America's Presidential Campaign '08

OBAMA gaffe: 'UPS and FedEx are doing just fine. It's the Post Office having problems"

2009-08-15T16:36:00.001-06:00

This is TOO good...and the government that can't even run the Post Office as well as the private sector is going to run health care better...why????

Thank You, Rabbi!

2008-12-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

WE ALL ARE MORMONS....by Rabbi Shifren

We are living in an era of insanity! Witness the latest attempt to remake the nature of our country, founded and established on certain principles that have been the envy of the entire world. The latest assault on our country and its values comes in the form of vicious and criminal violence against the Mormon church in Westwood, California

Interesting how the selective self-righteous indignation on the part of the radical Gay activists is played out here: they bewail the blow to freedom and justice! But I thought we just had elections, where the majority of Californians expressed their views in a free and open manner. Are we not a nation of laws? Dare we relive the McCarthy era, where Americans were harassed and threatened with the loss of their jobs for believing in a certain way? If the Gay radicals should have their way, untold numbers of Americans would live under the threat of the Gay-Lesbian "thought police," where individuals that reject the Gay lifestyle would be sought out and have sanctions brought against them.

It's bad enough for those working in the entertainment industry here in Los Angeles, where a fog of political correctness and a bending over backwards to accommodate, even promote Gay lifestyle is in full gear. Let none dare say that this type of activity is anathema to our country, our morality, and the debauchery of our young people.

Let it be stated unequivocally: The radical Gay attack on the Mormons is the shot over the bow against the United States of America. There was a time when what a man did in his bedroom was sanctified between himself and G-d. Now we are being served an "in-your-face" smorgasbord of smut and licentiousness as being between people who only "want their civil rights."

Hogwash! We are dealing with the equivalent of a moral takeover of the country that has as its bedrock a belief in G-d and His promise for humanity. They don't want civil rights! What they desire is quasi Gay/Lesbian hegemony, where a huge "bookburning," reminiscent of the Nazis, will purge any remnants of the "Christian, White, mainstream America" that has given ALL AMERICANS the most profound scope of freedom, liberty, and justice that Mankind has yet to experience.

People have perhaps wondered: why the Mormons? Answer: they are a small, yet vocal Christian minority. They have been selected by the mobs as vulnerable, a group that might not have such massive support among America's Christians.

We who are friends of the Mormons, their patriotism, their family values, will not falter in our continued support of these dear Americans. Let us recall the Christian minister Niemoller, whose admonition during those dark years of Nazi Germany moved us to our core:

"When they came for the gypsies, I said nothing, because I wasn't a gypsy. When they came for the homosexuals, I said nothing, because I wasn't a homosexual. When they came for the Jews, I said nothing, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I said nothing, because I wasn't a Catholic......then they came for me, and there was no one left to defend me."

My fellow Americans, in the coming battle for the heart and soul of America and everything we cherish, may this call to arms be the mantra of every concerned patriot:

"WE ALL ARE MORMONS!"

Here's the link to the original.

As I've Been Saying...

2008-11-20T10:19:00.001-07:00

From Mark Steyn recently: "The president-elect’s so-called tax cut,” Mark wrote soon after the election, “will absolve 48 percent of Americans from paying any federal tax at all. Just under half the population will be on the dole. By 2012 it will be more than half. This will be an electorate where the majority will be able to vote itself more lollipops from the minority still dumb enough to prioritize self-reliance, dynamism and innovation over the cocoon of the nanny state….That will be the death of the American idea.”

Romney's Good Sense

2008-11-19T22:46:00.003-07:00

Good strong sense made in this op-ed article by my still-favorite former presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, about the dangers of a Washington bailout of Detroit's auto makers. A good read.

Support for Mormon Efforts Supporting Prop 8 from Fellow Christians

2008-11-14T17:05:00.003-07:00

I haven't chronicled it here as I should have, but the opponents of Prop 8 (at least many of them) have been showing their true colors since the passage of the amendment in heaping abuse upon Mormons collectively and individually for efforts supporting the passage of 8. Supposedly, tolerance and equality were the principled basis for opposition to 8. Well. Apparently it only applies in one direction.

My inclination is to take it; certainly I'm not apologetic for taking what I consider a principled stand that benefits our society. Of course, it's easy for me to talk since I haven't had to put up personally with the kinds of things some of my California friends have.

In any case, this is a worthwhile and short read: follow the link here. These and other supportive comments are much appreciated.

Offer to Peasants?

2008-11-10T07:01:00.002-07:00

We will appreciate the wonders of presidential transition, but simultaneously we still need to keep our eye on the political ball...perhaps know more than ever. Does this cartoon nail it?

Marriage Defended

2008-11-05T08:37:00.002-07:00

The pro-marriage voting in Florida and Arizona appears to have been solid, and it appears Prop 8 in California is likely to pass though we're awaiting final word.

This, to me, is very, very good news.

Here is a terrific statement from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the passage of Proposition 8.

President Obama

2008-11-04T21:52:00.002-07:00

We're still awaiting final numbers, but it's official that Barack Obama will be our next President.

