How to guarantee Obama a second term

A few helpful hints if you want more of the same:

1. Continue to divide the Republican Party with negative ads.
2. Divide the independents with constant harping on social issues. Although important, birth control and other such talk is best left to the individual and should not be a part of the general discussion. This is too divisive.
3. Ignore the economy.
4. Narrow focus to try to find the ‘perfect’ candidate and refuse to back anyone else.
5. Try to argue with the Liberals on social issues.

How to help make Obama a one-term President:

1. FOCUS on the economy! This is the one area where the Democrats are completely vulnerable. The reason they keep changing the subject is because they know this.
2. Explain we cannot continue to spend more than we take in.
3. Explain also that when you tax companies that manufacture products, those companies will pass along that tax with higher cost of those products to the consumer. In other words, a tax on businesses is just another tax on citizens.
4. Explain how if we have one-half of the population living on the other half, soon the half that pays taxes will start to ask, “Why me? Why should I work hard to support the dead beats?”
5. Explain why a bigger government does not benefit the citizens but the politicians.

A little sports analogy for politicians

As a political junkie and also a sports fan, I find it just plain wrong to concentrate criticisms on an opponent rather than concentrating on one’s own strengths.

With Super Bowl XLVI this upcoming weekend and NCAA basketball in full swing, I see a steady stream of tearing apart and trash talking any team other than one’s favorite. How about just cheering for your favorites? It just makes one look so foolish to constantly bad mouth an opponent. It would seem that your favorite team has no talents on which you could brag. Tell us about the amazing arm your quarterback has. Tell us your defensive tackle can take out the best. Tell us about those great shooting guards. Rattle of statistics about three-point and free-throw successes.

The same goes for politicians. Rather than endless ads where opponents are torn apart and thrown to the wolves, why don’t those seeking an elected office just tell us how they plan on fixing things? Rather than digging up dirt and minutia from decades past, how about telling us your background and how that background will make you a great leader? Tell us how you will fix the economy. Tell us your ideas on foreign policy. Tell us how what we must do to start to deal with illegal immigration now and how we will address it in the future. Tell us what your energy policy is – does it include “all the above approach” of drilling, alternate energy, and coal?

Give us your plan for our future.

~ Patty

If you think it is bad now . . .

As Barack Obama begins his fourth year as President of the United States, the country begins the process of deciding who will be President for the next four years. If you think this last three have been horrible for the country, imagine what an additional five will bring.

It is fairly obvious that the Democratic candidate for the general election in 2012 will be Barack Obama as no one from his party is stepping up to run against him. Therefore the choice in November 2012 will come down to whomever the Republicans nominate and Obama.

The Republican primaries, especially in the early voting states, are sure to be heated. It has been decades, though, since the Presidential nominee for either major party has not wrapped up a nomination bid before the summer conventions. Therefore, a majority of the party members will have to make voices heard in forums, straw polls, and with contributions to favorite candidates a long time before the primaries.

There are some capable people running for the Republican nomination. Some have good ideas in one area while others may shine in another area. But here is the bottom line: anyone of them would make a much better President than Barack Obama.

Now and for the next 11 months is not the time to be petulant. If your preferred candidate did not get the Republican nomination, it will be important to jump on a different Republican wagon and vote for whomever is the nominee. Don’t sit at home pouting; don’t vote for a third party candidate; and for heaven’s sake don’t vote for Obama! Any of those three will guarantee that Obama continues to destroy our country from the inside out until 2016 (if we survive that long).

So if you think this last few years of class warfare, increased government spending and debt, nanny-state regulations, weak and apologetic foreign policy, and ObamaCare have been disastrous, wait and see what happens to the country if we have four more years of the same – multiplied exponentially by a factor of billions.

More attacks on Herman Cain

The news this week has been full of stories about an alleged sexual harassment by Herman Cain towards a female employee of the National Restaurant Association (NRA) during the time Cain was the head of the group. I say alleged because as of yet no woman has come forward and has been willing to step out in front of the cameras to substantiate the allegations. Meanwhile Cain has had a microphone shoved in his face continuously since the first whisper of this incident.

The NRA released a statement today that said, in part, that a woman had accused Herman Cain of harassment, a charge Cain denied. The NRA statement further stated that the association and the woman entered into an agreement, an agreement Cain was not a party to. There was also a confidentiality clause in the agreement and the NRA has agreed to waive its privacy in this matter but the accuser’s lawyer says the woman does not want to waive her rights to privacy.

In the meantime, Herman Cain, who never admitted to any wrong doing and who was not a party to the settlement between his accuser and his employer, must defend himself in the media. He has repeatedly denied harassing any employee but the media will not let it rest. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Apparently that doesn’t apply when the media is running with rumors.

One more bit of rant here is the obvious bias when it comes to media coverage of politicians. When Bill Clinton had NUMEROUS allegations of sexual improprieties (many of which were later proven to absolutely true), the media decided it “wasn’t news worthy.” So why are allegations against the front runner in the GOP race to replace Barack Obama news worthy?

There may be two answers to that question.

