Wyoming is a great state. Being the northern neighbor of my native Colorado, I've been there a lot, and go there several times a year for many different reasons. The southern end is windswept prairie largely, some less charitably would say bleak. The northern end, particularly the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole, the mountainous areas around Sheridan and Buffalo and down to the center of the near Lander, are much more picturesque
Possessing two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative, and three electoral votes, it is largely overlooked in national politics, and would have no fame at all except that it is the home of Vice President Dick Cheney. It is mostly a Republican state, and those few Democrats elected to office, such as the current Governor, are very conservative. He is uncommitted in the presidential race.
But, lo and behold, it does get 12 precious delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver next August, and in a nearly deadlocked presidential campaign between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Wyoming has suddenly taken on the importance of New York or California. Needless to say, the politicians have descended on the state like flies to honey.
Bill Clinton was there yesterday, as was Chelsey later in the day. Today, both Obama and Hillary have been in the state. Former Gov. Mike Sullivan, a major Democratic power in the state, and his organization are backing Hillary. Obama wisely had his rally at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, which is where Bill and Chelsey went yesterday. While knowing little of Wyoming Democratic politics, I would assume Hillary would have something of a corner on the market.
Tomorrow are the caucuses to select the 12 Democratic delegates. I would beseech all good Democratic Wyomingites--both of you--to vote for Hillary and keep the suspense going all the way to Denver. That's what we good Republican backers of John McCain want from you.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Obama a national security risk?
Barack Obama is a master of oratorial tricks to fire up a crowd. He came to the forefront at the Democratic national convention four years ago as the keynote speaker, using his platform presence and flourishes to push himself to the front of the stage. He is only four years removed from being an Illinois State Senator, afterall, using his oratory to force his way ahead of Senate graybeards like Teddy Kennedy, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden and John Kerry, to a commanding lead for the Democratic presidential nomination.
When you squeeze the juice out of the thin gruel of his standard stump speech, you get change and hope. Hope and change. And that's about all you get.
The president, as the nation's number one elected official and commander in chief, is privy to the most sensitive intelligence the country possesses, as produced by the Central Intelligence Agency, the State Department, the military and pentagon. The civil service workers and leaders of these agencies must pass the most rigorous of security checks and clearances, and few are allowed access to the complete gamut of intelligence, that the President and his senior staff are.
This is a scary thought, where Barack Obama is concerned, because his background and political connections might well disqualify him for the most sensitive national security clearances, if he were a private citizen seeking to work for a federal agency. As president, such rigor is bypassed.
Obama's friendships with Syrian national Tony Rezko, currently on trial in Chicago for fraud and political payoffs, and Louis Farrakhan, a race-baiting Muslim who especially hates Jews, by themselves would raise eyebrows. Obama's Church of Christ pastor in Chicago, and a Farrakhan intimate, has many eyebrow-raising, radical terrorist connections.
Obama's stated naivete in dealing with terrorist regimes like North Korea and Iran, saying that as president he would just fly over and talk to them without any preconditions or advance groundwork laying, certainly gives chills to veteran military and diplomatic officials contemplating such a spector.
The resurrected Clinton campaign, after winning three of last week's four Democratic primaries, will get down and dirty in order claw past Obama for the nomination. They can also be counted on to expose a lot of Obama's foreign policy foibles and weaknesses, sparing John McCain and the GOP the task.
In what looks increasingly like a brokered Democratic convention, as neither candidate enters it with the 2,050 votes they need in hand for the nomination, a lot of this will come out on its own, so Republicans can simply quote what the Clintons have already said.
It looks like fun, unless Obama would accidently wind up getting elected. That wouldn't be so fun. It would be scary.
When you squeeze the juice out of the thin gruel of his standard stump speech, you get change and hope. Hope and change. And that's about all you get.
The president, as the nation's number one elected official and commander in chief, is privy to the most sensitive intelligence the country possesses, as produced by the Central Intelligence Agency, the State Department, the military and pentagon. The civil service workers and leaders of these agencies must pass the most rigorous of security checks and clearances, and few are allowed access to the complete gamut of intelligence, that the President and his senior staff are.
This is a scary thought, where Barack Obama is concerned, because his background and political connections might well disqualify him for the most sensitive national security clearances, if he were a private citizen seeking to work for a federal agency. As president, such rigor is bypassed.
Obama's friendships with Syrian national Tony Rezko, currently on trial in Chicago for fraud and political payoffs, and Louis Farrakhan, a race-baiting Muslim who especially hates Jews, by themselves would raise eyebrows. Obama's Church of Christ pastor in Chicago, and a Farrakhan intimate, has many eyebrow-raising, radical terrorist connections.
Obama's stated naivete in dealing with terrorist regimes like North Korea and Iran, saying that as president he would just fly over and talk to them without any preconditions or advance groundwork laying, certainly gives chills to veteran military and diplomatic officials contemplating such a spector.
