Media Credibility and the Polls - What to Believe

.

With primaries over we are almost through the silly season of the never-ending campaigns for control of our government and it is time to take a look around at all the damage that has been done. How do we do that? Well the media and politicians use a clever technique called polling to keep us informed of what we think and the big question is does it really do that? No!

Wake up media and stop trying to sway the American public opinion. It has been 40 years since I started developing campaign polling and demographic databases and the one constant through nine presidents is nothing has changed. The American people will always make up their own mind and if you try to influence them your polls will be the same disaster as always.

So why should the news media care? Because the credibility of the media is just as poor as the credibility of the president, congress and corporate America and those reporting the news should not be considered a joke. If I didn’t care about the reputation of the media I would not care, although the extreme efforts of some media to mislead the public does provide some form of entertainment.

News reporting is a protected privilege in America, it is even protect by the Constitution in the Bill of Rights. But along with such privileged status comes responsibility, the responsibility to not abuse your rights and many of the media seem to forget.

What is the purpose of polls? Polls are a snap shot at that moment of time in reaction to a specific question. No more no less. The more objective the question the more objective and honest will be the answer. The more scientific the pool of people polled the more accurate the results.

Every day political news reporters try to apply the results of daily polls to what will happen in the future. For example, they tell us Democrats and Republicans are tied in the polls today and that means the Democrats will do much better in the Midterm elections than expected. Such extrapolation is nonsense and the media knows better. When you hear such things just know there is a hidden agenda by those making such silly reports.

This is September, not November, and so far one third of the voters, the Independents, have not even been polled since all primary polls only talk to Democrats and Republicans. Those few polls that do survey Independents are not getting much press but they show the largest GOP lead ever recorded over the Democrats, well in double digits.

Any poll done at this time when one third of the voters are not even counted, and that one third may well be the angriest of all the voters, could be 20-25% inaccurate. So why does the media continue reporting the party results? They know better.

The only polls accurate right now are those concerning the public sentiment and they foreshadow serious change this fall. More than two-thirds of the public think the country is headed in the wrong direction, more than two-thirds think Obama and the Democrats are doing the wrong things, and more than two-thirds think congress, all of congress, is just as misguided. Barring some unforeseen catastrophe as I have pointed out consistently all year, a tsunami is about to hit the Democrats in control.

If the parties are running even at this time and both are held in low regard by the populace it is only because the Independents are not being counted. Come November 2 the game changes radically and the combined Republican opposition with the Tea party and Independent disgust with government will make a statement that will be heard around the world. The party in power will fall.

Also, there is no way the results in one state mean the same thing will happen in another state as the people of Delaware are far different than those in Ohio or Iowa, just as New York is different than California. Polls can also be very distorted if the people surveyed are not registered to vote, or even if they are registered does that mean they will actually vote.

As I said recently, just look at the numbers. Well over 4 million more Republicans than Democrats voted in the primaries in 2010, the first time since 1930 more Republicans voted in the primaries than Democrats. Yet sitting on the sidelines because they were denied the right to vote by archaic campaign laws is the mighty Independent voting block and they are just as mad as the "rogue" Republicans who have been leading the attack.

Take New Hampshire for example. The latest polls show 70% of Independents are dissatisfied with the direction our federal government is going. In yesterday's primary there were 266,144 eligible Democratic voters and about 70,000 turned out. There were 264,451 eligible Republican voters and about 152,000 turned out, more than twice as many Republicans. Yet there are 388,589 Independent voters who did not vote. If 70% are fed up with the direction of Obama and the Democrats they will be joining the vote and bring about a Republican landside in November.

A poll of “eligible voters” can be wrong because about 40% of eligible voters are not even registered to vote. Even a poll of “registered voters” could also be wrong for less than half will vote in the election and the enthusiasm of the voter will dictate the turnout. Republicans have much greater enthusiasm to vote and Independents may have even greater enthusiasm. Few polls will ever go into the level of detail needed to get accurate results.

There is a final distortion of poll results if the caller identifies who employs them or if they say it is for an organization like Gallup, Rasmussen or the Washington Post for example as some people are going to be inclined to answer the way they think the “media” wants them to answer. People do not want to feel stupid so they might just make up answers, especially on issues they do not know.

The bottom line is this. If you believe the polls published by the media you are as crazy as the media. On the other hand, if you really want to see a meaningful poll the following are the latest results from a Gallup Poll on the Confidence of the American Public in our institutions.

It would appear the general public already know what they think of the media and their polls when 78% of our citizens do not have a great deal of confidence in Television news, yet they have even less confidence in Congress with 89% not having confidence, the worst record of any American institution. Also note that nearly two thirds of Americans, 64%, do not have confidence in the President. Then remember these numbers are almost three months old. How low can you go by now?

.

Sarah Palin, James DeMint & Tea Party Trounce Media and both Political Parties in Final Primaries

.

There is one clear loser after a tumultuous primary season and that is the eastern news media, the so called political analysts of both parties, and the leadership of the two parties who failed to awaken to the news that they have been buried in the rubble of a political system that is owned by special interests, with the news media and political parties the biggest of special interests.

