Joe Scarborough takes the MSM to task about their "investigation" of Sarah Palin and their lopsided (and biased) coverage of Barack Obama during the run up to the election. He makes takes them on and leaves them speechless and squirming!! But his point is well made and oh, so true. The point is made that Obama got a pass and was not "investigated" like Sarah Palin. Had it happened, perhaps we would know more about his connections to the Chicage cesspool that spawned him. So now we may have bought a pig in a poke (with lipstick on but still a pig)thanks to the media who acted as kingmaker.
About Me
- Carolyn
- St. Louis, MO, United States
- What the name sez, Christian, conservative, 2nd amendment supporter. Physician, wife, daughter and loving mother.
Showing posts with label election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label election. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Restructuring the Conservative Movement
No sooner than the President-elect was announced than pundits everywhere were talking about the tatters of the Republican party and the need for some serious regrouping in order for the party to survive. Over the past week, I have also heard a growing number of voices that have been lobbying for the idea of a real third party. I have even read a thought or two about a secessionist movement. It is obvious that many people are thinking about what to do and brainstorming about all sorts of possibilities, some realistic and some....not so much.
Yesterday's Saturday political talk shows were filled with mention of a resurgence of the young fresh conservative faces such as Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence to name just a few. Today, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence graced Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace and were quite impressive in laying out some preliminary guidelines for needed action.
Even as the election returns were still coming in, some pundits were making a case for the Republican party to move toward the squishy center and this has been promoted by any number of people in the past few post-election days. This is, however, not the way to make the Republican party or the conservative movement viable. To reimagine the Republican party into a conservative democratic party is not tenable. This is part of the reason why John McCain lost. Before he added Sarah Palin to the ticket his support was luke warm, but after adding her to the ticket, there was a rush of support that went in the direction of McCain. In fact, it is likely that many Republicans cast a vote for Sarah Palin rather than a vote for John McCain. If he had added someone else to the ticket, I feel that his loss would have been even more dramatic. As my husband proclaimed this summer as he winced at the thought of voting for John McCain, "If I wanted to vote for a Democrat, I would have voted for the Democrat." It is time, now, to rid the party of all of the old RINO's that pollute the Republican party and this includes some of the old and venerable names in Republicandom--Lindsey Graham, Richard Lugar, Chuck Hagel to name just a few....in fact some of these individuals may find themselves in positions in the Obama presidency. These men and women are not truly conservative and have shown it time and time again by pandering to the other side of the aisle and giving up ground to them in the name of bipartisanship. We saw it in the wake of judicial nominees in the Gang of 14 and even this summer during the rogue Republican congress when the old RINO's got on the bandwagon at the the last minute and formed a moderate coalition to work with the vacationing Democrats. It is time to sweep out the old and replace them with new fresh faces who embody true conservative principles.
Getting young conservatives out in the front lines will energize the Republican base. These are the internet and social media savvy conservatives that we need. During the Rogue Republican congress this August, the #dontgo movement was mounted by the social media and Twitter became the home for communication from the darkened House floor to the people around the country. During the entire August recess, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Mike Pence and a number of other Republicans held forth in the darkened House chambers to make their case for drilling offshore and throughout the country where oil reserves were thought to exist as a bridge solution for $4-$5 per gallon gasoline and diesel fuel, exorbitantly expensive aviation fuel and heating oil. While Nancy Pelosi was on her book tour, and her fellow Democrats were on vacation, the Rogue Republicans stayed behind to make the case that something had to be done to gain energy independence from foreign oil. Daily briefings were made public via Twitter, conservative bloggers, cell phone cameras and internet audio and video media who staunchly stayed on top of the situation and spread the word even though the TV cameras, air conditioning and MSM coverage were turned off during this time.
The #dontgo movement caught on and was picked up by some of the conservative radio talkers and a groundswell of ordinary citizens began flooding the offices of the vacationing Democrats and some of the moderate Republicans who had gone home with phone calls, letters and email ordering them to return and get something done about the high cost of fuel. The same sort of conservative groundswell resulted with the response to legislation for amnesty for illegal immigrants and it was squelched in favor of better and tighter enforcement of laws already on the books and tightening of our borders. Conservative groundswell also had a role in the recall of Harriet Miers' nomination for Supreme Court Justice by the Bush Administration. We know that our voices, when mounted together can be heard.
Team Sarah which was a coalition of women from all walks of life who supported Sarah Palin entered the election with about 44,000 committed members and since then as added another 10,000 members since the defeat of the McCain ticket. The One Million woman townhall internet teleconference that was held by Team Sarah on November 1 was awesome. Next week, the #dontgo movement will be reborn into a new conservative rebuilding effort with emphasis on sweeping out the stale Republican leadership and tying all of the loose ends together into a conservative answer to moveon.org.
Conservatives need to be cohesive and organized. We need to be disciplined and principled. We need to tie all of the splinter groups together and make use of the social media. We need to appeal to young people in a stronger way. We need to be sure that we stay aligned with the ideas that we should have espoused all along--smaller government, personal responsibility, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, etc. While the black vote went overwhelmingly for Obama, we know from YouTube and the blogosphere that there were some very outspoken black Republican voters. We need to reach out to those conservative Latino and black voters where we have common ground and be sure that they realize that our tent is big enough for conservatives of any bent.
I am looking forward to seeing the new Republican party rising out of the ashes of the 2008 election defeat as a stronger, more vibrant, more cohesive and more vocal party that can stand up successfully in the 2010 mid-term election and stave off further Congressional losses and put themselves into a strong position for the 2012 Presidential election! If we all band together and work for the next two years to educate and energize potential voters, this could happen.
Yesterday's Saturday political talk shows were filled with mention of a resurgence of the young fresh conservative faces such as Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence to name just a few. Today, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence graced Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace and were quite impressive in laying out some preliminary guidelines for needed action.
