Archive for November 10th, 2008

Please, Please, PLEASE Don’t take as long to decide on this as it took to get into the POTUS race!

The DC Examiner has the article:

“Republicans desperate to rebuild their party are looking for a new leader, and former Sen. Fred Thompson may seek the job.

Thompson, a Tennessee conservative and former actor, is mulling a run for chairman of the Republican National Committee.”

If Fred DOES get into the fray, this changes EVERYTHING!

After the congressional shelacking the Republicans have taken in the last two cycles, we’re starting to see some strong conservative voices and leaders getting the chance to finally step up and find a role in this new era for the GOP.  Say by-by to Roy Blunt, Adam Putnam (though he’s a solid congressman) and now Tom Cole (is it wrong to say “Please God Yes!“?)

From Paint Usa Red:

Politicker.com is reporting Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX) is running for the chairmanship of the National Republican Campaign Committee. Sessions says his goal is simple, 218 seats.

“My goal is simple: to win 218 seats for the House Republican Conference.  You have my word that I will work tirelessly to achieve this goal.”

Sitting NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) is also seeking another term.

When Barack Obama said he’d bring change, I have a feeling he didn’t think it would be to the Republican Party.

This post has me pretty upset.  I will admit my feelings initially lean towards those of the author, but I will (and I suggest all of us) take the example of the Pastor in this post.

(From our conservative brothers and sisters in Michigan)

Michigan liberals attack Lansing congregation in the middle of Sunday worship

By Nick, Section News
Posted on Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 01:33:05 PM EST
This is what we’re up against.

On Sunday morning, amidst worshiping congregants and following unifying prayers that our President-elect be granted wisdom as he prepares to lead our nation through difficult global, social and economic challenges, the Michigan left declared open war on peaceful church goers.

They did it with banners, chants, blasphemy, by storming the pulpit, by vandalizing the church facility, by potentially defiling the building with lude, public, sex acts and by intentionally forcing physical confrontations with worshipers.

This didn’t take place in some dystopian, post modern work of fiction and it didn’t take place in San Francisco or Berkley. This was the scene at a Bible believing church in Lansing, Michigan.

Read on… (more…)

Many conservatives have had their issues with John Boehner and his ability to be a leader for the GOP while in the minority in the U.S. House.  With a new session and a new President to work with coming in January, and presuming Eric Cantor wins the role of Minority Whip and Mike Pence wins the role of Conference Chair, will this foundation of conservative leadership to back Boehner make him a better/stronger minority leader?

Discuss!

I’m willing to give Valerie Jarrett the benefit of the doubt and argue this is more of a “Biden like gaffe” than forgetting that President’s “lead” and not “rule”.  Someone may want to pass that note along to Ms. Jarrett before she does another interview.

*Update* - The video appears to no longer be available.  Potential conspiracy theories (as to why) aside here is was Ms. Jarrett told Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press.

Jarret told Brokaw that “given the daunting challenges that we face, it’s important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.”

(Oddly, the video still works in the Newsbusters link)

Discuss!

(H/T - Newsbusters)

Looking at this breakdown, Indiana would appear to be a strong and vibrant red state.  But what went against us in this last election was just how poorly John McCain did in the blue counties.  Of Indiana’s 92 counties, McCain won 77 and still lost 49.9% to 49%.  Just think, there is enough GOP voting population in those 77 counties to come close to matching the DEM voting population of the 15 counties that Obama won.

Now take into consideration how many in those red counties who voted Republican in 2004, voted for Obama this year or voted third party out of distaste for either John McCain or Barack Obama (we’re looking at the Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin voters - Note to 3rd party voters, I’m not pinning McCain’s loss of Indiana on you).

By contrast, consider the breakdown for Governor Daniels.

(Read more after the leap) (more…)

Syndicated columnist Herman Cain wrote this column today:

“It is frustrating and pathetic to watch the mainstream media and some Republicans try to explain John McCain’s loss for the presidency. Even worse, some McCain staffers are reportedly trying to blame the choice of Governor Sarah Palin as the reason for their loss, so they can position themselves for their next campaign job.

I do not know any of the McCain top staffers and I do not intend to insult them, but they need a wake-up call before they staff-infect another Republican’s run for high political office. What I am about to say may be hard medicine, but that’s how you recover from a serious illness.

I would not hire any of them for even a dog-catcher campaign, because collectively they resemble the same team that ran the 1996 Dole-Kemp campaign, with the same problem.”

Ouch!

Leftists in the Democratic Party and “moderates” in the Republican Party are pointing to Sarah Palin as the reason John McCain lost, and both groups are arguing that the Republican Party needs to jettison or marginalize social conservatives if the GOP hopes to be successful in future elections. The argument lacks factual basis and ignores recent political history, including the election results of last week. Republicans will do great damage to their chances of victory in 2010 and 2012 by pushing social conservatives aside in favor of a more “big tent” party.

When Palin was announced as McCain’s choice for Vice President, she immediately closed the “enthusiasm gap” between the Republican and Democratic activist bases. Palin’s life story, especially regarding Trig Palin, resonated with social conservatives and provided a significant contrast with Barack Obama’s aggressive advocacy of abortion “rights”. Had it not been for Palin, McCain’s margin of loss would probably have been larger than it was. Had McCain picked abortion “rights” advocate Joe Lieberman as his Vice Presidential nominee, it would have been a disaster.

Are social conservatives hurting the Republican Party? How quickly we forget 2004, when “values voters” pulled President Bush out of the fire and were a major reason why he was re-elected. How quickly we forget 2006, when Democrats recruited a number of anti-abortion candidates to run for Congress, including Brad Ellsworth and Joe Donnelly in Indiana. Ellsworth and Donnelly unseated Republican incumbents John Hostettler and Chris Chocola two years ago, and both won re-election by comfortable margins this year. If social conservatives are harming the Republican Party, why were Democrats openly recruiting anti-abortion candidates to run for Congress?

(Read more after the leap) (more…)