From the view of Main Street far removed from our nation's capitol and Wall Street, where our news media and politicians call home, there is a comedy going on out east as the professionals and pundits continue to ignore a grassroots movement that is overthrowing a political system that is to corrupt, to beholden to special interests and to arrogant and egotistical to see the light.

Class warfare is alive and well in America fueled by the disconnect between the media, professional politicians and special interests versus Sarah Palin, Senator James DeMint and the People. Now the principles of Palin, DeMint and the People are poised to trounce the elitists and arrogant pros once and for all in the Midterm elections.

This time the Republicans will benefit not because they are more closely aligned to the new American coalition but because they are the outsiders. I mean the GOP establishment suffered more defeats than the Democrats in the primaries but it is only a foreshadowing of the pounding the Democrats will take in the Midterm elections when the massive number of Independents finally join the battle.

Just look at the numbers. Well over 4 million more Republicans than Democrats voted in the primaries in 2010, the first time since 1930 more Republicans voted in the primaries than Democrats. Yet sitting on the sidelines because they were denied the right to vote by archaic campaign laws is the mighty Independent voting block and they are just as mad as the "rogue" Republicans who have been leading the attack.

Take New Hampshire for example. The latest polls show 70% of Independents are dissatisfied with the direction our federal government is going. In yesterday's primary there were 266,144 eligible Democratic voters and about 70,000 turned out. There were 264,451 eligible Republican voters and about 152,000 turned out, more than twice as many Republicans. Yet there are 388,589 Independent voters who did not vote. If 70% are fed up with the direction of Obama and the Democrats they will be joining the vote and bring about a Republican landside in November.

All the political spin in the world will not change what is forthcoming. People are mad as Hell and they are not going to take it any longer. Pundits from Carl Rove of the GOP to the host of liberal Democrats claiming victory because of GOP defeats have failed to read the tea leaves and are standing on the shore with a life jacket while a 400 foot tsunami is bearing down on them.

When the tens of millions of disgruntled Independents finally join the fray come November the face of the political landscape in America will be shattered. The day of the party bosses is over and the politicians caught up in the special interest games will be exposed and eradicated.

The People know the American political system is truly broken, the American news media is as addicted to the old ways as the politicians, the special interests own the country and neither political party has the guts to fix it. It is time to give someone else a chance and the People are taking control of the political system.

People are demanding honesty in politicians and when the old boys keep compromising their principles to protect their system the People know it. Sarah Palin, like her or not, has always stood by her principles no matter how brutal the attacks from the left. Senator James DeMint from South Carolina, an almost unknown national figure from South Carolina has done it as well and will be elected to a second term overwhelmingly. Both have proven they are not about to sell out their principles because the political parties or news media don't like what they say.

They exemplify the honesty of principles lacking in Washington and they have demonstrated a respect for the people that is scorned by the elitists in Washington. That arrogance and scorn will be the eventual downfall of the media and the political establishment.

It is too late for the party pros, pundits and media to see the light. America is being Taken Back in spite of the claims to the contrary. From this point forward it will be fun to watch the dismantling of old style politics in America and it is long overdue. A new dawn is coming to America and the day of special interest control and political party manipulation is nearing an end and with it will go the media and pundits who have worked so hard to preserve a broken system.
.

Taking Back America - The Midterm Elections are a Good Place to Start!

Yes it is finally time for change!

If the people of America want to get control of their country now is the time but it can only happen if they take responsibility for what happens in their country. You see, people seem to have forgotten the rest of the story when it comes to our Bill of Rights. When they published the full title of the Amendments to the Constitution the editors left out part of the title. It should have read the Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.

There is no better generation to fix that problem than the battle tested, Cold War conditioned, oil shortage hardened Baby Boomers who are the only generation of the past century to understand the price of freedom and the dangers of democracy. I think every person who cares and wants things better should wear a tee shirt and paste bumper stickers that proclaim, “This is My Country!”

We can start by telling the politicians who want to represent us that we the people will tell them what we need and what to do. Last time I checked they work for us. Our true Agenda for Change will be presented by us, not the politicians or special interests who still rule Washington. The pollsters, political advisors and advertising agencies that put words or sound bytes into the mouths of politicians have it all wrong. They are the very people who got us into this mess.

No, we need to give government back to the people, give God back to the government and give meaning back to our Declaration and Constitution. We need to provide what people need, stop promoting what we don’t need, and start seeing government act like our friend and protector rather than a front for greed and power hungry individuals or corporations.

America must be wealthy, not the rulers who try and run or own America. Don’t you think those who claim to know what's best for us have victimized us for long enough? We want a nation where housing laws protect the homeowners not the mortgage and financial institutions. We want banking laws that protect the citizens not the credit card companies, debt collectors, lawyers and hidden fees.

Our government licenses telephone companies, television and radio stations, banks, mortgage companies, investment banks, doctors and stock brokers among many others, while we regulate the stock market, commodity market (including the price of oil and food), energy companies, interstate commerce, foreign aid and practically every other aspect of our lives. Do you feel protected?