The resurrected Clinton campaign, after winning three of last week's four Democratic primaries, will get down and dirty in order claw past Obama for the nomination. They can also be counted on to expose a lot of Obama's foreign policy foibles and weaknesses, sparing John McCain and the GOP the task.
In what looks increasingly like a brokered Democratic convention, as neither candidate enters it with the 2,050 votes they need in hand for the nomination, a lot of this will come out on its own, so Republicans can simply quote what the Clintons have already said.
It looks like fun, unless Obama would accidently wind up getting elected. That wouldn't be so fun. It would be scary.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Obama and Hillary's revenge?
Two demographic trends could converge, to create a very bright outlook for John McCain in the 2008 election. This is particularly true if, as Hillary hinted in her Ohio speech, she and Obama wind up on the same ticket.
One is that McCain's age might turn out to be a real advantage. 2008 could be the last gasp push of the baby boomers and elderly to vote in major numbers, as the last big opportunity to maintain control, before Obama's generation takes over. McCain's war record in Vietnam and hard line anti-terrorism views will contrast so sharply with Obama and Hillary that the seniors and baby boomers will create a monolithic block of voters for McCain that will be hard to stop.
Secondly, left out of all the calculations in Hillary and Obama's campaigns are the 40 and over white males. This heavily blue collar group are the working men of the American economy, and have not bought in to the idea of either a black or a female president. If they are paired on the Democratic ticket, this is a real danger. Either one might be able to select a traditional white male vice presidential candidate and at least split this block. Together they won't.
McCain, with his war record and blunt talking image, could have tailor-made appeal to 40 and over white males. When this group is combined with the oldsters mentioned above, a relative landslide could be in the making.
Youthful new voters have turned out in droves so far this year at caucuses and primary elections for Obama. They don't traditionally show up and vote at this early stage in their lives. The disappointment of Obama winding up number two or not on the ticket at all, could keep them home in November, and increase the clout of the oldsters and blue collar men.
We conservatives can only fervently hope Obama and Hillary don't figure this out too soon.
One is that McCain's age might turn out to be a real advantage. 2008 could be the last gasp push of the baby boomers and elderly to vote in major numbers, as the last big opportunity to maintain control, before Obama's generation takes over. McCain's war record in Vietnam and hard line anti-terrorism views will contrast so sharply with Obama and Hillary that the seniors and baby boomers will create a monolithic block of voters for McCain that will be hard to stop.
Secondly, left out of all the calculations in Hillary and Obama's campaigns are the 40 and over white males. This heavily blue collar group are the working men of the American economy, and have not bought in to the idea of either a black or a female president. If they are paired on the Democratic ticket, this is a real danger. Either one might be able to select a traditional white male vice presidential candidate and at least split this block. Together they won't.
McCain, with his war record and blunt talking image, could have tailor-made appeal to 40 and over white males. When this group is combined with the oldsters mentioned above, a relative landslide could be in the making.
Youthful new voters have turned out in droves so far this year at caucuses and primary elections for Obama. They don't traditionally show up and vote at this early stage in their lives. The disappointment of Obama winding up number two or not on the ticket at all, could keep them home in November, and increase the clout of the oldsters and blue collar men.
We conservatives can only fervently hope Obama and Hillary don't figure this out too soon.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Obama jaugernaut starting to crack?
Mini Super Tuesday, or whatever its called, came up snake eyes for Barack Obama. Not only did Hillary Clinton win decisively in Ohio and Rhode Island, and at this writing, remains slightly ahead in Texas--but Obama's charmed life with the press went south.
Most probably a Saturday Night Live skit last week showing the press bowing and scraping before Obama, catering to his every whim and fawning over him like the second coming of Jesus, snapped them to attention. Grossly embarassed, as they should have been a long time ago, beat reporters went after Barack at a press conference today like dogs after raw meat.
After tough questions about his slimy partner and fundraiser Tony Resko, who is on trial for fraud as we speak in Chicago, his Communist-party-affiliated advisor, his endorsement by Louis Farakhan and his lies about NAFTA and Canadian trade, an angry Obama abruptly ended the press conference and stalked off. When combined with a day of very mixed primary results, at best, the bloom may be off the Obama rose.
The press is even finally calling to account his sharp-tongued wife Michelle, who has said enough outrageoous things on the campaign trail that if she hadn't been Mrs. Barack Obama, she'd have been crucified. A child of privilege with the finest Ivy League education, cushy high level jobs with big salaries and few duties--Michelle shows an alarming lack of gratitude or touch for the daily trials of the common man.
Conservatives can cheer for the results of Mini Super Tuesday, which pretty well guarantee a bare-knuckled brawl for the Democratic presidential nomination clear through to the Denver convention in August. John McCain should be smiling.