First, Herman Cain scares many Democrats because he can appeal to a section of the population that has historically always voted for Democrats: blacks and women.

Second, a reason I heard today is that the Republican Party is the party of family values. When it appears a Republican has done something along the lines of sexual harassment or cheated on a spouse, it is news. My question on this argument is “so therefore can we assume the Democratic Party is the non-family values party?”

Now it is time to quote Mahatma Gandhi again: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

GO, Herman, GO!

Oh, one more thing, those who like Herman are coming to his defense big time. This past week has been his biggest fundraising week ever.

~ Patty

Okay – now it is time to go for the wrath of the Tea Party loyalists

Many in the Tea Party movement will swear allegiance to only Tea Party candidates.

First of all, without nationwide endorsements, how do we identify the Tea Party Candidates? We can only assume Tea Party IDEALS in candidates. The Republican Party has many candidates vying for the Republican Presidential nomination and many of them are claiming to hold Tea Party ideals. There is no Tea Party ticket and no true Tea Party candidate. We must each do our homework and find out who best represents those ideals we want in a presidential candidate.

Second, and this is where I will get the hate mail, even a non-Tea Party type of Republican candidate will be better than our current president. While many will swear that the only person deserving of a vote is a candidate upholding those principles of the Tea Party, in the long run, withholding a vote or voting out of spite will only insure that Barack Obama gets another four years in the White House. Considering the harm he has done to our country in the past three years, one can only imagine what devious schemes he has in store for the United States if left in power.

Primaries are important in that, hopefully, we can winnow down to the best candidates for public office. Unfortunately sometimes we don’t get the best but get what is served to us. It is necessary that we all become involved in elections, learn about candidates, campaign for the best, and encourage others to vote. And although closed primaries are restrictive (voters can only vote in primaries as registered Democrats or registered Republicans), not allowing the opposing party to chose our candidates for us is important. There have been many primary elections ‘won’ by someone running for office because they were deemed the weaker candidate and a candidate who could be beaten in a general election.

Politics is dirty. Sometimes all the candidates stink. In that case, we must hold our nose and vote for the one who is the least offensive. To sit at home and petulantly refuse to vote for anyone only allows someone like Barack Obama a win.

~ Patty

Budget deal

It looks like a major comprise has been reached regarding the debt ceiling and the budget. Although it is not a perfect deal by far, it may be something we can live with for now.

Many very Conservatives, especially Tea Party members, are decrying the compromise as a ‘sell-out’ by those Conservatives elected to the House in 2010. However, we must remember that it takes all three elements to get anything passed: the House, the Senate, and the Executive. Only the House is controlled by Republicans (and some of them are RINOs). The Republicans were also up against the media who were slanting the news in such a way that the Republicans were looking like stubborn politicians who only wanted to “give tax breaks to big business and throw grandma off the cliff.”

For anything to move forward there was going to have to be compromise. Tea Party Republicans are being vilified but to take a stand where everyone loses is not in anyone’s best interest. There was no way the Tea Party was going to get EVERYTHING their way but they were able to take significant steps towards getting more control on an out of control government.

Rather than continuing to gripe, moan, and complain about what didn’t happen, it is time for Conservatives to step up and celebrate the small victories. It is also time to start laying the foundation for future elections, especially the rapidly approaching 2012 elections. We need to work hard to maintain control of the House and then tackle the Senate and the Executive. We need more people in the Legislative Branch like Allen West, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul. We need to work hard to make sure that Barack Obama is a one-term President. Then and only then can we truly make progress to fiscal responsibility.

There is no perfect candidate

Recently a conservative friend asked me “Why do Conservatives eat their own?” What he meant by that was that we tend to attack someone who might not share every point of view as our own.

Here is a big shocker for all to consider: There is no perfect candidate!

The race to replace Barack Obama as President of the United States has attracted quite the long list of Republican candidates. Each is developing a platform and each has agendas and ideas they would hope to implement if elected President.

Each has baggage as well.

What we don’t need is personal attacks on any of these potential candidates so early in the election season. The Democrats will attack and attack with a vengeance in due time. Republicans need to maintain a high ground amongst other Republicans. Recent televised debates were a welcome change from past attacks and praise for fellow Republicans was heard loudly and consistently from all participants. The media really didn’t like that. One moderator tried to provoke but to no avail. Kudos to the debate participants for this!

The other part of not having the perfect candidate comes during the actual general election. One way to assure that this current administration is awarded a second term it to pout and not vote simply because the Republican nominee “isn’t conservative enough” or “is too conservative” or “black” or “a woman” or whatever other stupid reason. Sometimes both candidates ‘stink’ and you just have to hold your nose and vote for the one who smells the least offense.

There were many, many Republicans who stayed home and didn’t vote in 2008 because they had issues with the McCain/Palin ticket. How did that work out?

~ Patty

Here comes the attacks

Michele Bachmann has formally announced her candidacy for President of the United States. As soon as the announcement had been made (and for some reporters, even before Congresswoman Bachmann's announcement), the attacks were starting. I even saw a post from one blogger who referenced her breasts!