We spend more money protecting oil producing nations, arms dealers, drug companies, banks and investment houses than we do protecting people and that has simply got to change. Look at the cost, $700 billion and 4,000 American lives in Iraq to protect the Arab nations from Arab terrorists, or is it the Arab oil producers from disruption? What do we get? Record oil prices, no effort by OPEC to increase production and lower prices, and the scorn of the world.

Or how about our Afghanistan experience? We spend billions to chase the terrorists out of Afghanistan into hiding in Pakistan, a nation where we spend billions more to protect the military and government that gives the terrorists safe haven. We have no viable foreign policy, we just support the arms dealers of the world who make sure there is always civil unrest, genocide and demigods running amok where we can spend billions more defending people. If America stopped financing war directly and indirectly do you think the arms dealers would spend their own money to cause wars?

Back in the good old USA we have more than enough wars of our own to fight against the destruction of our immune systems by the pharmaceutical companies, the addictions imposed on us by television, video games, hospitals and doctors, the health care industry, the wellness industry, the physical education industry, and all those who think the only way to good health is through the pocketbook.

Then there are the phone companies, banks and credit card companies with their incredible hidden fees and confusing billings; insurance companies that increase rates for reasons having nothing to do with their insurance coverage; the media whose message is always influenced by the advertising dollars it might generate, and the government who works for everyone but the people it is supposed to represent.

Oh it is time for change all right, but not the change Obama promised qnd then gave us. No, the change we need must be cataclysmic to do any good. All the shadowy figures that profit from our difficulties, steal from our treasury and attempt to influence our minds and destroy our wills are counting on us being too weak, too self-centered and too preoccupied to bring about real change but I say they are wrong. Once again the bad guys have underestimated the power of freedom and the will of the people.

Proudly display your sign This is My Country and then do what they don’t expect, show you care. Help establish the Agenda for Change that we need, not the one politicians say we need. Save money, don't spend it. Keep reducing your oil consumption. Eat fresh food, not processed. Get healthy so you can get rid of the addictive prescriptions. Ask if the tests your doctor wants you to take are really necessary.

Spend weekends with your family, seeing what you missed in your community, state and surrounding areas. Enjoy the local festivals and events. Turn off television, limit your texting and reduce your time on the Internet. Get the kids off video games and back into society. Have a yard sale or donate extra stuff to a worthy cause. Why not try church, the synagogue or a mosque.

Help a neighbor, visit a sick friend or a lonely relative. Be smart, ask questions and question what you are told. Do these things and we can start to get back our nation.

What are the targets for change - the bad guys hurting America? Here are some examples.

1. Money Mongers of the Financial Institutions - Obama couldn't stop them!

Who are these people and what threat do they represent? Well, the intricate web of interlocking ownership, access to media, control of pricing in stocks, currency, commodities and bonds, and insulation from scrutiny probably make this the single most powerful force on Earth, capable of controlling governments and destroying opposition without ever getting their own hands dirty. You see they are invisible to the general public.

Financial institutions control the world simply put and they do not serve the world in the process, as serving is not a good return on investment. They set up mutual funds to consolidate investment power and get government to create more sources of funds and turn them over to the financiers to manage such as pension funds, 401K funds, IRAs and many others.

They create financial “experts” to tell us what is happening to our investment markets and how to invest what money we do control completely ignoring the conflicts of interest when the greatest beneficiaries of the advice are the market makers, the very financial institutions whose experts are giving supposedly objective market advice.

What does that mean? The media takes the advice of industry experts and tells us the price of oil is going up because of the potential for a hurricane in the gulf that may or may not disrupt supply lines and drilling operations. A suicide bombing in Iraq shows that the crude oil supply from that country is not stable so a shortage of future oil may result if a bombing of the oil pipelines is successful. Cold weather in American means there will be a shortage of heating oil no matter that there are sufficient inventories already in the country. So the price of oil goes up, and up and up.

Who benefits? The owners of the crude oil, the companies that pay them for the crude, the banks that finance the companies, the stockholders that own shares of the companies, the IRAs, 401Ks, pension funds and mutual funds that pump money into the companies, the companies selling and buying their stocks, or the companies setting market prices? Guess what, all of them could be part of the financial institutions benefiting from the market manipulations caused by the speculative reports on the industry by the media.

So why does the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission let them do this? The FTC and SEC are supposed to be our government watchdogs protecting the public from unscrupulous financial manipulators. For two years the same financial sector was behind the unethical, immoral and often-illegal manipulation of the sub-prime mortgage markets as well which sent the USA into a catastrophic recession and certainly left millions of homeowners in foreclosure. Where were the federal regulators? Where are they today?

2. Mortgage Lenders – Vampires of the Golden Dream

Even though mortgage lenders can be owned, controlled or manipulated by the financial sector and banking institutions they are often set up independently until they finish preying on an unsuspecting public, having got caught using questionable practices (sub-prime loans for example), using heavy handed tactics, misleading consumers and initiating mortgage foreclosures.

When this happens the lenders now approaching bankruptcy get bought out by the financial and banking sectors that are seeking to acquire real estate property at far below the loan value. So losses are written off, property is acquired far below the loan value, new mortgages are written to resell or refinance the property, a few million people lose their homes due to foreclosures, and the financial institutions now have a new division with secure assets and credit worthy clients.