Most probably a Saturday Night Live skit last week showing the press bowing and scraping before Obama, catering to his every whim and fawning over him like the second coming of Jesus, snapped them to attention. Grossly embarassed, as they should have been a long time ago, beat reporters went after Barack at a press conference today like dogs after raw meat.
After tough questions about his slimy partner and fundraiser Tony Resko, who is on trial for fraud as we speak in Chicago, his Communist-party-affiliated advisor, his endorsement by Louis Farakhan and his lies about NAFTA and Canadian trade, an angry Obama abruptly ended the press conference and stalked off. When combined with a day of very mixed primary results, at best, the bloom may be off the Obama rose.
The press is even finally calling to account his sharp-tongued wife Michelle, who has said enough outrageoous things on the campaign trail that if she hadn't been Mrs. Barack Obama, she'd have been crucified. A child of privilege with the finest Ivy League education, cushy high level jobs with big salaries and few duties--Michelle shows an alarming lack of gratitude or touch for the daily trials of the common man.
Conservatives can cheer for the results of Mini Super Tuesday, which pretty well guarantee a bare-knuckled brawl for the Democratic presidential nomination clear through to the Denver convention in August. John McCain should be smiling.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Let's all vote for Hillary Tuesday
That's right. For all you Texas readers, of whom there's quite a few, the greatest good that you could perform tomorrow is to vote in the Democratic primary for Hillary Clinton.
There is nothing of great import on the GOP primary ballot. McCain is going to win going away. Even if Mike Huckabee won the Texas primary, which the polls show is highly unlikely, he is not going to win the nomination. The greatest single good that could be done for McCain is to keep the Democratic nomination in limbo clear through the August national convention in Denver. We need to keep Hillary at it, with victories in Texas and Ohio, as well as the lesser states of Delaware and Rhode Island.
I heard a couple of early voters in the Texas primary on Rush Limbaugh, who became physically ill while requesting a Democratic ballot. One's hand shook so violently at marking Hillary's name, she could barely do it. Oh the sacrifices we make for the good of the cause.
The national press is finally starting to critically report on Obama, which was bound to happen. But the biggest single way to slow his momentum is to keep Hillary in the race. She can road test all the strategems Republicans need for the fall, and the longer she stays in, the more she will expose for our later use.
I know it's tough, but sometimes you have to take one for the good of the team.
There is nothing of great import on the GOP primary ballot. McCain is going to win going away. Even if Mike Huckabee won the Texas primary, which the polls show is highly unlikely, he is not going to win the nomination. The greatest single good that could be done for McCain is to keep the Democratic nomination in limbo clear through the August national convention in Denver. We need to keep Hillary at it, with victories in Texas and Ohio, as well as the lesser states of Delaware and Rhode Island.
I heard a couple of early voters in the Texas primary on Rush Limbaugh, who became physically ill while requesting a Democratic ballot. One's hand shook so violently at marking Hillary's name, she could barely do it. Oh the sacrifices we make for the good of the cause.
The national press is finally starting to critically report on Obama, which was bound to happen. But the biggest single way to slow his momentum is to keep Hillary in the race. She can road test all the strategems Republicans need for the fall, and the longer she stays in, the more she will expose for our later use.
I know it's tough, but sometimes you have to take one for the good of the team.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
As bad as McCain is . . .
John McCain was my absolute last choice for the Republican presidential nomination. I do not trust him. He is too much of a maverick for me.
McCain is too cozy with the liberal national news media, he cozies up too readily with the most extreme liberal elements of the Democratic Party such as Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold to sponsor socialistic legislation, and changes his mind on the drop of a dime, such as he's done on interrigation of international terrorists. He is not a reliable conservative.
All that said, he is still far preferable to Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for president. I'll hold my nose to vote for him, but he is the least odious of the major candidates who have a chance to win.
McCain is pro-military, hard core on the Iraq war and defeating muslim terrorism. Certainly McCain's economic policies, while not as conservative as I would like, are light years ahead of Clinton or Obama. While he has the un-nerving proclivity for compromise, McCain would still appoint better judges and Supreme Court justices than Clinton or Obama and staff his cabinet with a few conservatives, here and there.
If McCain were headed for a crushing defeat anyway, it might be worth laying back and letting the GOP be cleansed of the last vestiges of liberalism. However, the polls show him running within the margin of error or leading both Clinton and Obama. Unless the national media turn on him completely between now and November, a distinct possibility by the way--McCain has a real chance to win, and conservatives will only shoot themselves in the foot by wasting their vote on a dubious third party candidate or not voting for president at all.
McCain is too cozy with the liberal national news media, he cozies up too readily with the most extreme liberal elements of the Democratic Party such as Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold to sponsor socialistic legislation, and changes his mind on the drop of a dime, such as he's done on interrigation of international terrorists. He is not a reliable conservative.
All that said, he is still far preferable to Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for president. I'll hold my nose to vote for him, but he is the least odious of the major candidates who have a chance to win.
McCain is pro-military, hard core on the Iraq war and defeating muslim terrorism. Certainly McCain's economic policies, while not as conservative as I would like, are light years ahead of Clinton or Obama. While he has the un-nerving proclivity for compromise, McCain would still appoint better judges and Supreme Court justices than Clinton or Obama and staff his cabinet with a few conservatives, here and there.
If McCain were headed for a crushing defeat anyway, it might be worth laying back and letting the GOP be cleansed of the last vestiges of liberalism. However, the polls show him running within the margin of error or leading both Clinton and Obama. Unless the national media turn on him completely between now and November, a distinct possibility by the way--McCain has a real chance to win, and conservatives will only shoot themselves in the foot by wasting their vote on a dubious third party candidate or not voting for president at all.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Weak GOP Congressional leadership
It was bad enough that Republicans lost control of both houses of Congress in the 2004 election. This was needless, a case of weak congressional leadership and even weaker campaign leadership.
House speaker Dennis Hastert, a colorless backbencher until elevated to speaker as a third-choice selection (Newt Gingrich forced to resign, then his replacement Louisiana Rep. Bob Livingston was forced to resign), lent very little leadership to the House. The liberals correctly saw that the most effective leader in the House who could really get things done was Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. That meant forcing him out at all costs, which they did. His replacement, Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, was another undistinguished backbencher.
New York Rep. Tom Reynolds and Virginia Rep. Tom Davis were weak chairmen of the House GOP Campaign Committee. Subsequent audits have shown how they misappropriated funds and in 2004 didn't raise enough funds for Republican incumbents and challengers. The other major job of the committee, recruiting strong candidates in open seats, was badly mishandled, so the GOP went into the campaign lacking both funds and strong candidates.
The story in the Senate wasn't much better. After forcing out Majority Leader Trent Lott over speaking favorably at Sen. Strom Thurmond's funeral, Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee became Majority Leader. He was flat out unable to pull it together. He managed to turn a legitimate shot at the GOP presidential nomination into a non-starter, all because of his weak performance as Majority Leader.
North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole was a bust at chairman of the GOP Senate Campaign Committee. She raised less money and recruited weaker candidates than the GOP had seen in many elections. That's why we lost the Senate.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, the current Senate minority leader, is an improvement, but the word "minority" says it all. The same can be said of House minority leader John Boehner. He's paddling upstream as fast as he can, but the minority in the House doesn't even have the threat of a filibuster like they have in the Senate, so is almost an afterthought,
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are among the weakest and most ineffectual holders of those jobs in recent recall. The lions of yesteryear like Sam Rayburn or Lyndon Johnson must be laughing from their graves at how far the Democratic congressional leadership has fallen.
What an opportunity for the GOP, if we just had the leaders to take advantage of it.
House speaker Dennis Hastert, a colorless backbencher until elevated to speaker as a third-choice selection (Newt Gingrich forced to resign, then his replacement Louisiana Rep. Bob Livingston was forced to resign), lent very little leadership to the House. The liberals correctly saw that the most effective leader in the House who could really get things done was Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas. That meant forcing him out at all costs, which they did. His replacement, Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, was another undistinguished backbencher.
New York Rep. Tom Reynolds and Virginia Rep. Tom Davis were weak chairmen of the House GOP Campaign Committee. Subsequent audits have shown how they misappropriated funds and in 2004 didn't raise enough funds for Republican incumbents and challengers. The other major job of the committee, recruiting strong candidates in open seats, was badly mishandled, so the GOP went into the campaign lacking both funds and strong candidates.
The story in the Senate wasn't much better. After forcing out Majority Leader Trent Lott over speaking favorably at Sen. Strom Thurmond's funeral, Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee became Majority Leader. He was flat out unable to pull it together. He managed to turn a legitimate shot at the GOP presidential nomination into a non-starter, all because of his weak performance as Majority Leader.
North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole was a bust at chairman of the GOP Senate Campaign Committee. She raised less money and recruited weaker candidates than the GOP had seen in many elections. That's why we lost the Senate.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, the current Senate minority leader, is an improvement, but the word "minority" says it all. The same can be said of House minority leader John Boehner. He's paddling upstream as fast as he can, but the minority in the House doesn't even have the threat of a filibuster like they have in the Senate, so is almost an afterthought,
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are among the weakest and most ineffectual holders of those jobs in recent recall. The lions of yesteryear like Sam Rayburn or Lyndon Johnson must be laughing from their graves at how far the Democratic congressional leadership has fallen.
What an opportunity for the GOP, if we just had the leaders to take advantage of it.
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