More to come, but congratulations to him. I want him to do well for our nation. We will debate policy going forward...plenty of time for that.

First in Line!

2008-11-04T07:32:00.003-07:00

OK I know it's bragging, it's just it's never happened to me before! I was the first person in my district to vote today! 'Course I had to show up at 6 am and they put me to work setting up signs. It was crazy, though. By 7 when the polls opened there was a line snaking back and forth across the entire school gym and then extending outside. And this even though supposedly almost a third of registered voters in Utah have already voted with early and absentee/mail-in voting! Wow.

It'll be an interesting day regardless. But let nothing keep you from voting...no matter what it takes.

Let's All Agree to Ignore the Always Faulty Exit Polls

2008-11-03T23:18:00.002-07:00

From NRO: "So remember: In about 15 hours or so the rumors and leaks are going to start – It’s an Obama landslide! Exit polls show him winning North Carolina by 15 points! In Vermont, McCain will be the first major party candidate not to break into double digits…

It’s all rubbish. Exit polls skew Dem. In 2004, they overstated Kerry’s support by 5.5 points. Which doesn’t sound a lot. But, given that there were only ten states where the margin of victory was less than 5%, that was enough to make Kerry briefly appear the winner. The point of all the afternoon leakage is to depress turnout in the Florida panhandle and points west. Don’t fall for it."

Doesn't matter how it turns out, when was the last time the early exit polls really told us anything useful? Just vote.

Go Prop 8!

2008-11-03T12:55:00.003-07:00

Click on this link: it'll warm your heart (if you're in favor of defending traditional marriage and family, that is!) ;-)

Addendum: some of you can't link direct to YouTube so I direct embedded it above...

Go Prop 8!

2008-11-03T13:43:00.001-07:00

Now It's All About Turnout

2008-11-03T09:17:00.004-07:00

The arguments have been made (not that we won't have a final bit of back-and-forth), and now it's up to us. It's primarily a matter of whose supporters turn out to vote.

My philosophy is this: I can't worry about getting all McCain's supporters to the polls. The only thing I can do is make sure I get to the polls, plus encourage my friends and family to do the same.

We will see how this whole thing shakes out. If we've learned anything in recent elections, it's not to pre-judge what will happen. Just do your part and let it play out.

That said, here's your reminder must-read article for today on the dangers in Obama's tax and spend plans.

Memo from the McCain Campaign

2008-11-02T22:35:00.003-07:00

Interesting to read and see where McCain's focus is. Read it here. If you can do anything to help in Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and though they didn't mention them by name, Florida and North Carolina (and I'll add my own little list of Montana, Georgia, Minnesota, Wisconsin)...please do so tomorrow. And again...everybody vote!

Your Must Read Article of the Day

2008-11-01T21:59:00.003-06:00

Click on link here. By Victor Davis Hanson.

Sample: "We’ve known for a long time — from various polling, and records of political donations of journalists themselves, as well as surveys of public perceptions — that the vast majority of journalists identify themselves as Democratic, and liberal in particular.  Yet we have never quite seen anything like the current media infatuation with Barack Obama, and its collective desire not to raise key issues of concern to the American people. Here [are] four areas of national interest that [have been] largely ignored."

Polls Show Narrowing Race

2008-10-31T09:21:00.003-06:00

It's down to the wire, but McCain has been closing the gap. Everybody be sure to vote.

Also, watch this video as Palin hits Obama back...wink, wink...good stuff!

And, you perhaps heard Obama was only going to raise taxes for incomes over $250,000, then it changed to $200,000 then $150,000, and some Democrats have suggested perhaps $120,000 would be more like it. Sounds like a trend.

Dear Mr. Obama: Iraqi Vet to Obama

2008-10-31T13:17:00.001-06:00

Watch; spread the word.

Communism vs. Sharing - Believe It or Not There's a Difference!

2008-10-30T11:37:00.003-06:00

From John Hood on NRO:

"Obama threw off a humorous line about John McCain's accusation that the Obama tax plan is redistributionist: "McCain has “called me a socialist for wanting to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class,” Obama said. “I don’t know what’s next. By the end of the week he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten.”

Ha ha.

Only, in this passage Obama revealed precisely why he is vulnerable to such charges: he can't seem to tell the difference between a gift and a theft. There is nothing remotely socialistic or communistic about sharing. If you have a toy that someone else wants, you have three choices in a free society. You can offer to trade it for something you value that is owned by the other. You can give the toy freely, as a sign of friendship or compassion. Or you can choose to do neither.

Collectivism in all its forms is about taking away your choice. Whether you wish to or not, the government compels you to surrender the toy, which it then redistributes to someone that government officials deem to be a more worthy owner. It won't even be someone you could ever know, in most cases. That's what makes the political philosophy unjust (by stripping you of control over yourself and the fruits of your labor) as well as counterproductive (by failing to give the recipient sufficient incentive to learn and work hard so he can earn his own toys in the future).

Government is not charity. It is not persuasion, or cooperation, or sharing. Government is a fist, a shove, a gun. Obama either doesn't understand this, or doesn't want voters to understand it."

Here's the link to the post.