Of course we then lose sight of the fact illegal mortgages and unethical selling practices caused the bail out cycle to take place. Or that mortgage lenders, sales people, lawyers and credit rating firms were all players in this billion-dollar scam. That closing fees, collection fees and late fees have made someone millions of dollars at the expense of the hapless homeowners.

Finally even the government backed mortgage programs like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, (what great names for federal backed mortgage players), not to mention the long list of programs such as VA, Indian, Rural, Low Income and other federal mortgage and housing programs must be ever more vigilant to root out corruption, contract fixing, slipshod construction and repair work, inefficient heating and utilities and other problems that beset our federal and state housing efforts.

3. Credit Card Industry Standards, Fees and Collection Methods

Now this is an area of regulatory meltdown and benign neglect involving federal and state agencies ranging from the FTC to Congress, from the SEC to Justice Department. There is a body of law at both the state and federal levels that regulates these practices but no one seems to pay attention.

The issuance of credit cards through the mail and Internet and the proliferation of offers from credit card companies are astounding. The never-ending changes in interest rates charged, the justification for such changes, the explanation of such practices and the downright deception in consumer information is appalling and predatory.

Fees change constantly for ATM charges, handling, processing, vendor, fraud, security, and any other excuse to stick it to the consumer. Credit rating companies feed information to credit card companies and collection companies making the whole business of debt collection a financial windfall to lawyers, collection agencies, process servers and even the courts. Lies regarding the rights of the cardholder are overwhelming to most people, threatening to them and their credit, and fraught with heavy-handed tactics.

Simply stated there is no protection for people from getting the cards, understanding the changing fees, and especially getting caught in the late payment and collection process. Debts are written off yet collection efforts go full steam. When debts should be forgiven efforts are still made to scare the consumers into making payments. If we allow a credit card company to write off the bad debt, then why is the collection industry pursuing the poor consumer with no money? Why are the bad debts written off years before the debt is forgiven to the consumer?

Even the reforms by Obama and the Federal Reserve have not stopped the unethical practices nor halted efforts by these companies to further rip off the public.

4. Health Care Industry Cost, Insurance and Unnecessary Treatment

Just look at the facts and there is no doubt this system is broken. In 2006 we spent $2.1 trillion on health care, over $7,026 for every person in the USA, and it took over 16% of our Gross Domestic Product. That is 4.3 times more money than we spent on defense. The cost of health care increases at more than double the inflation rate annually.

At 16% of GDP we have the highest health care costs of any developed nation with the next highest being Switzerland 10.9%, Germany 10.7%, Canada 9.7% and France 9.5%. Americans spent one third more on health care than any of these nations, and while 50 million Americans do not have health insurance all of the citizens in the other nations mentioned receive health care. At our current pace we will be spending $4 trillion on health care in just 7 years, by 2015.

With the war in Iraq one might expect the cost of health care for veterans to be substantial as treatment in the war zone is far improved from earlier wars and for every death of a soldier there are 9 wounded soldiers that return home. Yet the cost of veteran’s health care drops to $5,000 per person, $2,000 less per year than civilians.

What is causing these statistical aberrations? Are we much sicker than citizens of the other nations? Is there a greater medical risk to civilians in America than our soldiers in Iraq? Why are 50 million Americans uninsured when all of the citizens of other nations receive health care?

We have Obama health care reform but we have no ability to control costs including drug costs, excessive testing, insurance premiums, medical malpractice, and unnecessary testing and treatment. So who is benefiting from the massive cost increases we were not supposed to get?

5. Pharmaceutical Industry Proliferation of Prescription Drugs

This can be short and sweet. In 2002 we spent $162 billion on prescription drugs and in 2006 we spent $217 billion on prescription drugs. One out of every five Americans takes 5 or more prescriptions per day. All Americans average 2.9 prescriptions per day. Our senior citizens, who are increasing very rapidly with the aging of the Baby Boomers, averaged $559 for prescriptions in 1992, $1,205 for prescriptions in 2000, and $1,912 in 2005 with spending expected to reach $2,805 in 2010. Recent surveys indicate it increased nearly $1,000 for brand name drugs in 2009 alone.

Every day it seems the health authorities announce yet another prescription drug that does not work, or whose long-term effects are determined to be more dangerous than expected. Yet every day it seems there are new prescriptions for new diseases. We live longer but spend far more. Kids are over-prescribed with Ritalin and other drugs. They are addicted to drugs they don’t even take raiding medicine cabinets for the new drug culture.

6. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Drug Approval Process

If drug prices in America have been rising almost five times as fast as inflation then the FDA must assume some of the responsibility as they are the regulatory agency charged with overseeing the over-the-counter and prescription drugs so abundant in our society.

The FDA new drug approval process with layers of clinical animal and human trials is the most costly, most lengthy and often most bizarre in terms of protocols and criteria for approval in the world. It is a process designed for the benefit of wealthy pharmaceutical companies, not for the small and independent research companies and laboratories.

