Thoughts on the election of 2008

Obama won, the Republicans took over the Tennessee state house as well as the senate. Congressional Democrats added members.

Republicans now control the TN state legislature because they ran as conservatives.

McCain made a mistake that probably cost him the election when he voted for the bailout bill. If he had taken a very conservative stance against it, he very well may have pulled this out.

Another mistake was relying on public financing. He should have gotten out of that as soon as Obama did. The money allowed Obama to drown out McCain.

The Republican party as a whole will need to change the way we play the game with early voting. The majority of votes cast will likely from here on out be early. The timing of the financial crisis shows that the elections will be won & lost in September & October - waiting for a final election day push will not cut it any more. I heard where those who made up their minds in the last days before 4 Nov. went for McCain by 6%. It was, however, too late to make up for early voting. The deal will need to be sealed in September & October, before early voting.

We conservative Republicans have work to do. We would have work to do if McCan was elected, however the game has changed with Obama. IMHO, I believe the Democrats in Congress will succumb to the temptation for over-reaching. We need to lay the groundwork now for the elections of 2010 & then, in 2012, nominate a strong, articulate, unabashed conservative. They are out there.

For the Working Poor - Expand the Economic Pie

What I'd want for the working poor is policy that makes it possible to rise above being the working poor. To do that, the economy must expand. Businesses across the spectrum must expand, & punishing them through increased confiscation of profits as the profits increase will contract the economy. If every penny over $250K is taxed at an increasingly higher rate, there is less & less incentive to expand & create more jobs & opportunity.



Taking someone else's money, having the government bureaucracy take a big cut & doling out the rest will not expand the economic pie.



The old Marx saying of "to each according to need from each according to ability" is a recipe for disaster because it punishes ability and success. When that is put into play, more & more become needy because needy is positively incentivized. That does not mean letting people starve or suffer; that means that needs are taken care of (doesn't have to be the pittance from the government) however economic expansion & job creation are incentivized for the long run.

Obama's economic policy would shrink the economy, incentivizing "being needy" & punishing economic expansion, business & job creation. McCains policy focused on expanding the economic pie for everyone is a much better fit for the Greatest Country on Earth.

They Don't Get It

Thuggish Ignorance is on full display with the attacks on "Joe the Plumber. Instead of skillfully trying to change the subject, the Obama team is trying to destroy this man.



Joe did not go to Obama - Obama went to Joe. Obama went to Joe's house, doing a little door to door. Obama, I guess, forgot to get his handlers to visit these homes first.



Joe is a real person, much like most of us. He is a blue-collar guy who breaks a sweat & gets his hands dirty working. Continuing the attack on him, trying to destroy his life, is paramountly ignorant. This is not the 1990's, & Barack Obama is no Bill Clinton. Voters see this real person being attacked by the Obama campaign & lackeys in the Media, & know it could be them if they actually got to speak to Obama & exposed his scheme to redistribute EARNED wealth. Joe is definitely the everyday guy underdog, being attacked by a sleazy & greasy machine. What effect is has on the election, most people side with the underdog who finds himself attacked by sleaze.

Obama to Iraq - "Wait on Troop Withdrawal"

Barak Obama, we now know, tried to get the Iraqis to hold off on any strategic agreement regarding troop reductions, possible now that the surge has worked. He said they should wait until the new administration is in place. This was an attempt - perhaps unwitting - to undermine the negotiations with the current administration. McCain's campaign came out with a hard hitting response.

This is another blunder by Obama & his campaign. There is not a good answer for it. If he didn't realize what he was doing was wrong, how can he claim to be qualified in any way for the presidency? If he knew he was undermining the administration, so much the worse.