Tag Archives: GOP

Boycotts, Free Speech, and the Costs of Organizing.

Given the recent storm of words, charges, counter-charges, and insults over mandated contraceptive coverage under the provisions of the ACA it’s not surprising that this has moved into the realm of action and boycotting. Naturally the boycotts against talk show personality Rush Limbaugh has been called righteous and also villainous based purely upon which political party you self identify with. Boycotts, like rebellions, are only treasonous and wrong in the third person, in the first person it’s noble, heroic and patriotic. There were precious few voices on the right speaking out against boycotts when country music radio stations were throwing the Dixie Chicks off the air because of their political stand. Some, like Andrew Sullivan, have called the boycotts wrong even if they don’t share the opinions of Mr. Limbaugh. I can understand his point of view, that it is regrettable when voices are hounded out of public discourse, but I do not agree. Certainly Mr. Limbaugh has the right to speak his mind and say what he thinks is the truth, within the bounds of slander and libel of course. That right does not extend so far that I must respect his, or anyone else’s, opinion. Whom I listen to, associates with, and support with my coin is a function of my own free speech. I rarely refuse to purchase goods or services based upon advertising choices, Id be much more inclined to walk away from a company’s direct action. In fact if I make a political statement with my consumer habits it tends to b buying a product or service from someone I feel is doing the right thing. Now, Mr. Limbaugh has been making incendiary statements for a long time, but this is the first time it has really hit him hard with strong effective blow-back. This I think is because of social media and the internet. Each passing year it becomes easier and easier for people to band together, pass information, and organize responses. There was a time that this sort of campaign would have taken weeks and months to put together, with people physically copying letter and stuffing thousands of envelopes, all at considerable cost. Now with the nearly free internet, activist can perform tremendous feats of organization while holding down job, going to school, and in general having a real lift. This brings grows the pool of activists, further lowering the bar and initiating, in my opinion an exponential growth in activism and effect. The Tea Party is an early example of this, one that is sending serious shocks through the Republican party. The ‘Occupay’ movement is an example from the left, but one that has failed to have the same sort of influence, that doesn’t however preclude another movement rising on the left. I expect to see more of this as time goes on. Our political, cultural, and business systems are about to be remade.

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Super Tuesday and no heroes in sight.

I think the end is upon us. At least as far as my republican friends are concerned. Today ten states go to the polls trying to determine which republican will go one on one against Obama in the fall for the Presidency and frankly I don’t see how it is going to be anyone other than Mitt Romney.

Today will be the day that, like a train on a down slope, Romney begins picking up his unstoppable momentum hurtling towards the nomination. There may be minor signs of life within the other campaigns, but nothing is going to derail the Mitt. Like it or not the Republicans have stayed true to form and will nominate the next guy in line.

On the plus side for my Republican friends I thin Mitt has the best chance at victory. He’s centrist enough to not scare the moderates and that is where national elections are won and lost. For my Democratic friends the good news is that Romney isn’t a fire breathing social conservative and it a Republican that knows how to compromise.

That doesn’t mean I am predicting a Romney win in the fall, only that he has the best chance. Between Romney and Obama the contest could go either way. Though is Romney loses the chorus from the right will sing that it was because he was a moderate and not a ‘True Conservative’ whatever that may be. If he wins it will be proof that American truly love conservatism.

So from this day forth my Republican friends should practice wearing nose-pins so that, for them, the voting will be easier

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Presidential Campaign Songs

This is a bit of a kerfuffle over the songs used by the various republican candidates for president.  Mostly the liberal songwriters aren’t happy with their songs being used by conservative politicians, and that is of course their right, both as citizens and copyright holders.

My problem that these self-selected songs rarely capture for me the true sprit of each candidate, Here are my suggestions for the right campaign songs, with the You Tube clips since none are very modern. Continue reading

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Does The Bloodbath End Tonight?

Today is the 4th Republican Primary as they attempt to select a Presidential Nominee to contest Obama for the White House this fall. After a seeming endless series of debates, the rise and fall of countless not-Romney stretching from the credible to the incredible, the field has been narrowed to four candidates left standing; Romney — leading in the polls and very likely the nominee, Gingrich  — the current not-Romney, a man with a volatile personality and checkered political past, the current vessel for the hopes of dreams of the hard core base (though how a man who lobbied for Medicare Part D, the individual mandate, and action on Global Warming, wins the support of that base is a manifestation just how unloved Romney truly is by the base.) Santorum – social conservative, his says all the right things about abortion and gays, but he can’t seem to fire up the base and lastly Paul – the ‘libertarian’ though he strike me as less libertarian and more like someone who felt that the Articles of Confederation were the right path.

The aggregate polling indicates that Romney is the likely winner tonight. I think the essential question is not if Romney wins but by how much and does that stop the fighting? Continue reading

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Why should I vote for the Republicans?

 

I know a number of people who do not approve of the Obama presidency, and I can tell you that stating it that way is as mild as it gets. IT has been interesting watching them shift from potential Republican nominee to the newest acceptable nominee candidate as the field shrinks and their prefer choice is eliminated.

There is no doubt that when the election rolls around many of these friends will walk into the voting booth and pull, punch, mark, or otherwise indicate that their selection is for the Republican candidate.

What I wonder is if any of these people, or anyone else out there who has been really animated against the current administration, can argue for me why we should vote for the Republicans, without mentioning Obama or democrats? Can they make a positive case for their side, instead of a case based upon, “The other guys are worse?”

p.s.

For what it is worth I consider Obama to be a merely mediocre president. He could have done better, he could have done more, but I don’t consider him to be the abject failure that some paint him to be, or the sainted hero people wanted him to be.

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Mitt Romney, Bain Capital, and the politics of hatred

Mitt Romney’s career as a venture capitalist has become a point of attack by his political enemies, both Republican and Democratic. His supporters have fallen back on the defense that these attacks are about class warfare, envy and a hatred of success. It is an understandable, if misguided defense.
I have sympathy for the people trying to defect this line of attack. This is an emotionally very charged and very effective line to use against Mitt Romney, but why is that? Are these charges generated by class envy, by people who are jealous of Romney’s success and vast fortune? Continue reading

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And Now another Elimination from Republican Idol

Thursday Gov. Rick Perry of Texas announced his withdrawal from the train wreck that is the Republican Nomination process for President of The United States of America. I remember before Perry got into the race, when Bachmann was the surging anti-Romney, and many people we thinking that there was a Perry shaped hole in the field. Evidently Perry thought so as well. He leapt into the race, shot to the top like a rocket, and turned out to be a firework and not a single-stage to orbit craft. A quick flame out, and a few attempts to reignite his engine failed, Perry has now crashed, leaving a crater where his ambitions once stood. Continue reading

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