Major pharmaceutical firms have managed to negotiate with FDA for new drug approval even if the drug extends the life expectancy of the patient by just 30 days. Yet when these products are sold to the public no one seems to mention they might only be good for 30 days at a cost of thousands of dollars.

Things have gotten so ridiculous in the approval process that television ads for the drug Celebrex contain so many warnings of side effects and drug interactions that the ad actually states “the FDA says the benefits may outweigh the risks” when taking it. Are they crazy? It might be safe to take it?

Human trials approved by FDA require a protocol where half of the patients are given a placebo rather than the drug so results taking the drug can be measured against a control group not taking the drug. Not a bad practice unless the drug is experimental and the disease is going to kill the patient.

For example, stage 3 cancer patients have weeks or months to live. At stage 3 any normal and extremely expensive treatment like chemo, radiation or surgery has already failed. When they are offered a chance to participate in an experiment that might save their life and the option is certain death you might think they would jump at the chance, but that is not the case.

Why would they sign up when only half the people will even receive the treatment, with the other half getting meaningless placebos? If they are in the half that gets the candy and not the drug they die. If they get the drug there is a chance they might live. When you are facing death there should not be a 50-50 chance you won’t get the treatment.

Other problems with the industry include their price gouging, opposition to generic drugs selling for much less, opposition to foreign drugs also selling for much less, payments to doctors for prescribing their drugs, and unsubstantiated claims regarding over-the-counter drugs like cough syrup which has been proven to do no good.

7. Agriculture – Food Testing, Ingredients and Source

You go to the grocery store, check the fresh meat, see something that looks nice and red and fresh and buy it. Or maybe you buy the chicken to fry up for dinner. Then again you might buy pet food for your favorite dog or cat. Now did anyone tell you fresh meat like beef should not be red? Did they tell you color dyes and carbon monoxide are used to give the cuts of meat that color and they are injected in the butcher shop?

Did they tell you the chicken was raised in a hen house and pumped with hormones, steroids and God knows what else to fatten it up for the slaughter? Did they tell you about everything you just bought included rendered animal parts?

Did they mention rendering plants use raw product including thousands of dead dogs and cats; heads and hooves from cattle, sheep, pigs and horses; whole skunks; rats and raccoons? Did they mention the millions of maggots swarming over the carcasses? Did they tell you the carcasses would be ground up and cooked to create batches of yellow grease, meal and bone meal, and that the meat and bone meal would be used as a source of protein and other nutrients in poultry, swine and pet foods?

That the animal fat is used as an “energy source” and millions of tons will be trucked to poultry ranches, cattle feed-lots, dairy and hog farms, fish-feed plants and pet-food manufacturers where it is mixed with other ingredients to feed the billions of animals that meat-eating humans, in turn, will eat.

When you look at the ingredient label and it says the meat included protein it sounds good but is that protein from the rendered carcasses and what are the health consequences of eating a standard diet of rendered byproduct? The deadly Mad Cow disease was caused by feeding rendered products to cattle.

8. Campaign Reform – Empty Promises and Empty Wallets

For the first time in our history the presidential campaign alone in 2008 is expected to cost over one billion dollars. Now that is a whole lot of money being spent to win a job that pays $400,000 a year and only lasts four years. One billion dollars spent to make $1,600,000 in four years. If that is the result of capitalism then we might have a problem.

Campaign reform has been talked about more and acted upon less than any other issue facing congress and the president. Political advertising costs are criminal. Some campaigns spend more money raising money than they do getting elected. Special interest groups give to candidates, give more to national political parties, more to state political parties and then spend money themselves to influence elections.

Over $1 billion was spent by Obama running for president and that can be changed if the president and congress have the guts. Paid ads can be stopped, special interest funding can be stopped, and a logical schedule for primaries can be held. Candidates can receive free media time since all the airways are government regulated. Voter registration can be increased.

There are about 226 million people eligible to vote in the USA and about 146 million are registered to vote. In 2008 about 125 million did vote for president. That means about 55% of the eligible voters participated in the last presidential election, a pretty weak total for the citadel of democracy in the world. That needs to be fixed. Require automatic voter registration with social security cards or drivers licenses if need be but get people back involved in the process. We can’t make people vote but we can make sure they have the opportunity to vote.
.

Sarah Palin puts Principles above Party in East Coast Primary Invasion

.

The voice from the Alaska wilderness has demonstrated to America that she puts principles above party, whether her own Republican party or the Tea Party that has embraced her. In a series of endorsements in races in Delaware, New Hampshire and Maryland Palin has again defied the liberal media by endorsing long shot candidates for Senate in Delaware, Senate in New Hampshire and Governor in Maryland.

Demonstrating that her principles guide her first and foremost Palin opposed the GOP candidate in Delaware, opposed the Tea Party candidate in New Hampshire, and the GOP in Maryland. Voters will determine if she was right, not the media or political parties.

Echoing criticism launched against her by the liberal media in almost every primary endorsement, in which the media claims if the Palin backed candidate wins the GOP will surely lose the general election race, Palin continues to rise above the procrastinators and is guided by her foundation of principles. So far Sarah seems to be the only person who connects with Main Street America.