Even as the election returns were still coming in, some pundits were making a case for the Republican party to move toward the squishy center and this has been promoted by any number of people in the past few post-election days. This is, however, not the way to make the Republican party or the conservative movement viable. To reimagine the Republican party into a conservative democratic party is not tenable. This is part of the reason why John McCain lost. Before he added Sarah Palin to the ticket his support was luke warm, but after adding her to the ticket, there was a rush of support that went in the direction of McCain. In fact, it is likely that many Republicans cast a vote for Sarah Palin rather than a vote for John McCain. If he had added someone else to the ticket, I feel that his loss would have been even more dramatic. As my husband proclaimed this summer as he winced at the thought of voting for John McCain, "If I wanted to vote for a Democrat, I would have voted for the Democrat." It is time, now, to rid the party of all of the old RINO's that pollute the Republican party and this includes some of the old and venerable names in Republicandom--Lindsey Graham, Richard Lugar, Chuck Hagel to name just a few....in fact some of these individuals may find themselves in positions in the Obama presidency. These men and women are not truly conservative and have shown it time and time again by pandering to the other side of the aisle and giving up ground to them in the name of bipartisanship. We saw it in the wake of judicial nominees in the Gang of 14 and even this summer during the rogue Republican congress when the old RINO's got on the bandwagon at the the last minute and formed a moderate coalition to work with the vacationing Democrats. It is time to sweep out the old and replace them with new fresh faces who embody true conservative principles.
Getting young conservatives out in the front lines will energize the Republican base. These are the internet and social media savvy conservatives that we need. During the Rogue Republican congress this August, the #dontgo movement was mounted by the social media and Twitter became the home for communication from the darkened House floor to the people around the country. During the entire August recess, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Mike Pence and a number of other Republicans held forth in the darkened House chambers to make their case for drilling offshore and throughout the country where oil reserves were thought to exist as a bridge solution for $4-$5 per gallon gasoline and diesel fuel, exorbitantly expensive aviation fuel and heating oil. While Nancy Pelosi was on her book tour, and her fellow Democrats were on vacation, the Rogue Republicans stayed behind to make the case that something had to be done to gain energy independence from foreign oil. Daily briefings were made public via Twitter, conservative bloggers, cell phone cameras and internet audio and video media who staunchly stayed on top of the situation and spread the word even though the TV cameras, air conditioning and MSM coverage were turned off during this time.
The #dontgo movement caught on and was picked up by some of the conservative radio talkers and a groundswell of ordinary citizens began flooding the offices of the vacationing Democrats and some of the moderate Republicans who had gone home with phone calls, letters and email ordering them to return and get something done about the high cost of fuel. The same sort of conservative groundswell resulted with the response to legislation for amnesty for illegal immigrants and it was squelched in favor of better and tighter enforcement of laws already on the books and tightening of our borders. Conservative groundswell also had a role in the recall of Harriet Miers' nomination for Supreme Court Justice by the Bush Administration. We know that our voices, when mounted together can be heard.
Team Sarah which was a coalition of women from all walks of life who supported Sarah Palin entered the election with about 44,000 committed members and since then as added another 10,000 members since the defeat of the McCain ticket. The One Million woman townhall internet teleconference that was held by Team Sarah on November 1 was awesome. Next week, the #dontgo movement will be reborn into a new conservative rebuilding effort with emphasis on sweeping out the stale Republican leadership and tying all of the loose ends together into a conservative answer to moveon.org.
Conservatives need to be cohesive and organized. We need to be disciplined and principled. We need to tie all of the splinter groups together and make use of the social media. We need to appeal to young people in a stronger way. We need to be sure that we stay aligned with the ideas that we should have espoused all along--smaller government, personal responsibility, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, etc. While the black vote went overwhelmingly for Obama, we know from YouTube and the blogosphere that there were some very outspoken black Republican voters. We need to reach out to those conservative Latino and black voters where we have common ground and be sure that they realize that our tent is big enough for conservatives of any bent.
I am looking forward to seeing the new Republican party rising out of the ashes of the 2008 election defeat as a stronger, more vibrant, more cohesive and more vocal party that can stand up successfully in the 2010 mid-term election and stave off further Congressional losses and put themselves into a strong position for the 2012 Presidential election! If we all band together and work for the next two years to educate and energize potential voters, this could happen.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
My Daughter Made Me Proud
My daughter works in marketing and like many young adults, she has been a relatively detached voter in the two prior Bush elections. She digests things quietly and many times during her formative years, my husband and I seriously wondered what actually got through to her. As a young adult she is conservative both socially and fiscally. As a young professional woman she is successful. Yet she has always held that a single vote is meaningless and has not had much use for politics overall. My husband and I have tried to dispel this idea, but she never seemed to buy into it. So I was a bit surprised when she admitted that she and her boyfriend had been engaged in such a spirited political discussion that they missed the exit on the interstate when they were traveling to join us for lunch on Sunday. (This in spite of the fact that they both voted for McCain/Palin!) Then yesterday, she called me in the afternoon to tell me, sarcastically, that I could sleep well knowing that she had just finished voting for McCain/Palin! She also made some snide comment about how silly I was to place so much emphasis on voting.
And yet, yesterday evening, she called while she was on the way home from a meeting to see if there was any news about the election yet!
This morning, I received an email from her with the following message: Are you sad.....?
My response was that while I was a bit sad, the election provided true conservatives with some very important challenges for the future.
I seriously thought that would be the end of the discussion, as it usually is. But I received a response email with one of the most astounding and cogent responses from her:
So thanks to this election my conservative daughter is now energized with respect to politics. She gets it now, and knows that her profession played a profound role in this election. She also recognizes that words alone don't produce change. If she ever decides to switch jobs, I think that she could find a place in the conservative political arena.
