Archive for the ‘barack obama’ Category

*UPDATE* - Here is the direct link to the Zogby Ziegler media poll that goes along with the video below.

Think that’s crazy?  Check out some of the alarming stats they found in the Zogby poll they commissioned after the leap. (more…)

Here are the future #2 and #3 Republicans in the House, congressmen Eric Cantor of Virginia and Indiana’s own Mike Pence.

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…)

This Frank Gray column caught my eye this morning in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette about a Decatur businessman who has flown his flag upside down since Tuesday’s election victory for President-Elect Obama.

None of this attracted much attention until, shortly after Tuesday’s election, Townsend hoisted the flag, which has long flown in front of his shop, in the upside-down position, a distress signal protesting the election of Barack Obama and Joseph Biden.

It didn’t take long for the reaction to come. A 17-year employee told Townsend he was quitting. The phone calls started, about 300 in the past few days.

Almost all have been in support, Townsend said, but some clearly weren’t. Shortly after noon Friday, a woman called to raise hell with the employee who answered. There was no mistaking what the call was about.

No, the female employee said, it has nothing to do with the fact that Obama is black. It’s about abortion. Obama is a supporter of abortion, and the business owner is absolutely opposed to it, period.

The call dragged on for several minutes, and it wasn’t friendly.

Then Townsend, who had been tied up on another call, hung up and explained himself.

Some have protested that flying the flag upside down is a desecration, but it’s not, he says, and firmly so, pointing to a printout of flag regulations.

An upside-down flag is a distress signal, indicating that people’s lives or property are in danger. With the election of Obama and Biden, lives are in danger: all the unborn babies that will die as the result of abortion.

And property is at stake. The recent bailout wasn’t a bailout of the American people, he said. It was the bailout of a bankrupt and foreign-owned Federal Reserve system.

The Indy Star now reports that the businessman has decided to take down his flag.

Side note … while googling to find a photo of an upside flag, I found this interesting article about Democrats using the “flag in distress” signal at the DNC Convention earlier this summer on their credential badges.

What do you think?  Over the top or not?

This happened in North Carolina. The subtitles are in Scandanavian but the audio is in English.

Last night I had the great fortune of attending the 19th Annual Indiana Chamber Awards dinner.  The featured speaker was Newt Gingrich and what an event that was.  Should the rumors of Gingrich seeking the RNC Chairmanship indeed be true and should he attain it, our party will be much the better for it.  We won’t be out of the wilderness, but would have a dedicated leader for our conservative cause who could potentially lead us out of the wilderness and keep the Obama Administration and the Democrat controlled congress on it’s toes.

He didn’t spend the evening talking about Republicans vs. Democrats, however.  He spent the evening talking about what makes good business sense and how to get our economy out of the doldrums.  He talked about the successes of small business and the failures of a bloated government.  He talked about solutions that makes sense and lauded praise on President-Elect Obama for his historic victory.

He injected humor and candor in his speech that he gave without notes.  He gave us all, as it were, fatherly advice, and left us with so much to think about.  One portion of the evening did stick out to me, that he mentioned also happens to be on youtube.  He was talking in practicalities about how small businesses make some of the most difficult tasks look simple, yet the Federal Government takes the simplest task and makes it exceedingly difficult.  He used the illegal immigration as an example.  And since I was in no position to take notes, the least I can do is share the video.  Maybe you’ve seen it, maybe you haven’t.  Either way, it explains why Newt Gingrich is a voice that conservatism needs again.

After you’re done watching the video, check out the Indiana Chamber blog for their take on the evening.

An email making the rounds apparently offers readers the opportunity to watch O’s acceptance speech by clicking on a link.

The link is not to O’s speech but rather a computer virus that will send your keystrokes to a hacker in Russia. Bye-bye bank accounts and credit cards!

And no this is not one of those hoaxes involving icons that look like teddy bears - the website I read this on is VERY reputable.

Just a friendly heads up to all our liberal trolls out there.