Palin has demonstrated over and over again that her connection is with the voters, especially those who are disenfranchised by both political parties and who are swelling the rolls of the Independent movement in America. It is a fact the media has missed. Each time a Palin backed underdog won that person has gone on to launch a formidable campaign and is winning or competitive in the upcoming general election.

Tonight we shall find out if Palin Power again can trump her media detractors and give the people a role in the Midterm elections. If she is successful in backing winners tonight and November 2, then the media reporters, who claim to be objective while offering negative opinions on her impact, should resign. It will then be clear the media are attempting to influence the news, not report it.

.

Sarah Palin continues string of stunning upsets as America's #1 Political Outsider

.

In spite of the extensive and ongoing national and cable media efforts to sink Sarah's ship her candidates continue to shake the foundation of politics in America, control of politics by the national political parties, and the progressive liberal media's dying grasps to have a voice in the fall elections.

As the Palin touch brought down yet another incumbent previously declared the clear winner by the left, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Palin had endorsed long shot Joe Miller last June, he holds a clear lead with the majority of votes counted. While several thousand absentee votes remain to be counted, no major race has been decided this year by absentee votes in spite of the hesitation of the media to call the race.

The Palin juggernaut has stunned the political pundits and professional politicians of both parties and when combined with the huge Republican lead in total primary votes cast in state after state should foreshadow a massive Republican victory and setback for the progressive agenda in the fall elections.

Add to that the fact the Obama economic program has failed in spite of efforts by Administration talking heads to plea for patience, the public shows no mood for patience when jobs are stagnate, the future looks bleak, the cause for the economic crisis, housing, has continued to undermine the American dream and the Obama deficit continues to dwarf the Bush years.

If the progressives and liberal media continue their two year coordinated campaign to destroy Palin they are in danger of creating a voter backlash that could well leave liberals an endangered species. Each time the left elite try to end the career of the new American candidates they fail. From the New Jersey and Massachusetts races long ago to Rand Paul in Kentucky, Nikki Haley in South Carolina to Joe Miller yesterday, just when the liberals pronounce them dead on arrival they win.

Even the races lost by the populist candidates, particularly those backed by Palin, have been far closer than the polls indicated and might have been won on recounts in some cases. People are really upset and the media still doesn't get it. One day the pundits who are consistently dead wrong may finally get it, like when they no longer know any politicians in Washington.
.

Outside the Beltway - The People's View - Colorado Primary

.

A new feature of the Coltons Point Times is local election analysis from local people who are not partisan hacks. These are real people far removed from the Washington beltway.

Our first analyst is Ed O'Connor from Northern Colorado and his analysis was given just before the primary yesterday. Ed was one of the record setting Colorado voters to vote by mail. He is a retired fighter pilot from the Air Force and retired commercial pilot from Northwest Airlines.

All photos are from Ed and the plane is one he built and flies throughout the country.

His analysis and predictions follow:

Hey Jim: I live in Weld County, a very conservative area of Colorado. Did I mention we have a lot of water that Denver wants here in Colorado.


From a political viewpoint, just about everyone I associate with is conservative and a Republican and is pretty unhappy with the present congress, the President and the state officials. That being said:


The Republicans have a golden opportunity to gain back some of the losses from the last election but as usual, egos and money have really screwed things up. Not to mention some charges made against the candidates for Governor and Ken Bucks inability to realize he is never off the record when he speaks.


I am a big believer in Party trumps individuals in a two party political system. There is no substitute for being in the majority. If your party is not in control of the majority you really have nothing. You do not control the agenda, the committees, the bills nor the votes. So it really pisses me off to see the Republicans blow an opportunity to take back the statehouse. Ritter has been a disaster to the state.


I listen to these politicians make statements that if they are elected they will do certain things which any one with a brain knows that unless they are in the majority, they stand no chance to accomplish any of what they say.

So I fail to understand people like Trancedo who just make it more difficult to gain a conservative majority in the state regardless of who it is.


At present, I think Ken Buck (who is from Weld CO) will win the Republican Senate race and will beat any Democrat running, Bennett, or Romanoff.


The Governors race is harder to call because of the Republican bickering, Trancedo in the race who draws all of his support from Republicans. As of now Hickenlooper looks like he may win because of the split vote for the Republican or Constitutional Party Candidate


And I think Markey will be defeated as no one in this district is happy with her except the Democrats and this is a Republican district.


Of course I have been wrong in the past so who knows.

[Note from Publisher - Results showed Ken Buck did win as Ed projected. He will oppose Bennet in the general election. Ed said it was too close to call the GOP governor's race and with most precincts reporting the race between Maes and McInnis is 50% each with Maes, the surprise outsider, about 3,000 votes ahead. It looks like it is headed for a recount. Ed is right again. His final predictions about Hickenlooper and Markey concern the general election and will not be known until November 2. Way to go Ed - a perfect record so far!]

.

Obama Silent as NAACP Sparks Polarization and Sarah Palin says Let's End Divisive Language

.


The NAACP called the Tea Party racists in order to bring attention to their fading image and only Sarah Palin among all the politicians in America including President Obama called for an end to such divisive language by the Civil Rights group and all other groups in America.