Every slip of the tongue is magnified to make Michele Bachmann look stupid. Good luck with that, reporters. Congresswoman Bachmann is extremely intelligent and will prove each and everyone of those reporters wrong in the long run.

This brings us to the double standard in the media when it comes to women candidates for national office, regardless of the political affiliation.

When Sarah Palin was running for Vice President in 2008, the media attacked her with a viciousness never before seen in the United States. Her folksy manner of speaking was ridiculed. However, Joe Biden's profanity laced asides were just laughed off. Personally I would rather hear a "Golly gee" than the F-bomb that comes from the potty mouth of Vice President Biden.

Also in 2008 Hilary Clinton was running for the Democratic nomination for President. We heard constant attacks on her laugh, her attire (she of the pant suits - nothing wrong with that, really), and her thick ankles as ankles would have any bearing on her ability to lead. Although I would probably not agree with even a fraction of the issues with Ms. Clinton, how she looks and how she dresses should NEVER have been a topic for discussion.

In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman to run for Vice President of the United States from either the Democratic or Republican parties. Perhaps we were more civil 27 years ago but I don't recall Ms. Ferraro being attacked like today's modern women. What is the difference? Perhaps it is because there are more news outlets and every one of them is vying for market share and feel the need to some how stand out. Here's an idea - how about we reward those reporters who take the high road and discuss qualifications and not personal attributes!

~ Patty

Assuring Obama is a One-Term President

The race is on. Several people have stepped forward and expressed an interest in or have already filed papers to run for the Republican nomination and be the candidate that will challenge Barack Obama in 2012.

After watching the two televised debates thus far, I can tell you that all who participated in debates, either in South Carolina or New Hampshire, would make a much better president than what Obama has been so far, and, truthfully, I don't see him improving in the next 18 months.

I also really liked the debate participants attacking Obama and his policies and not each other. Any ammo used by Republicans against Republicans is ammo the Democrats can also use against Republicans.

If we all agree that we don't want to see Obama in the White House until January of 2017 then we must stand behind whatever candidate is chosen by the voters in the primaries. In 2008 there were many who were upset with either John McCain or Sarah Palin or both. There were some who sent a message and voted for Barack Obama simply because they didn't like the Republican ticket. I ask you "how did that work out for you?"

Everyone has issues. The job of an intelligent electorate is to chose the best candidate, not the perfect candidate.

~ Patty

Media ignores Herman Cain

The first Republican Presidential Debate was held in South Carolina earlier this month. The candidates were asked questions by the moderators and responded intelligently, as was to be expected.

For many of us watching the debate, the clear winner was Herman Cain. However, the Main-Stream-Media (MSM) failed to acknowledge this. In fact, Herman Cain is rarely even mentioned as a contender for the White House, let alone a front runner. Conservative online forums are a different story. Those forums always tout Mr. Cain as not only a candidate but an extremely viable candidate. He is gaining in popularity and will make an official announcement regarding his run for the White House on May 21, 2011.

So why does the MSM ignore this strong Republican candidate for the Presidency of the United States? One can only guess but it is probably because they are afraid that Herman Cain can actually beat Barack Obama in the 2012 election.

Instead of putting Mr. Cain’s name in a headline, the MSM continues to run stories about that clown of a candidate, Donald Trump. Fortunately for all of us, “The Donald” announced today that he will not run for President.

Maybe now we can get some serious news stories regarding the VIABLE candidates and what they can offer the country. Oh wait, we are talking about the MSM and they will continue to down play anyone they think can offer up a serious challenge to Obama.

Pay attention, people. You might have to do a bit of your own research to find out what the MSM doesn’t want you to know. And don’t let the media decide for you who will be the Republican candidate in 2012.

~ Patty

The race to replace Obama begins

The field of prospective candidates who are seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Barrack Obama is growing. Just yesterday Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, announced his intention to run. Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, has also formally announced his candidacy.

There are others who are in the mix, so to speak, but have yet to make a formal announcement. They include Herman Cain (who will make an announcement concerning his candidacy on May 21), businessman and former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza; Ron Paul, Congressman from Texas; Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico; Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota; Rick Santorum, former Senator from Pennsylvania; Mitch Daniels, current governor of Indiana (term expires in 2012); Michele Bachmann, current Congresswoman from Minnesota; and probably about that many more who are still in the “thinking stages of a decision.”

The field is good and strong. Many of these great potential candidates would make a wonderful President. What we don’t need is for any of them to start attacking fellow Republicans.

If a candidate wants to stand out from the crowd, give us the reasons you believe you are the best and not reasons someone else shouldn’t be the nominee for the Republican Party. Attacks on fellow Republicans can backfire and be used against Republicans in the general election. By the way, this rule of thumb is also valid in state and local races. Don’t attack those with which you have the most in common.

The bottom line is it would be difficult to find ANY Republican who would do more harm to this great nation than our current President. Let’s all hope we choose wisely and elect a strong candidate who can put an end to the Socialistic agenda of the Obama Administration.

~ Patty