And yet, yesterday evening, she called while she was on the way home from a meeting to see if there was any news about the election yet!
This morning, I received an email from her with the following message: Are you sad.....?
My response was that while I was a bit sad, the election provided true conservatives with some very important challenges for the future.
I seriously thought that would be the end of the discussion, as it usually is. But I received a response email with one of the most astounding and cogent responses from her:
What was done right = MARKETING.
What was done wrong = MARKETING.
I believe that this election was won by the best marketer.
I do have to say that I'm more interested in politics now because of this election. People seem to be so energized by him that I'd really like to watch and track the actual change that takes place vs. what he said he would do (even though he didn't say much other than "change").
So thanks to this election my conservative daughter is now energized with respect to politics. She gets it now, and knows that her profession played a profound role in this election. She also recognizes that words alone don't produce change. If she ever decides to switch jobs, I think that she could find a place in the conservative political arena.
I Am So Proud of My Daughter
My daughter has been an ambivalent voter in the two previous Bush elections. My husband and I have tried to engage her in political thought and she has been reluctant before now. She embodies sound conservative principles in her life and actions, but she has not had any fire in her belly for political matters, somehow thinking that she was just one person of little significance or that the candidates did not speak for her. Yesterday afternoon she called me to grudgingly let me know that I could quit worrying, she had voted for McCain/Palin and then she made some comment about how silly I was to place so much emphasis on her one vote.
I let these things slide, because I also know that she was engaged in a spirited political discussion with her boyfriend (though they both voted for McCain/Palin and are like minded) that got so involved that they missed the exit on the interstate that they needed to take to join us for lunch on Sunday!
This morning I received an email from her with a simple message: "Are you sad....."
My reply was that I was a bit sad at the outcome, but energized at the challenges that are now clearly ahead for conservative voices in America.
Imagine my surprise when I got another email with her very cogent response:
She has been energized by a candidate that she did not back and yet she has been brought into political connection in this rough and tumble election because she saw a connection with her own profession. She finally understands how things happen and she sees the emptiness of "just words". I hope that if she decides to change jobs, she can find something in the conservative political arena..She would be awesome.
I let these things slide, because I also know that she was engaged in a spirited political discussion with her boyfriend (though they both voted for McCain/Palin and are like minded) that got so involved that they missed the exit on the interstate that they needed to take to join us for lunch on Sunday!
This morning I received an email from her with a simple message: "Are you sad....."
My reply was that I was a bit sad at the outcome, but energized at the challenges that are now clearly ahead for conservative voices in America.
Imagine my surprise when I got another email with her very cogent response:
What was done right = MARKETING.
What was done wrong = MARKETING.
I believe that this election was won by the best marketer.
I do have to say that I'm more interested in politics now because of this election. People seem to be so energized by him that I'd really like to watch and track the actual change that takes place vs. what he said he would do (even though he didn't say much other than "change")
She has been energized by a candidate that she did not back and yet she has been brought into political connection in this rough and tumble election because she saw a connection with her own profession. She finally understands how things happen and she sees the emptiness of "just words". I hope that if she decides to change jobs, she can find something in the conservative political arena..She would be awesome.
The Morning After
Last night I watched Jesse Jackson with tears streaming down his face (were they happy, was he thinking of his castration comments, or was he thinking that he was now a victim, too) ate comfort food, and ruminated on the fate of the world. The I went to bed, prayed for our nation and without the aid of anything at all, I slept a peaceful and sound sleep. Today, the sun is bright, the leaves are beautiful and the world is still there. Nothing CHANGED overnight except that there is one less bull and one more national holiday in Kenya and President-Elect Obama has already put in his bid for his second term during his acceptance speech.
Being pragmatic, realistic and having the benefit of years of past experience, I know that our country will survive and that there are 55 million voters who did not vote for the winner in this election. I lived through the awful presidency of Jimmy Carter and know about gas lines and extremely high taxes and interest rates that were just short of usery. Abuse us for 4 years and we will unseat you just like we did President Carter. President-elect Obama, you have just placed yourself in the same position. We will be watching everything that you do and holding you accountable for the things that you screw up. I can put on a sweater and keep my tires inflated. I can use those dim lightbulbs that require a hazmat team to clean up if you break one. I can retreat into a position of economic inactivity if I need to and stop my personal spending... God knows that I really don't NEED any more stuff. I can outlast you and there are a lot of people that are of like mind, not to mention a lot of people that will be very disappointed if you can't deliver the CHANGE that they thought they would be getting.
As President-elect Obama so eloquently stated in this acceptance speech last night, the CHANGE might not really happen.
Sorry Peggy, guess you'll have to keep writing those checks and filling your tank yourself.
All of those 55 million voices that did not vote for the winner in this election need to sit down and look at the reasons that this election ended as it did.
1. We need to do some serious soul-searching.
2. We also need to welcome and forgive any disillusioned conservatives who strayed from the fold yesterday.
3. We need to learn from what did happen right and where we fell away from our guiding principles and went wrong.
4. We need to look at the strong conservatives who did triumph in the face of adversity last night, such as Mitch McConnell and Michelle Bachman and take a page from their playbook.
5. We need to remember that Sarah Palin (if she would ever have us again) and Bobby Jindal and other fresh faces are still there on the horizon as they garner more experience and build their conservative resumes.
6. We also need to look at the Senate and Congressional seats that are at risk in 2010 and either start to rally around strong conservatives so that they keep their seats or else look for strong conservative faces to unseat moderates in the primaries and take back what we believe in.
7. We need to fight battles on principled arguments without name calling or vilification.
As Vice President-elect Joe Biden has urged all of us, we will need to gird our loins and get ready for the struggle. In the bright light of a new day, the challenges are clearer and our determination should be even greater.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term.