Senator Richard Lugar, before he even had the chance to get asked, may have turned down a potential opportunity to serve in Barack Obama’s cabinet.  Though this story appeared on WTHR’s website the day after the election, it does not give any indication as to when the question asked.

Via WTHR:

Indiana republican Senator Richard Lugar says he is not interested in serving in a Barack Obama White House.

There had been speculation that the next president might select Lugar to serve on his cabinet. But during a recent news conference in South Bend, Lugar made clear he wanted to continue to serve in the Senate.

“I responded to a student question earlier in the day. They were asking whether I was interested in a Cabinet position or some other situation. And I said, ‘No, I’m not,’ because really from the time that I came back from the Navy, tried to save our family business, this is with by brother, a farm and a manufacturing concern, I’ve wanted to be my own boss - an independent spirit. And that I have been able to do as mayor of Indianapolis or as senator. I appreciate that opportunity. I think I can be the greatest value to the country, really giving independent judgments. It’s the best judgment I can give. So whoever it is, whether it’s my friend John McCain or my friend Barack, I’m going to do the best we can when called upon,” he said.

(Post updated to reflect Democrat Scott Reske’s victory in HD 37 after barely holding off Republican challenger Kelly Gaskill)

Here is a note to my fellow conservatives and Republicans.

I did not have the highest of expectation for last night.  I had hope that John McCain might some how pull off a miracle (because really that’s what he needed to win), but it wasn’t a lot of hope.  And like many of you who may have stayed up fairly late (after the webcast which ended at midnight, I went out and picked up yard signs to get some much needed alone time) I’m still recovering from yesterday’s action.  But I came to this conclusion.

It’s time to face the facts.  Barack Obama will be our 44th president.  And a historic congratulations should be sent his way.  But we should take solace in the fact that Democrats did not net major gains in the House or get their filibuster proof Senate, though they could still up with (a worst case scenario) 59 seats.

But there were some positives for us as well last night.  Governor Daniels smoked Jill Long Thompson (no surprise there) and Greg Zoeller and Tony Bennett won their statewide races.  The Indiana House will end up with only one seat gained by the Democrats after much hand wringing they could end up with as many as a three to four seat gain. On the congressional level.  Everybody stayed the same.  Many thought Congressman Souder could be a loss in the Republican column, but he showed his tenacity and didn’t just win by a small margin, he kicked his young upstart opponent to the curb.

But now onto my message.

Fellow Republicans, this is no time to give up.  This is also no time to resort to childish pettiness, bemoaning and name calling that the left resorts to when they lose.  This is a time to step up!  We do have a lot of ground to make up nationally, and while our state still leans red, it certainly is becoming a closely and evenly divided state.

We need to re-energize our base and return to what made our party great!  I encourage our state and national Republicans to return to the principles and virtues of the Contract with America.  We need to raise the level of discourse on the issues that matter most to Americans at this time; the economy and energy independence.  And while I believe social values cannot be ignored (though we must never give up on the issue of Abortion), we must understand, as a Party, that in these tough economic times, voters are thinking mostly with their wallets.  We must return to a message of fiscal restraint.  We must hammer the message of an “all of the above’ approach to energy independence.  We must hold our new President’s feet to the fire when it comes to the issues of coal and nuclear power.  Nothing can be off the table if we want to break free from the shackles of foreign oil.  President-Elect Obama seeks energy independence, but he must seek all avenues, closing off nothing.

We lost the American’s public’s faith in us when we lost our way as a party.  We have only ourselves to blame for the situation we are in.  Now is the time to make up for our past mistakes.  Now is the time to take action and to be the party of solutions and ideas.  We gave that away, but it’s time to take it back!

(But should you need it, here is Red State’s Obama Administration Survial Guide)

Hey, we can be gracious losers.

Not my words, but the words of Democrat New York Congressman Jerry Nadler.

The follow up questions by the constituents is valid, such as if Obama didn’t have the political courage to leave his church, how could he have the courage to stand up to our enemies.

Simple question.  Deserves and honest answer.

(H/T - Red State)