and Christians not voting should not be happening, particularly in an election this important.  Obama having a stronger ground game should not have translated into an inept one by his opposition.

This points to what are really the inherent weaknesses of the Republican Party.  If its establishment is so mired in their own egos and belief in their ability that they cannot organize effectively, it is about time they be replaced with people of energy and fresh ideas.  Replaced by people capable of adapting to the information age and changing demographics.  In particular, that establishment must be replaced by people with true conservative principles instead of party loyalty.

I believe when we realize this, conservatives will have learned the true lesson of 2012.

P.S. Think I may write about some of the smaller issues on the election tomorrow or Saturday.  There are many small issues like Chris Christie, Akin and Mourdock and others that deserve some mention.  That and I just feel like talking about it.  You got a problem with that?

An Important Video

While I said I was not going to post about the election before the election...well...I'm not, from a certain point of view.  No, I can't tell you what that point of view is.  And I don't think I asked for your opinion on the matter.

Anyway...

If you have friends, family, acquaintances, minor enemies, major villains or whoever who still think President Obama is good for this country, show them this video.  If they think conservatives are evil hatemongers, show them this video.  If you think they've never truly questioned their core beliefs in their lives, show them this video.  This is particularly important if they are able to be swayed. 

Sadly, there are many out there who will refuse to look up on the truth, no matter how directly it's presented to them.

That doesn't matter. 

As I said yesterday, we are facing the most critical election in decades.  In the waning hours of the election cycle, make sure everyone possible knows what must be done to reverse our current course.

That is our only option if we want our future to be bright.  It is our only option if we want America to grow and succeed.  To be the shining city on the hill.  So make every effort to share this video with people and open their eyes.

Conservatism is calling.

On...e More Pre-Election Post

I refuse to write or post anything between the time you see this and the moment we find out who the winner of the presidential election is.  As such, I'm writing my final piece before election day now and saving my energy for a post-election wrap-up (or whatever the situation calls for).

First, I feel the need to apologize for not having posted in well over a week.  I was not feeling anything pressing on my heart after my last post.  Then, Sandy knocked out my power for three days (fortunately, that was all it did) and I've been trying to get back into the swing of things since.

This line...is just for early voting.

So...this is finally it.  The nation is not even two days out from election day.  Since 2008, politics and the nation in general has seemed like a roller coaster, moving from one event to the other.  Election one day, gridlock the next, triumph the day after and abject defeat to follow.  I refer to nothing in particular in any order in saying that, by the way.

And now it's come down to this.  After four years of stagnation, exploding debt and endless bickering, America is about to make what may seem like the greatest choice to face any generation.  Now, it may seem like I'm repeating the same old line repeated every election.  And I am.  However, I do not repeat it for its own sake.  This election, there are two very important reasons this is true.

First, every election is important.  Let's not kid ourselves here.  Every election is a choice for our future, whether it is more/less government, honorable/dishonorable representation, higher/lower taxes, etc..  Frankly, in my humble opinion, people who do not vote have no business complaining about the condition of their country.  If they do not care enough to at least try to change things, adding their voice to the chorus is not really earned.  That is how important I feel voting is.  It is a privilege that a barely perceptible blip of all the people who have ever lived on the Earth have ever been able to do.  It should not be squandered.

Second, the past four years have just been a precursor to the next four.  For the past four years, we have seen the debt rise meteorically.  The president has produced budget proposal after budget proposal that maintains the same, sky high levels of massive debt for ten years and counting.  The Democratic Senate has not even produced a budget in four years, despite its Constitutional obligation to do so.

Speaking of the Constitution, we have a man who does not seem to respect it and its restrictions much.  Using executive orders and czars, he has committed to many policies that have never been seen by Congress.  His agencies have created thousands of regulations, avoiding the legislative body as well.  His Justice Department refuses to defend the laws it does not like, despite its obligation to defend the laws of the United States.

And I have yet to mention his constant demonizing of those he dislikes.  I have not mentioned his shunning of our allies or the embrace of our enemies (which they are taking full advantage of).  I have not mentioned the billions spent on energy companies that have failed, Fast & Furious, Benghazi and whatever else you can think of.  There's so much I have not mentioned because this is a blog, not a book.  My point is, when the man no longer faces reelection, he will not be inhibited from being far worse than he already has been.

Really, I did not intend to rant about the president originally.  However, I cannot seem to stress the importance of this election without noting why we cannot afford another four years of the Obama administration. 

To be perfectly honest, while my belief that Mitt Romney is the right man for the job has been consistently reinforced since the Paul Ryan pick, I am still not sure how he is going to govern.  I do not believe he is going to be a solid conservative, but if he holds to his promises to correct our fiscal course, I believe it will be enough.  If Mitt Romney fails in this purpose, I concur with Bill Whittle when he says he will do everything his power to ensure that Americans can have a solidly conservative choice to vote for in 2016.

Anyway, that is my pre-election rant.  I'm currently watching The Walking Dead and don't want to mix zombies into this post (though I just thought of ten ways I could).  As such I will leave it here. 

You can keep up with me on Twitter if you want to. 

Or you can also check out my Facebook page, though I don't use it much except to post these updates.

Expect me again on Election night!

Bonus: That Bill Whittle video I linked to above.