Being pragmatic, realistic and having the benefit of years of past experience, I know that our country will survive and that there are 55 million voters who did not vote for the winner in this election. I lived through the awful presidency of Jimmy Carter and know about gas lines and extremely high taxes and interest rates that were just short of usery. Abuse us for 4 years and we will unseat you just like we did President Carter. President-elect Obama, you have just placed yourself in the same position. We will be watching everything that you do and holding you accountable for the things that you screw up. I can put on a sweater and keep my tires inflated. I can use those dim lightbulbs that require a hazmat team to clean up if you break one. I can retreat into a position of economic inactivity if I need to and stop my personal spending... God knows that I really don't NEED any more stuff. I can outlast you and there are a lot of people that are of like mind, not to mention a lot of people that will be very disappointed if you can't deliver the CHANGE that they thought they would be getting.
As President-elect Obama so eloquently stated in this acceptance speech last night, the CHANGE might not really happen.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Sorry Peggy, guess you'll have to keep writing those checks and filling your tank yourself.
All of those 55 million voices that did not vote for the winner in this election need to sit down and look at the reasons that this election ended as it did.
1. We need to do some serious soul-searching.
2. We also need to welcome and forgive any disillusioned conservatives who strayed from the fold yesterday.
3. We need to learn from what did happen right and where we fell away from our guiding principles and went wrong.
4. We need to look at the strong conservatives who did triumph in the face of adversity last night, such as Mitch McConnell and Michelle Bachman and take a page from their playbook.
5. We need to remember that Sarah Palin (if she would ever have us again) and Bobby Jindal and other fresh faces are still there on the horizon as they garner more experience and build their conservative resumes.
6. We also need to look at the Senate and Congressional seats that are at risk in 2010 and either start to rally around strong conservatives so that they keep their seats or else look for strong conservative faces to unseat moderates in the primaries and take back what we believe in.
7. We need to fight battles on principled arguments without name calling or vilification.
As Vice President-elect Joe Biden has urged all of us, we will need to gird our loins and get ready for the struggle. In the bright light of a new day, the challenges are clearer and our determination should be even greater.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Night Before The Election
Hat tip today goes to my 87 year old mother who sent this along to me for my enjoyment. (By the way, Mr. Obama, this came through Florida by way of several octagenarians, so don't think that those on fixed incomes are going your way!) I am passing it along to you all as I think we all need a bit of truth laced with humor right now.
'Twas the night before elections
And all through the town,
Tempers were flaring
Emotions all up and down!
I, in my bathrobe
With a cat in my lap
Had cut off the TV...
Tired of political crap.
When all of a sudden
There arose such a noise
I peered out of my window
Saw Obama and his boys.
They had come for my wallet
They wanted my pay
To give to the others
Who had not worked a day!
He snatched up my money
And quick as a wink
Jumped back on his bandwagon
As I gagged from the stink.
He then rallied his henchmen
Who were pulling his cart
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart!
' On Fannie, on Freddie!
On Biden and Ayers!
On Acorn, On Pelosi!'
He screamed at the pairs!
They took off for his cause
And as he flew out of sight
I heard him laugh at the nation
Who wouldn't stand up and fight!
So I leave you to think
On this one final note-
IF YOU DON'T WANT SOCIALISM
GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!
See you at the polls tomorrow!
'Twas the night before elections
And all through the town,
Tempers were flaring
Emotions all up and down!
I, in my bathrobe
With a cat in my lap
Had cut off the TV...
Tired of political crap.
When all of a sudden
There arose such a noise
I peered out of my window
Saw Obama and his boys.
They had come for my wallet
They wanted my pay
To give to the others
Who had not worked a day!
He snatched up my money
And quick as a wink
Jumped back on his bandwagon
As I gagged from the stink.
He then rallied his henchmen
Who were pulling his cart
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart!
' On Fannie, on Freddie!
On Biden and Ayers!
On Acorn, On Pelosi!'
He screamed at the pairs!
They took off for his cause
And as he flew out of sight
I heard him laugh at the nation
Who wouldn't stand up and fight!
So I leave you to think
On this one final note-
IF YOU DON'T WANT SOCIALISM
GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!
See you at the polls tomorrow!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
My Little Website is a Microcosm of the Economy
As a guilty pleasure I collect antiques and quirky collectibles. As most collectors know, one's collection can sometimes overrun your life and there comes a time when the collection needs to be thinned. As a result I have a booth at a local antique mall and I also have an online shop at Ruby Lane.com. I am an aucton and estate sale junkie and this is relaxation therapy for me. But when I come home with things that I love, I also have to have an outlet for the extra things that find their way into my home.
When I first started my online shop 5 years ago, my clientele was primarily domestic with only occasional international sales. As the years have passed, the frequency of international sales has gradually inched up, but in the early part of 2008, with $4 per gallon gas and a weakened dollar, I noticed that I was constantly running to the post office with international sales and my domestic sales were sliding downward. Overall my sales were the same, but the balance of international and domestic sales was changing.
Within the last 8 weeks, however, with both the foreign and US stock markets becoming volatile, I have noticed a decline in overall sales, both domestic and foreign. October was one of the worst months ever for my online shop. This mirrors the climate of uncertainty in our country right now and the tendency to pull back and not spend on anything that is not essential.
I hate to think that this will only worsen under an Obama presidency. As his threshold for a tax increase now looms at $120,000 and below and is probably falling, an increased tax burden as well as the price increases that will be passed on to the public by increased corporate taxation will only make it less likely that the public will be willing to spend money on frivilous or luxury purchases like antiques and collectibles.