Ironically, only the outsider Palin spoke up for the people of America and the cause of ending the legacy of racism which Ronald Reagan first championed. It seems the Democrats and Republicans currently in office were content to let the ridiculous charges by the NAACP go unchallenged. Perhaps they want the polarization as their silence would indicate but their failure to join Palin and calling for an end to it along with the media efforts to imply this is Palin speaking only for the Tea Party when she is truly speaking for any fair minded American shows weakness by politicians, not strength.



Since the media will only focus on sound bites I am presenting Sarah Palin's entire message which the news media will not give you because they are not about to do anything to show that her understanding and compassion reflects the mood of America. How long they will continue to favor the beltway view of America and not the Main Street reality is not known, but sharing the entire context of what she said will allow you to understand.

Sarah Palin's Facebook Statement:

The Charge of Racism: It’s Time to Bury the Divisive Politics of the Past

I am saddened by the NAACP’s claim that patriotic Americans who stand up for the United States of America’s Constitutional rights are somehow “racists.” The charge that Tea Party Americans judge people by the color of their skin is false, appalling, and is a regressive and diversionary tactic to change the subject at hand.



President Reagan called America’s past racism “a legacy of evil” against which we have seen the long struggle of minority citizens for equal rights. He condemned any sort of racism, as all good and decent people do today. He also called it a “point of pride for all Americans” that as a nation, we have successfully struggled to overcome this evil. Reagan rightly declared that “there is no room for racism, anti-Semitism, or other forms of ethnic and racial hatred in this country,” and he warned that we must never go back to the racism of our past.

His words rang especially true in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 presidential election. It seemed that with the election of our first black president, our country had become a new “post-racial” society. As one writer in the Washington Post stated: “[Barack Obama’s] election isn’t just about a black president. It’s about a new America. The days of confrontational identity politics have come to an end.”



We, as a united people, applauded that sentiment. We were proud of that progress. That’s why it is so sad to see that 18 months later, the NAACP is once again using the divisive language of the past to unfairly accuse the Tea Party movement of harboring “racist elements.”

Having been on the receiving end of a similar spurious charge of racism (in a recent frivolous lawsuit which was finally dismissed by a federal judge), I know how Tea Party Americans feel to be falsely accused. To be unjustly accused of association with what Reagan so aptly called that “legacy of evil” is a traumatizing experience, and one of which the honest, freedom-loving patriots of the Tea Party movement are truly undeserving.

On this subject, I can recommend the statement issued by a man I was proud to endorse, Tim Scott, the GOP candidate from South Carolina’s First Congressional District. Tim, poised to become the first African-American Republican Congressman from the former Confederacy since Reconstruction, is himself a sign of a hopeful, truly post-racial future for our country. It gives added meaning to his warning that “the NAACP is making a grave mistake in stereotyping a diverse group of Americans who care deeply about their country and who contribute their time, energy and resources to make a difference.”

The only purpose of such an unfair accusation of racism is to dissuade good Americans from joining the Tea Party movement or listening to the common sense message of Tea Party Americans who simply want government to abide by our Constitution, live within its means, and not borrow and spend away our children’s futures. Red and yellow, black and white, this message is precious in all our sights. All decent Americans abhor racism. No one wants to be associated with any organization that is in any way racist in sentiment or origin. I certainly don’t want to be. Thankfully, the Tea Party movement is not racist or motivated by racism. It is motivated by love of country and all that is good and honest about our proud and diverse nation.



Like President Reagan, Tea Party Americans believe that “the glory of this land has been its capacity for transcending the moral evils of our past.” Isn’t it time we put aside the divisive politics of the past once and for all and celebrate the fact that neither race nor gender is any longer a barrier to achieving success in America – even in achieving the highest office in the land?

I just spent a few beautiful Alaskan days with some beautiful Americans in my husband’s birthplace – they are Todd’s family and they are Yupik Eskimo. In the decades that our families have blended, I have never heard one proud, patriotic member judge another member based on skin color. Both Todd and I were raised to measure a person according to their capacity and willingness to love, work, forgive, contribute, and show good character. We’re joined by the vast majority of Americans in this belief whereby we measure a man by his character, not his color. Because of amazing efforts and accomplishments by those who came before my generation, it is foreign to us to consider condemning or condoning anyone’s actions based on race or gender. Being with our diverse family in a melting pot that is a Native village just days ago reminded me of that.

So to leave that remote village and return back to “modern civilization” only to hear of the NAACP’s resolution today suggesting that we Tea Party Americans don’t respect equality makes me sad for those who choose to divide these great United States. It is time to end the divisive politics.

-- Sarah Palin

.

Obama's still got the Wailin' Palin Blues as the Polls Show Sarah has Caught Him Again!

.


If you listened to mainstream media you would think Sarah Palin is the pariah of the midterm elections and that the Tea Party is almost non-existent. Yet when Sarah has endorsed and campaigned for a candidate her picks just keep winning, especially female candidates. The political pundits seem to be surprised to learn the people out on Main Street America believe no Washington politician is a good politician. They even seem surprised that Palin will endorse candidates though her pick is often at odds with the Republican party favorite.