An Analysis of the Infomercial from the AP

2008-10-30T00:48:00.003-06:00

By CALVIN WOODWARD
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was less than upfront in his half-hour commercial Wednesday night about the costs of his programs and the crushing budget pressures he would face in office.

Obama's assertion that "I've offered spending cuts above and beyond" the expense of his promises is accepted only by his partisans. His vow to save money by "eliminating programs that don't work" masks his failure throughout the campaign to specify what those programs are - beyond the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

A sampling of what voters heard in the ad, and what he didn't tell them:
THE SPIN: "That's why my health care plan includes improving information technology, requires coverage for preventive care and pre-existing conditions and lowers health care costs for the typical family by $2,500 a year."
THE FACTS: His plan does not lower premiums by $2,500, or any set amount. Obama hopes that by spending $50 billion over five years on electronic medical records and by improving access to proven disease management programs, among other steps, consumers will end up saving money. He uses an optimistic analysis to suggest cost reductions in national health care spending could amount to the equivalent of $2,500 for a family of four. Many economists are skeptical those savings can be achieved, but even if they are, it's not a certainty that every dollar would be passed on to consumers in the form of lower premiums.

More here.

And here's NRO's Mark Hemingway on his response to the infomercial.

Excerpt: "the last thing that should be driving America's voting habits is a half-hour of Manipulative Portraits of Downtrodden Victims of Shadowy Governmental Forces. Whatever our problems are right now, America is not one big breadline." Amen.

Closing the Gap

2008-10-29T14:38:00.005-06:00

Polls in the past 2-3 days overall show a narrowing of the relatively small Obama lead. This is most certainly not over! Polls that showed Bush down 3% 4 years ago were off 5% as he won by 2%. If that "rule of thumb" holds now, it's pretty much a dead heat.

Every vote will count. Do what you can both personally and spreading the word. Let's go win this thing people!

Creepy

2008-10-29T17:32:00.004-06:00

Is anybody but me pretty much creeped out by the idea of Obama's face on all the major TV networks at the same time tonight for an uninterrupted half hour? As John McCain said today, this big infomercial is "being paid for by Obama's broken promises," reminding us that Obama promised to accept public campaign financing, until he broke that promise.

I, for one, will refuse to watch tonight's Obama infomercial on principle. Besides, does anyone seriously think we're going to learn anything from or about him tonight that we don't already know and haven't heard a million times already?

What Goes Around, Comes Around

2008-10-28T12:50:00.002-06:00

Read this brutal but I think on-target article about what tools of government Obama may use to redistribute the wealth of Americans.

Obama's Friends of the Press

2008-10-28T16:09:00.003-06:00

What ever happened to the idea that the press are not "friends" of politicians, but that they have an objective job to do in presenting facts and information, both positive and negative, about those politicians? No matter who wins, a partisan press is no friend of the public.

You should read this Boston Herald article on the death of objective journalism. Here are a few excerpts:

"A new study by the Pew Research Center found that, while 71 percent of Obama’s recent media coverage has been “positive” or “neutral,” almost 60 percent of McCain’s coverage over the same period has been “decidedly negative." And how much positive coverage did the media give McCain? Fourteen percent.

The American people have figured this out.

“By a margin of 70 percent to 9 percent,” another Pew study reported, “Americans say most journalists want to see Obama, not John McCain, win on Nov. 4.” The percentage of Americans who rate reporters as objective and not favoring either candidate? Eight percent.

My friends in the Partisan Press, your reputation has now fallen lower than both President Bush (25 percent) and the Democratic Congress (18 percent). Journalistic integrity now ranks along side communicable diseases and nuclear mishaps."

Whatever Else: You Must Vote!

2008-10-27T11:06:00.004-06:00

Ignore media pundits, ignore predictions, ignore polls. I don't care what you think will or won't happen come next Tuesday, just make sure you do your part. Get to the polls...early voting if you can, Election Day if not. Those of us who have made some effort to understand the issues and the candidates I believe have a special duty to give our input via our vote, then let the pieces fall where they may.

Addendum: if you haven't seen this catholicvote.com video, it's worth viewing if you are pro-life, Catholic or not!

Income Redistribution

2008-10-27T16:17:00.004-06:00

No wonder Obama wants to avoid having us believe the reality that his tax proposals represent income redistribution, taking from some, giving to others. According to one Gallup poll, Americans oppose this in principle, 84% to 13%. If you don't want this to happen, you may want to consider this in your decision on whom to vote for.

Here are some of Obama's own words about his views on using the power of the federal government to redistribute income from one group to another, from a radio interview in 2001: “The Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and of more basic issues such as political and economic justice in society. To that extent, as radical as I think people try to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution, at least as its been interpreted and Warren Court interpreted in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. Says what the states can’t do to you. Says what the Federal government can’t do to you, but doesn’t say what the Federal government or State government must do on your behalf...And one of the, I think, tragedies of the civil rights movement was, because the civil rights movement became so court-focused, I think there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which to bring about redistributive change.”

If you believe in constitutional government, and that constitutions mean what they say, this should send a very cold shiver down your spine...