While my online shop and antique mall booth are hobbies and not my livelihood, I hate to think that I may need to pull up stakes and quit because I am no longer making enough money to turn it back into my little business to purchase more inventory. If my little nickle and dime operation is hurting, think of the small mom and pop enterprises who will be choked out in such an economic climate. These individuals may employ a small number of other employees and if they fail, there are increased numbers of unemployed individuals looking for new jobs. In such a climate, larger companies are also constricting their rolls through attrition and not filling openings as they occur. This downward spiral of increasing prices, increasing unemployment, and increased taxes on everything imaginable cannot improve the economy and anyone, including BHO, who thinks otherwise is a fool.
What I would love to see is a flat tax with no loopholes. Each employed person or married couple would write a single check out to the government on April 15 or have it deducted from each paycheck...easy breezy and simple. Each wage earner would be able to keep more of their own income. People would have more expendable income and that would spur spending and productivity. If the corporate tax rate was lowered so that more of our companies would stay in the USA this would provide jobs for more Americans. If we invest in all kinds of alternate energy projects including nuclear, clean coal, drilling for natural gas and oil both offshore and in ANWAR, we can make ourselves energy independent and spur job creation in the field of green jobs. Why is this so hard to envision??? What candidate might be more likely to accomplish some of these objectives???
Neither of the present candidates is a perfect fit for my ideal, but one is closer by far and this is where I am putting my vote on Tuesday. I would rather work very hard but be able to disburse my money in ways that I deem appropriate, including my tithe and charitable giving, than to work hard only to see my money taken and "spread around" to people who don't work and feel entitled. In fact, if there is no incentive to be productive, and there is forced charity, why would I want to be productive at all??
Think twice people before you pull that lever on Tuesday, because your very life depends on it. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR BECAUSE YOU JUST MIGHT GET IT.
When I first started my online shop 5 years ago, my clientele was primarily domestic with only occasional international sales. As the years have passed, the frequency of international sales has gradually inched up, but in the early part of 2008, with $4 per gallon gas and a weakened dollar, I noticed that I was constantly running to the post office with international sales and my domestic sales were sliding downward. Overall my sales were the same, but the balance of international and domestic sales was changing.
Within the last 8 weeks, however, with both the foreign and US stock markets becoming volatile, I have noticed a decline in overall sales, both domestic and foreign. October was one of the worst months ever for my online shop. This mirrors the climate of uncertainty in our country right now and the tendency to pull back and not spend on anything that is not essential.
I hate to think that this will only worsen under an Obama presidency. As his threshold for a tax increase now looms at $120,000 and below and is probably falling, an increased tax burden as well as the price increases that will be passed on to the public by increased corporate taxation will only make it less likely that the public will be willing to spend money on frivilous or luxury purchases like antiques and collectibles.
While my online shop and antique mall booth are hobbies and not my livelihood, I hate to think that I may need to pull up stakes and quit because I am no longer making enough money to turn it back into my little business to purchase more inventory. If my little nickle and dime operation is hurting, think of the small mom and pop enterprises who will be choked out in such an economic climate. These individuals may employ a small number of other employees and if they fail, there are increased numbers of unemployed individuals looking for new jobs. In such a climate, larger companies are also constricting their rolls through attrition and not filling openings as they occur. This downward spiral of increasing prices, increasing unemployment, and increased taxes on everything imaginable cannot improve the economy and anyone, including BHO, who thinks otherwise is a fool.
What I would love to see is a flat tax with no loopholes. Each employed person or married couple would write a single check out to the government on April 15 or have it deducted from each paycheck...easy breezy and simple. Each wage earner would be able to keep more of their own income. People would have more expendable income and that would spur spending and productivity. If the corporate tax rate was lowered so that more of our companies would stay in the USA this would provide jobs for more Americans. If we invest in all kinds of alternate energy projects including nuclear, clean coal, drilling for natural gas and oil both offshore and in ANWAR, we can make ourselves energy independent and spur job creation in the field of green jobs. Why is this so hard to envision??? What candidate might be more likely to accomplish some of these objectives???
Neither of the present candidates is a perfect fit for my ideal, but one is closer by far and this is where I am putting my vote on Tuesday. I would rather work very hard but be able to disburse my money in ways that I deem appropriate, including my tithe and charitable giving, than to work hard only to see my money taken and "spread around" to people who don't work and feel entitled. In fact, if there is no incentive to be productive, and there is forced charity, why would I want to be productive at all??
Think twice people before you pull that lever on Tuesday, because your very life depends on it. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR BECAUSE YOU JUST MIGHT GET IT.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Another Message from Zo, A Black Conservative
I have become addicted to the YouTube videos put out by Macho Sauce Productions. The black conservative voice is out there and Zo is a kind of Everyman. Here is the latest and probably last video before the election, aptly entitled "1 More B4 11 04."
Thank you for telling it like it is with candor and humor.
Thank you for telling it like it is with candor and humor.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Angels in Disguise
What do Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife, Henry Travers in It's a Wonderful Life and Joe the Plumber have in common??
They are all angels dropped into the lives of those who were troubled to rescue those who were lost and floundering.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Now THIS is How to Spread the Wealth!!
There is a local contemporary Christian music station here in St. Louis (JOY FM 97.7 and 94.1) that is totally listener supported. They have a monthly Project JOY that they sponsor and each month the project does something good for the recipient. Last February, the project was Random Acts of Kindness. They encouraged the listeners to do something unrequested for someone who did not suspect that they would receive it just for the sheer joy of giving. Listeners phoned in to report the overwhelming surprise that met such acts as randomly paying for someone's fill-up at the gas pump, buying someone's groceries in the checkout line, shoveling the neighbor's drive, taking cookies to the elderly neighbor, asking a young mom if she would like a day out without the kids with you as the unpaid baby sitter.... the list went on and on, and the stories that were shared were truly heartwarming. Some of the people who did kind acts for strangers even had TROUBLE convincing them that they just wanted to do something nice with no strings attached!!
Thus today, when I ran across this story, I was moved to be sure it was shared. A Texas woman went to a home foreclosure auction with the intent to purchase a home for her son. During the auction, she struck up a conversation with a total stranger who happened to be the evicted homeowner of one of the properties and heard how she came to lose her home. Instead of buying that home for her son, the woman, on a whim, purchased the home for about 1/3 of what the owner had originally paid and gave it back to her. The home's owner will pay her back rather than the bank. This is truly a random act of kindness and exemplifies the way that wealth SHOULD be shared.
Barack Obama and his band of merry men (and women) should take a lesson from this woman. It has become very clear that he and his cronies are only willing to share YOUR piece of the pie. Joe Biden has an abysmal record (less than 1% of his income) of charitable giving and The Chosen One is only a little bit better and only in the most recent years has his giving reached the 5-6% level of charitable giving. Then today, the blogoshpere is buzzing with the revelation that BHO's dear aunt that he talks about in his first book has been found living in squalor in Boston and his Uncle Omar is reported to have been evicted from his apartment in a Boston housing project. Barack and his cronies should first learn that charity begins at home and experience the pure joy that accompanies a random act of kindness. Charity is not something that you can legislate or force.
It is much more blessed to give than to receive, and unlike Michelle Obama, I have always been proud of the my countrymen.
Thus today, when I ran across this story, I was moved to be sure it was shared. A Texas woman went to a home foreclosure auction with the intent to purchase a home for her son. During the auction, she struck up a conversation with a total stranger who happened to be the evicted homeowner of one of the properties and heard how she came to lose her home. Instead of buying that home for her son, the woman, on a whim, purchased the home for about 1/3 of what the owner had originally paid and gave it back to her. The home's owner will pay her back rather than the bank. This is truly a random act of kindness and exemplifies the way that wealth SHOULD be shared.
Barack Obama and his band of merry men (and women) should take a lesson from this woman. It has become very clear that he and his cronies are only willing to share YOUR piece of the pie. Joe Biden has an abysmal record (less than 1% of his income) of charitable giving and The Chosen One is only a little bit better and only in the most recent years has his giving reached the 5-6% level of charitable giving. Then today, the blogoshpere is buzzing with the revelation that BHO's dear aunt that he talks about in his first book has been found living in squalor in Boston and his Uncle Omar is reported to have been evicted from his apartment in a Boston housing project. Barack and his cronies should first learn that charity begins at home and experience the pure joy that accompanies a random act of kindness. Charity is not something that you can legislate or force.
It is much more blessed to give than to receive, and unlike Michelle Obama, I have always been proud of the my countrymen.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
You Might Be a Redneck.....
John Murtha and Barack Obama have both caught flack (appropriately so) about the apersions cast at the people of Western Pennsylvania. Obama stated that they are bitter and cling to their guns and Bibles. Murtha called them (his own constituents in his re-election year no less) racist and then muddled through an attempt to smooth this over by calling them REDNECKS!!
Jeff Foxworthy has made the "You Might Be a Redneck" eponym famous, but today my 87 year old mother sent me the perfect retort to the elitist media and politicians who have no limit on the invective that they are spewing toward those of us who are just middle Americans who work hard and try to do what it right. So see if you are a redneck based on this little email that she sent to me.
You might be a redneck if:
It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'
You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You still say ' Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'
You bow your head when someone prays.
You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.
You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.
You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.
You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same.
You'd give your last dollar to a friend.
Well, based on the above definition I am certainly a redneck and I am proud to say it.
Oh, by the way Barack....I'm bitter and I VOTE. See ya at the polls on November 4!
Jeff Foxworthy has made the "You Might Be a Redneck" eponym famous, but today my 87 year old mother sent me the perfect retort to the elitist media and politicians who have no limit on the invective that they are spewing toward those of us who are just middle Americans who work hard and try to do what it right. So see if you are a redneck based on this little email that she sent to me.
You might be a redneck if:
It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'
You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You still say ' Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'
You bow your head when someone prays.
You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.
You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.
You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.
You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same.
You'd give your last dollar to a friend.
Well, based on the above definition I am certainly a redneck and I am proud to say it.
Oh, by the way Barack....I'm bitter and I VOTE. See ya at the polls on November 4!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Bailout Schmailout
It is not enough that a $700B bailout package for purchasing toxic mortgage paper was first voted down and then revamped, bloated with pork and then rammed down our throat in the guise of "dire straits". No sooner did this bill pass, than the concept was "tweaked" so that monies from it MIGHT be diverted in order for the government to buy stakes in troubled banks to shore them up and unclog the credit market.
Now we find out that this atrocious stimulus package may not be used even in these ways. Though the monies have not been dispersed, everyone wants a piece of the pie, and banks are planning, dreaming and scheming about how it will be used, like I do when I buy a lottery ticket!! Proposed plans for this money include mergers and acquisitions, raises, CEO perks and bonuses or just plain squirreling the money away for a rainy day. (Like I wish I could if I had any!) In addition, lurking on the fringes and licking their chops are the insurance companies and the automakers who already have been given substantial amounts ($25B) of low interest loans to bolster them. Who the heck are we bailing out by this scheme with OUR money??
Is blood shooting out of your eyes yet??? Well get ready, because in spite of the proclaimed purpose for the bailout, there is apparently nothing in the legislation that REQUIRES that this money be used in any particular way.
Can you hear me SCREAMING??? What happened to this plea for this legislation to be passed immediately for the good of the overall economy??? Thankfully, real $$ (is that an oxymoron?) have not yet been doled out, though allocation is underway. And now members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are sounding righteous indignation about this law and its potential implementation. Senators Richard Shelby (R) who opposed the bailout, Charles Schumer (D) and Chris Dodd (D) (who did not) are all asking why the turn of events and demanding explanations, though the reasons for their concern may not all be the same (go figure). It appears that the inmates are running the asylum (on our dime).
If there was ever a more cogent argument for term limits, I think this is it. Since Congress has such an abysmal approval record, my gut reaction is to vote them all out and start over with people like Joe the Plumber, who did NOT get a sweetheart mortgage deal from CountryWide (but probably did have his HELOC frozen by them), who doesn't get perks from Freddie and Fannie (and would not have his campaign subsidized by them), and who isn't in cahoots Franklin Raines. Jamie Gorelick, Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, William Ayers, Father Pfleger, Rev. Wright, Louis Farrakhan ....to name just a chosen FEW.
We are in desperate need of a smaller government with fewer entitlements, handouts and departments (translation: rat holes down which billions of dollars can disappear). Our government bureaucracy has become so bloated that it is imploding on itself and Barack Obama is licking his chops at the idea that we will further "INVEST" (translation: take away the taxpayer's dollars) in this black hole of a government we now have. While I am not one to buy into whacko conspiracy theories, I am thinking that the Cloward-Piven Strategy of Orchestrated Crisis (just Google it!!) has finally played itself out and we are primed for a sweeping socialist takeover that has been carefully and quietly planned and implemented over several decades of gradual and insidious infiltration of all aspects of our lives. Yes, we do need change, but not THAT kind of change.
I am going to the True Value hardware and see if there are any pitchforks left. Let them eat cake!!!
Now we find out that this atrocious stimulus package may not be used even in these ways. Though the monies have not been dispersed, everyone wants a piece of the pie, and banks are planning, dreaming and scheming about how it will be used, like I do when I buy a lottery ticket!! Proposed plans for this money include mergers and acquisitions, raises, CEO perks and bonuses or just plain squirreling the money away for a rainy day. (Like I wish I could if I had any!) In addition, lurking on the fringes and licking their chops are the insurance companies and the automakers who already have been given substantial amounts ($25B) of low interest loans to bolster them. Who the heck are we bailing out by this scheme with OUR money??
Is blood shooting out of your eyes yet??? Well get ready, because in spite of the proclaimed purpose for the bailout, there is apparently nothing in the legislation that REQUIRES that this money be used in any particular way.
Neel Kashkari, head of the Treasury's financial stability program, told Dodd's committee this past week that there are few strings attached to the capital-infusion program because too many rules would discourage financial institutions from participating. "Firms with the relevant financial expertise may also hold assets that become eligible for sale into the TARP or represent clients who hold troubled assets," Kashkari said.
Can you hear me SCREAMING??? What happened to this plea for this legislation to be passed immediately for the good of the overall economy??? Thankfully, real $$ (is that an oxymoron?) have not yet been doled out, though allocation is underway. And now members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are sounding righteous indignation about this law and its potential implementation. Senators Richard Shelby (R) who opposed the bailout, Charles Schumer (D) and Chris Dodd (D) (who did not) are all asking why the turn of events and demanding explanations, though the reasons for their concern may not all be the same (go figure). It appears that the inmates are running the asylum (on our dime).
If there was ever a more cogent argument for term limits, I think this is it. Since Congress has such an abysmal approval record, my gut reaction is to vote them all out and start over with people like Joe the Plumber, who did NOT get a sweetheart mortgage deal from CountryWide (but probably did have his HELOC frozen by them), who doesn't get perks from Freddie and Fannie (and would not have his campaign subsidized by them), and who isn't in cahoots Franklin Raines. Jamie Gorelick, Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, William Ayers, Father Pfleger, Rev. Wright, Louis Farrakhan ....to name just a chosen FEW.
We are in desperate need of a smaller government with fewer entitlements, handouts and departments (translation: rat holes down which billions of dollars can disappear). Our government bureaucracy has become so bloated that it is imploding on itself and Barack Obama is licking his chops at the idea that we will further "INVEST" (translation: take away the taxpayer's dollars) in this black hole of a government we now have. While I am not one to buy into whacko conspiracy theories, I am thinking that the Cloward-Piven Strategy of Orchestrated Crisis (just Google it!!) has finally played itself out and we are primed for a sweeping socialist takeover that has been carefully and quietly planned and implemented over several decades of gradual and insidious infiltration of all aspects of our lives. Yes, we do need change, but not THAT kind of change.
I am going to the True Value hardware and see if there are any pitchforks left. Let them eat cake!!!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Election Day Violence---I Hope Not
The link below takes you to an article entitled Police Prepare for Unrest by Alexander Bolton on http://www.thehill.com/ that has finally factually reported what I have been reluctantly feeling but could not bring myself to verbalize because it just sounds so frightening.
Ever since the August primary election in Missouri, I have been worried about this possibility but have been trying to tell myself that this is a foolish thought. My husband was a poll worker at a local precinct. He came home that night and commented that there was a very palpable difference in this election that was unlike any that he had been involved with in the past. He has been a poll worker in several past primaries and in the 2004 general election. His comment was something like "the Democrat workers and voters are plainly giddy and openly verbalized that this election was THEIRS!" There were even soft comments of "Hell to Pay" if Obama did not win. The article proceeds to quote police chiefs from multiple cities as well as well-known political sources from both parties regarding this possibility and their preparation for it.
So now it seems that regardless of who wins the election, there may be violence due to the anger, angst and general viciousness that has been born out of this election cycle. While I hope and pray that this never becomes a reality, I will be in prayer for our nation from now through the time that the outcome of the election is made known. How did we get to this point???
The entire article can be found at http://tinyurl.com/5vvtkp
"Police departments in cities across the country are beefing up their ranks for Election Day, preparing for possible civil unrest and riots after the historic presidential contest."
Ever since the August primary election in Missouri, I have been worried about this possibility but have been trying to tell myself that this is a foolish thought. My husband was a poll worker at a local precinct. He came home that night and commented that there was a very palpable difference in this election that was unlike any that he had been involved with in the past. He has been a poll worker in several past primaries and in the 2004 general election. His comment was something like "the Democrat workers and voters are plainly giddy and openly verbalized that this election was THEIRS!" There were even soft comments of "Hell to Pay" if Obama did not win. The article proceeds to quote police chiefs from multiple cities as well as well-known political sources from both parties regarding this possibility and their preparation for it.
"Some worry that if Barack Obama loses and there is suspicion of foul play in the election, violence could ensue in cities with large black populations. Others based the need for enhanced patrols on past riots in urban areas (following professional sports events) and also on Internet rumors."
"The Oakland police last faced big riots in 2003 when the Raiders lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. Officials are bracing themselves in case residents of Oakland take Obama’s loss badly. "
“We’ve seen it on the Internet and we’ve heard that there could be civil unrest depending on the outcome of [the election,]” said Lt. Mark Briede of the Cincinnati Police Department. “We are prepared to respond in the case of some sort of unrest or some sort of incident.”“If [Obama] is elected, like with sports championships, people may go out and riot,” said Bob Parks, an online columnist and black Republican candidate for state representative in Massachusetts. “If Barack Obama loses there will be another large group of people who will assume the election was stolen from him….. This will be an opportunity for people who want to commit mischief.”
So now it seems that regardless of who wins the election, there may be violence due to the anger, angst and general viciousness that has been born out of this election cycle. While I hope and pray that this never becomes a reality, I will be in prayer for our nation from now through the time that the outcome of the election is made known. How did we get to this point???
The entire article can be found at http://tinyurl.com/5vvtkp
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Voter's Guide
Whether you wait until November 4 or if you are voting early and often here is a voter's guide that I would suggest that you use to educate yourself BEFORE you cast your vote and then regret it.
http://tinyurl.com/6dekae
This is a pdf file that you can print to take with you, distribute in your neighborhood or place in your business for customers to take. It is your responsibility to take this election as seriously as possible. On the second page there are citations to support each of the positions cited in the guide.
http://tinyurl.com/6dekae
This is a pdf file that you can print to take with you, distribute in your neighborhood or place in your business for customers to take. It is your responsibility to take this election as seriously as possible. On the second page there are citations to support each of the positions cited in the guide.
Slow Fade
I love contemporary Christian music and Casting Crowns is among my favorites. Their song, Slow Fade, has haunted me from the first time that I heard it.
The song is more about morality and the slow and insidious way in which we allow ourselves to give up higher ground because "just once won't hurt." But as the political season draws to a close, we can also apply the slow fade to some of the policies that drive the Obama campaign. We have been slowly fading into a socialized state since LBJ's Great Society. Slowly and steadily, we have become more and more dependent on the government for the programs that we should be providing for each other through charity, the church and private industry. Instead we are slowly sinking into a complacency in which we are ripe for the picking.
For decades we have been fed a line of "Oh, this is good for you," "Just for this one time, we will be doing this for the good of everyone." Remember what we were told about the recent Bailout---"This is not what we want, but it is needed because the situation is dire." And we have bought it hook line and sinker. Now we are ready to be reeled in for the final time. Along comes THE ONE, with smooth talk, glib rejoinders, empty words and vague promises of what lies ahead. And the masses have swooned.
We, as a country, are ready for the final blow this fall when a democrat presidential candidate bolstered by a democrat congress can potentially drive away all incentive for individual productivity and through wealth redistribution, Patriot corporations, Play or Pay national health care penalties to small businesses that do not provide health care for their employees (and Barack, if there is REALLY no penalty, then why would any small company Play--thereby glutting the government system with new people to be covered at a cost that we CANNOT afford), poor economic conditions that will only be made more dire if business is penalized for being productive, the Fairness Doctrine, 1 or 2 Supreme Court nominations, etc. It is highly probable that we can spiral into a totally dependent situation where there is no alternative for the forseeable future to take back our rights.
Be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little feet where you go. NATIONS NEVER CRUMBLE IN A DAY. Be wise in the choices that you make. It is not too late to avert disaster.
"Slow Fade"
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
The song is more about morality and the slow and insidious way in which we allow ourselves to give up higher ground because "just once won't hurt." But as the political season draws to a close, we can also apply the slow fade to some of the policies that drive the Obama campaign. We have been slowly fading into a socialized state since LBJ's Great Society. Slowly and steadily, we have become more and more dependent on the government for the programs that we should be providing for each other through charity, the church and private industry. Instead we are slowly sinking into a complacency in which we are ripe for the picking.
For decades we have been fed a line of "Oh, this is good for you," "Just for this one time, we will be doing this for the good of everyone." Remember what we were told about the recent Bailout---"This is not what we want, but it is needed because the situation is dire." And we have bought it hook line and sinker. Now we are ready to be reeled in for the final time. Along comes THE ONE, with smooth talk, glib rejoinders, empty words and vague promises of what lies ahead. And the masses have swooned.
We, as a country, are ready for the final blow this fall when a democrat presidential candidate bolstered by a democrat congress can potentially drive away all incentive for individual productivity and through wealth redistribution, Patriot corporations, Play or Pay national health care penalties to small businesses that do not provide health care for their employees (and Barack, if there is REALLY no penalty, then why would any small company Play--thereby glutting the government system with new people to be covered at a cost that we CANNOT afford), poor economic conditions that will only be made more dire if business is penalized for being productive, the Fairness Doctrine, 1 or 2 Supreme Court nominations, etc. It is highly probable that we can spiral into a totally dependent situation where there is no alternative for the forseeable future to take back our rights.
Be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little feet where you go. NATIONS NEVER CRUMBLE IN A DAY. Be wise in the choices that you make. It is not too late to avert disaster.
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