It is almost as if the media and Obama believe the sun rises and sets on our two political parties, though polls show both have no credibility to the voters. Time and again in this election cycle the people have gone against one or both parties to elect or nominate underdogs, in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina, and other races. Still the Washington political elite don't get it.

People are fed up with politicians, with spending, with deficits, with campaign funds, with conflicts of interest, with Obama blaming Bush for everything, and with all the self-serving actions being taken in Congress. Of course the experts can spin away all the bad news as long as the people are not paying attention, but when they do look out!



That is where Obama, the Obama gang from Chicago, the Washington politicians, the political party machines and the special interests who control our nation's capitol are failing to hear the people. And that is where Sarah Palin has staked her claim as a spokesperson for the disenfranchised and silent majority of Americans.



If Palin was insignificant on the national political scene as Obama, the Democrats and the liberal media try to prove, why do they spend more time commenting about or covering Sarah than any other politician except Obama? She isn't even holding office or a party leadership position.

Not a day goes by that the liberal media doesn't try to make Palin look bad going so far as to induce her son-in-law to tell lies about the Palin family which he recently admitted. Whenever any poll that shows Palin in a negative light comes out it is shouted from the media castles in NYC to Washington, DC to further prove she is not a legitimate factor in this election year.



To her credit, Sarah Palin, a journalism graduate from college, knows better than to debate the politicians in our capitol. She takes her message straight to the people on Main Street America and in spite of what the media and Obama gang say, Obama is still wailin' about Palin.



While the liberals continue to downplay her successes, undermine her credibility and dismiss her influence, Sarah continues to raise more money than any other non-office holder in either party, help more candidates than Obama, and endear herself to middle America stronger by the day.

You never hear the media, Democrats or Obama administration talk about anything good Palin has done or said, even though Obama himself, a serious Palin basher, has stolen some of her proposals and policies for implementation. But the real truth is in the polling numbers from Main Street America.



Right now in national polls Palin and Obama have almost identical poll numbers. Obama's favorable rating has slipped 19 percentage points in the past year while Palin's have consistently gone up. Most recent polls show Obama with a 43-44% favorable rating while VP Biden has a 26% favorable rating. Sarah Palin has a 40-41% favorable rating as a political figure and she doesn't even hold a political office and is not running for anything right now.

On the negative side Obama and Biden have 48% disapproval, their highest negative numbers since being elected. Palin has about 50-51% negative which means Obama, Biden and Palin all are within the margin of error for the polls so they are virtually tied.



What has Obama wailin' about Palin is the public opinion on the issues and policies. Palin opposes Obama on the Arizona Immigration law and the federal efforts to block enforcement of the law. Most recent national polls show 61% of the public support Arizona's law while 56% of the public oppose Obama's efforts to block the law. Palin stands with Main Street America, Obama does not.



In issue after issue Palin agrees with the national mood of the electorate whether it is offshore oil drilling, a drilling moratorium, opposition to bailouts and stimulus, balancing the national budget, eliminating the national debt, creating a sensible comprehensive energy policy, even health care reform, yet the media tries to paint her as far outside the mainstream of American politics. They are fools.



Sarah Palin knows the pulse of America and is the only person fighting for the people against the political establishment and media manipulators. She could care less what Obama and his minions have to say because they are totally disconnected from the American public. There is no way intellectual and academic elitists like Obama will ever understand the electorate because they will always believe they know what is best for the people and the people are not smart enough to figure things out for themselves.

Arrogance and ego are the biggest sins a politician can commit and Obama has demonstrated over and over these are lessons he does not understand. Palin, who worked her way up from local government to state government as a chief executive and held her own in the national spotlight, has now demonstrated it is she, not Obama, who speak for the people.



Her self-deprecating sense of humor, being able to laugh at herself and all the vicious rumors, has won over more and more people along the way. She is a mother, has a son who served in Iraq, is a patriot yet defends our right to bear arms, hunt and fish, and exercise our Constitutional freedoms. She has a handicapped child, has faced the same problems as us as a parent, and lived under the floodlights of the national media in a fish bowl with no complaints.



As liberals thought she was dead and buried over and over again Palin ignored them and put herself in the national spotlight by championing Main Street America. While Obama relies on Wall Street and a host of special interests to keep the campaign cash flowing Palin is raising far more money from the people to stop the influence of Wall Street and special interests who are being protected by Obama and Congress.

Obama was obsessed with the spotlight given to Palin during the presidential campaign spending as much time and attention running against her as he spent against his opponent McCain. Since being elected and since she resigned as governor he continues to be obsessed with Palin. His obsession has cost him nearly a quarter of his personal popularity while at the same time Palin has gained more than a quarter in popularity in spite of the attacks by the liberal media and Obama gang.

With four months until the election, she has chalked up victory after victory while Obama has lost the major races noted previously and is stunned that many Democrats don't even want him to campaign in their states. Oh yes, Obama's got the Wailin' Palin Blues and it may be time to bring the song back as written and performed by the John Galt Band and update it for the new election cycle. It goes something like this: