Campaign 2010 - Economy Poised to Take off if Republicans Win Big

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One of the realities of economics is a favorable (Conservative) Congress can always trump an unfavorable (Liberal) president and never is that more obvious than in the 2010 midterm elections. Obama has clearly staked his claim as the enemy of the business community, big and small business, with harsh anti-business and class polarization rhetoric and a Progressive agenda threatening income redistribution and regulatory interference in a broad range of business interests.

Anyone wanting to send a message to Washington need only vote Republican and the extent of GOP wins will dictate the extent of the positive economic bounce that may result in the stock market and throughout the business community. Seldom, if ever, has a sitting president run against the entire scope of the broad based business community that fuels the American economy.

Perhaps Obama had no choice because he relied on the far left and self-serving special interests to get elected in the first place in 2008 and as feeble as his efforts were to take care of the unions, health care industries like insurers and pharmaceutical giants, and the housing industry, he built a base of special interests with diametrically opposed agendas.

Whatever he did to help his Goldman Sachs base hurt his SEIU union base. His efforts to protect the union health care plans while trying to appease the health care industry left him with a phony health care reform that may extend coverage to the uninsured at some point, but assured the health care industry they could raise prices and premiums to cover any loss. By guaranteeing that unions could keep their Cadillac high cost plans he assured future health care would drive up prices for all Americans.

As for his so called economic reforms, his highly heralded economic reform program did not even touch the housing industry which brought down the economy in the first place. His hundreds of millions of dollar contributors from Wall Street not only did not even get a slap on the wrist, they got federal bailouts and record bonuses since Obama was elected.

To protect his contributors to the most expensive presidential campaign in history in which Obama and the Democrats spent well over ONE BILLION DOLLARS to get him elected, he had to create a straw dog to blame for his failure to keep unemployment under 8%, his promise not mine, in order to get his TRILLION DOLLAR non-stimulus bill passed. Thus the Republicans and Bush became the enemy.

Certain truths have been conveniently obscured by our young president and he seems convinced the people of Main Street America are too stupid see through the political smoke screen. He cannot deliver on his promises to his own liberal base because the nation and the world are rejecting the folly of a liberal nation dominating the world. Unfortunately someone has to pay for the socialist agenda and it won't be the socialists who claim to be entitled to cradle to grave care from the government.

Every socialist experiment in the world in which there is no capitalist base to pay for the program has failed, pure and simple. Nearly every country in Europe has had to elect a conservative government to undertake the painful budget and deficit reforms needed to save the nations from bankruptcy while gutting the liberal promises previously made.

At the same time, Obama has run against the Bush and Republican record the 8 years before he got elected and forgets to mention the Democrats under Pelosi, not the Republicans, controlled the House the last two Bush years and approved the record deficits. During the entire 8 years many Democrats had to vote with the GOP in order for the depending to happen. In fact during the entire Bush years Republicans never had control like Obama did the last two years with huge majorities in the House and Senate, yet Bush always got the Democrats to approve his budgets and deficits and never whined about the Democrat minority or majority blocking progress.

A whole lot of misinformation has been thrown at the electorate in this, the worst year in campaigns in ages. It is a testament to the fact Obama made no effort to reform the campaign laws that give special interests more control than citizens and give campaign funds more importance than citizen needs. He owned the national agenda and made NO effort to fix the corrupt campaign mess we are in.

So we shall see to what extent the people were fooled by the politicians like Obama who has now taken his rightful place among the political establishment he is so quick to condemn. As I said, the stronger the Republican vote against the Obama agenda the stronger the recovery of the economy and the return to bi-partisan cooperation to solve our problems.
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Obamaville October 22 - Our Elitist President can't help being Elitist but That's Okay

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Every time the Obama's almost convince us they are just like us common people they go and do something to prove they are not. Call it political naivety or stupidity, once an elitist always an elitist. You will never find Willie Nelson performing in the White House when pop stars like the Jonas brothers (for the Obama daughters) or Beyonce are available. Michelle's idea of catching a show is flying to NYC for a Broadway Production.

On his current campaign swing Barack again demonstrated his propensity for rock star elitism when he decided to show his concern for Main Street America and the small business community that powers our national economy by having a private meeting with the rock star of the mega-corporate world Steven Jobs, founder and CEO of Apple Corporation, the 2nd largest corporation in America.

It seems a key qualification for a business person to get a personal meeting with the people's president is to be a member of the billionaires club like Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Steven Jobs. Hardly Main Street's idea of the common folk but when you are an Ivy League elitist you tend to have a different view of yourself and who should be in your presence I guess.

Make no mistake, Steven Jobs is legendary in the business world and is most certainly the top rock star of the billionaires club but in the midst of the final days of campaigning couldn't our president just once have a meeting with a corporate leader who represents the Made In America by American Workers goal we all want to promote, including our wayward president? I mean Apple has more Chinese employees in China than any other American company?

If I were an elitist and I had their money Jobs would be on my short list as well but why doesn't our president meet with a real American company CEO that epitomizes the Made In America by Americans we all want to see? Obama need look no further than his own state of Illinois for the perfect example, Caterpillar Corporation.

Caterpillar makes heavy equipment in America crucial to construction and mining operations around the world. It is one of the largest exporter of America goods overseas. In spite of the worldwide recession Caterpillar has increased their American manufacturing work force by over 7,500 employees in the last year and significantly increased export sales overseas which helps our balance of trade deficit. I guess it is too much to ask that an elitist president jump in the cab of an earth moving Cat from his home state when he can sip a latté in Silicon Valley with a billionaire.

We love you Obama because you are our president but be honest about yourself when your media people try to paint you as a commoner. John Kennedy never had to distort his Ivy League image to win our love because he knew even Ivy Leaguers can show concern and compassion for everyone and be real.

Barack and Michelle spent the last two years saying one thing and doing another. That does not sit well with the public and only makes you hypocrites. You say Michelle won't campaign then send her out to do million dollar political events. She spends a day on the Gulf Coast and a week at a Southern Spanish resort on vacation.

It's okay for our president to be a little elitist, we expect our president to be a little special. But do it with the style and class of a Kennedy, acknowledge you are different, but be the friend and advocate of Main Street America, along with rubbing shoulders with the billionaires club.
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Inside Political Campaigns - Why Election Eve Polls are so Wrong

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If the hundreds of polls being taken across the nation are scientific based, why are they so wrong on election day? The answer to this rather complex question is oftentimes simple as we watch the election day results and wonder how the different polls could be so far off the target. To understand the two principle deviations in polling results, one being over or underestimating the margin of victory, the second being the failure to anticipate the party impact, we must examine a number of factors.

First is the source of the polls. No matter what anyone says, any poll can distort results with some minor and seemingly insignificant actions. For example, those favoring one party over the other may inject bias with the language of the question. Questions can be deliberately designed to influence the answer by the language used.

For example, if you ask if someone likes President Obama most all Americans want to like our president and give them the benefit of the doubt. The media never portrays it that way but Americans not want their president to fail. But if you ask them if they are happy with the success of President Obama in making your life better, you will get a far different and better picture of public perception.

Any poll that is publicly published will either provide a biased view or sanitize the information to give more generic answers. It is the unpublished, insider polls that are closer to the truth and they will never be made public during an election. Most election strategy and all election media spending (advertising) is based on these secret polls. They have no interest in sharing their secrets with the media or opposition.

If you hear the president, the Democratic or Republican spokespeople or candidates talk about the public polls, which they do most of the time, you can discount the statement on partisan grounds. It is the insider daily tracking polls that tell the true story.

In order for any poll to really be accurate it must sort the sample by Democrats, Republicans and Independents which most don't. Then registered voters. Those who actually vote in off year elections which few polls ever track. And then it must be adjusted for turnout based on the motivation of the voters. Right now the Republican turnout should be about a third higher than Democrat as half of the Democrats are not satisfied with the president.

Add to that the fact traditional Democrat groups are not motivated. Then consider that the Independents who actually elected Obama have deserted him in huge numbers meaning about half of them have no party loyalty, which is not bad thing after the job both parties have done lately, so they will likely vote GOP in protest.

With 12 days to go not much will change as most people have already made up their minds. The economy is stuck until the GOP wins when you will see a significant improvement in the economy followed by improvement in the jobs picture because small businesses will know Obama cannot bury them in new taxes and regulations.

My advice, hang on to your hats as the politicians will get off one long blast of hot air in debates, commercials and appearances. When the smoke clears the people will speak and a new agenda will finally start to materialize to set us on the road to recovery, hopefully with a lot of new faces. Just 12 more days and people can start telling the truth again.
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Palin Powers Tea Party Express to Capture the Votes of America

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As we finally head into the last 14 days of the election campaign Sarah Palin helped launch the final Tea Party Express cross country tour to help candidates as the election comes to a close. The New York Times says there are 129 Tea Party candidates running for the House and 9 running for the Senate. Of these, 33 House seats and 9 Senate seats have competitive Tea Party candidates, although less liberal groups believe far more seats may be in play. Beyond that there are a number of Tea Party candidates in the governor races, state legislatures, and even local offices.

Be that as it may, Palin and the Tea Party have written a new chapter in American political history with the first formidable launch of a movement that has a chance to evolve into a bona fide political third party. There has simply been nothing like it the past century in America.

It is true Ross Perot, who should be considered the Godfather of the Tea Party movement, did capture 19% of the vote in 1992 as a third party candidate but his efforts to form a defined political party did not succeed. Perot did, however, cost George Bush, Sr. his re-election as president. He also planted the seeds of discontent and provided a roadmap for future attempts to challenge the two party stranglehold on the American political process.

So far the Tea Party has organized as a series of independent groups, sort of a loose confederation, and has mastered much of the art of politics as seen by some stunning primary upsets. Within just a year they have demonstrated they are fearless, have weathered withering attacks by the left leaning media, the president and vice president, the congressional leadership, and the party spokespeople, while developing an ability to raise substantial money for campaigns.

In short, Sarah Palin and others give a face and a voice to the millions of disgruntled, disappointed, disgusted and determined citizens who have had enough government, deficit spending, increasing national debt and political double talk. Come November 3 we may find out just how much of an impact the silent voices of frustrated Americans might have earned.

It is clear in this election cycle the Republicans will be the primary beneficiary of the Tea Party movement because the GOP is the opposition to Obama and his left leaning agenda. But it is not clear that the Republicans can count on the long term support of the Tea Party, like into the 2012 elections.  First and foremost, remember, they are Independents.

To the true Tea Party members neither political party offers much hope as they are equally responsible for being part of the old political establishment in our capitol. If the Tea Party stays with the Republicans it will only be because the GOP has changed for the better and is going to start practicing what they preach.

If they don't, look for the rise of a real third party challenge to our two party system.

There is one potential danger to the Tea Party solidarity should they decide to organize a challenge to the two party system. The only way the Tea Party could function as a national party is if they keep their platform and agenda focused on the priorities of limiting the size of government, eliminating pork barrel and deficit spending, and reducing the national debt.

Once you stray beyond the issues of economics or governmental powers, where the Tea Party members are united, and you get to the far more explosive social issues like abortion, prolife, gay rights, and many others, you begin to see the problem.

Many in the Tea Party want to adopt an expanded list of principles including social hot buttons, and then be uncompromising when pursuing them in congress and the White House. There are Tea Party members who are on both sides of most social issues. The passion for some of the causes is such they could never agree on a position. That is the long term dilemma facing Palin and the Tea Party.

They must find a way to unite as "outsiders" to fight the system while maintaining their own individual loyalty to certain causes not all will accept. If the GOP cannot find a way to accommodate these new advocates of the people, they will find another vehicle to mobilize around in the next election cycle, when Obama, the real threat to the Tea Party movement, is up for re-election.
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Inside Political Campaigns - Who Wins in Elections Too Close To Call?

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No one can claim to have all the answers when it comes to campaign strategy but experience in local, state and federal elections can give one a perspective that helps them see the light, sometimes. Over the years I have been involved in many capacities in campaigns for Republicans, Democrats and Independents in partisan and non-partisan races.

From local city council to county commissioner, small to big city mayors races, governors, congressmen, senators and presidents and when it comes to a race too close to call, there are two elements that will often tip the race to one candidate or the other. First the absentee ballot effort can provide the winning margin and it takes place before the first vote election day. Second is the strength of the get out the vote effort by the campaign.

Many of the unsung heroes of political campaigns are the volunteers who man the phones and do the leg work for campaigns. These are the people who diligently and patiently must take the often shabby records of the voting history from the election office and build lists that often can win or lose elections.

You see, as the lists of primary and general election voters, turnout during presidential and off-year elections and degree of enthusiasm of the voters are checked, cross checked, and analyzed during the campaign, they become the basis for planning the absentee and get out the vote strategies in the final days of the campaign.

A good campaign will never rely solely on media to win. If it is close, the ground campaign, those efforts that bring the campaign in direct contact with voters, can often provide the winning margin. The thousands of hours of voter research and analysis form the basis for the strategy to be implemented.

Most absentee voter ballots are distributed 2-4 weeks before the election. They have to be requested by the voter in most states. When a list of potentially favorable voters is identified the campaign must find out if they need to vote absentee because if they are disabled or out of town election day that vote might be lost. So the campaign must identify who needs absentee ballots, get them to the voter, and get them sent back in to be counted. In some races there are thousands of absentee votes cast and it can be the difference in the election.

On election day weather can be a huge factor in voting. Highly motivated voters will turn out rain or shine and that gives the Republican and Tea party candidates a big advantage. Right now all polls show the Democrats are not enthusiastic. The campaigns and political parties must make sure their supporters get to the polls to vote rain or shine and that takes a major organizational effort to achieve. If you do not do the massive research in advance it cannot be successful.

Watch the campaigns in the too close to call elections. If they had the foresight to use the time tested techniques of mounting major absentee and get out the vote campaigns, they should win the tightly contested races. It takes planning, knowledge of campaigns and money to support the effort but it is often the best money spent during the campaign.

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Shades of Nixon's Watergate psyche as Obama, Biden & Axelrod Flail at GOP Straw Dogs in Obama's Watergate

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Like many Americans I lived through the Watergate era and it was a sad time in our nation's political history when a paranoid president and his team was so obsessed with foreign money being given to the Democratic party to oppose the incumbent president that evil possessed the president and they went on to violate law after law before the straw dog collapsed as do most straw dogs and the president and his palace guard were disgraced and thrown from the highest office in the land.

It was 38 years ago when the political paranoia overwhelmed the White House and the Watergate was the outcome. There was the paranoid Republican president, Nixon, his top defender Haldeman, and his political operative Erlichman. The target was the foreign money pouring into the Democratic party to beat Nixon through Democratic operative Lawrence O'Brien.

Today we have a complete role reversal as Obama (Nixon) is raising the charges of foreign money pouring into the Republican coffers to defeat him, while Biden (Haldeman) is running around the country screaming foul about the foreign money for his boss, Axelrod (Erlichman) goes on national TV to denounce the foreign money and all three targeted GOP operative Carl Rove (O'Brien) as the villain.

Just like Watergate 38 years ago, the charges of foreign money influencing the election in 2010, this time by the Republicans unlike Watergate when the Democrats got the money, are baseless, senseless political drama and those feeding lies into the national debate deserve the same fate as the perpetrators of the Watergate.

Democrats should be just as disgusted as the Republicans and Independents by the insane charges and mudslinging by the highest office holders in the land and Obama, Biden and Axelrod should be shamed that they have resorted to Watergate tactics in a selfish and arrogant attempt to con the American voter and public opinion.
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Obamaville October 11 - Is the President an Ivy League Spoiled Brat?

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Never thought I would write such a headline and especially when I was one of the millions of Americans who hoped our first African American president would be successful. Like most Americans, I knew our political system was broken two years ago.

When Obama got elected I waited patiently while he learned firsthand the difficulty of being president and commander in chief. More than anything else I wanted him to start the healing process of the nation like he promised, and focus on the immediate national problems we faced like jobs, the economy, the deficit and unemployment.

I'm still waiting. Obama has proven to be more like an old style politician than any shining light for the future. Along the way he has not only forsaken healing the country but has actually increased the political polarization and class warfare undermining our political system.

On the campaign trail this fall he acts like an embittered candidate for office rather than the incumbent. His strategy of blaming Bush and Republicans for all his woes defies logic and reflects ignorance of the facts. At times he acts like a spoiled Ivy League kid whose integrity has been questioned.

In response he attacks with less logic and more bitterness making idiotic claims with no substantiation designed to divert attention from his dismal performance and lack of leadership. At what point, I wonder, did Obama lose sight of the fact he is the president of all the people. Since when were our presidents above criticism, especially when there are so many things to criticize.

The lies and attacks he and his gang spout on the campaign trail are unbecoming the leader of the western world and are making a mockery of the prestige of the office of president. Even he liberal media are tiring of his whining as the New York Times said there is no proof or evidence that foreign money is being funneled into the midterm campaigns of the dastardly Republicans as Obama and Axelrod, his resident hit man, have claimed.

You would think after all the finishing schools he completed he would have learned how to take criticism, how to take responsibility for his actions, and how to act like a man and president rather than a spoiled brat. Mr. President, stop campaigning. It is becoming an embarrassment to you and the nation. Our leaders have always risen above partisan politics, isn't it about time you start acting like a leader and lead instead of tearing us apart. Give us a president we can be proud to call our own.
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Obamaville October 8 - Dismal Jobs Report Sink Democrats election Hopes

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As Obama continues crisscrossing the country raising millions of special interest dollars to prop up failing Democrats campaigns Obama continues to blame everyone but his own policies for the failure to stimulate the struggling economy.

The truth is his cerebral approach to lecturing the public and his lack of any plan for the long term economic recovery has failed and everyone but the White House knows it. With the unemployment rate hovering at an astounding 10% after two years of Obama leadership, there is simply no recognition of the problem and no grasp of the solution forthcoming from the president.

Small business in America and big business as well are not going to create jobs when the Obama social programs hang a threat of massive new federal regulations, higher health care and pension costs, and a higher cost to borrow money.

In short, the Obama strategy of passing so called reform programs with massive new government regulatory requirements and benefits not scheduled until far into the future is not a plan but a shell game of delaying increased costs and lost benefits until sometime in the future. Obama is playing Russian roulette with the future of our country and the people will not stand for it.

Throw them out - throw them all out!

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Harry Reid Plays Politics and Gets Burned using American Soldiers as Pawns

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In one of the dumbest acts ever seen by a leader of the Senate, Democrat leader Harry Reid put his own re-election above the interests of America's fighting forces in Afghanistan and Iraq by loading a Defense Appropriation bill with social issues including the Don't Ask Don't Tell gay policy change for the military and illegal immigration amnesty, both extremely controversial to most Americans. To add insult to injury he denied Republicans the right to attempt to amend the massive bill or eliminate the unrelated social changes.

Now Harry is locked in a tough election campaign and the amnesty would directly help him but most of America is firmly opposed to it. This type of politics as usual and backroom deal making is why the Democrats are sinking into oblivion and why the Tea Party has become a dominant force in politics.

By the way, in spite of liberal media attempts to paint the vote as Republican obstructionism two Democratic Arkansas Senators voted against it meaning Democrats and Republicans blocked this travesty.  One need look no further than today's headlines to see why Americans are demanding change again, this time change that works.
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Carter: 'Probably superior' to other ex-presidents

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The headline said it all as President Carter again showed that fellow Democrats are a president's worst friends.  Once again, as Obama was getting preferential treatment from NBC and MSNBC with a special televised economic town hall to demonstrate his concern for the horrible economic conditions leading into the Midterm elections yet another Democrat knocked him off the front pages and this time it was Carter declaring he was a "superior" ex-president to all the other ex-presidents.

After 40 years he still can't get over being walloped by Reagan in the 1980 campaign so in order to hype his new book proving he is a legend in his own eyes the loyal liberal network gave him a break and he took it and completely undermined Obama's effort to focus attention on the economy for the struggling Democratic candidates trying to get re-elected in a time of excessive inertia.

Of course if I had been the victim of the man-eating rabbit attack when I was president and had to fight off the rabbit with a boat oar, I guess I would want to focus on accomplishments after I was president.  Still, the highlight of his one term was the infamous rabbit attack as reported at the time.

Between fighting off the rabbit, attacking Ted Kennedy for blocking Carter healthh care, and trashing the ex-presidents Democrat and Republican alike, Carter has truly established his place in huistory.  At least he knocked Christine O'onnell off the front pages for a day.

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Obamaville September 20

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CNBC Spotlight Town Hall for Obama

In their continuing effort to prop up the favorite son of NBC the CNBC financial affiliate had a special town hall for President Obama today with 200 invited guests to give him a chance to reassure the American business community that he really loves private enterprise.

Unfortunately, it was more of the same in terms of his distancing from the business community, his failure to offer any new hope for business initiatives, his detemination to raise taxes on the wealthy even if they could create more jobs, his uncompromising attitude toward the Republicans and his failure to connect with the 15 million out of work in America.

To his credit he didn't bash Bush by name, didn't mention John Boehnerr by name, he didn't trash Christrine O'Donnell for winning the Delaware GOP Senate race, and didn't use a telepromptor.  Those in the business community expecting to hear any new policies for getting us out of the economic quagmire were ignored as well as anyone expecting him to take the opportuity to give us hope for the future.

In the end the election outlook didn't change. The Democrats are still on track to get pounded.



Liberals Careful to Show Bad side of 'Donnell

The liberal media cannot resist the chance to make Christine O'Donnell look bad and badder even using the worst photos possible to show her.  These are the two favorite photos used by MSNBC and other liberal media outlets.

These are photos they could have shown us.  Notice any difference?

As for the story lines, they have shifted from O'Donnell high school appearances talking about sexual abstinence to more than decades old interviews talking about witchcraft.  Now one might ask what 10-15 year old interviews with a kid have to do with that same person running for the Senate today?

MSNBC and their Morning Joes show is particularly adept at trying to make what happened years ago relevant to today but if they were fair they might tell us about the relevance of Clinton and Monica Lewinsky to today or what the unfortunate death of a congressional aide in Joe Scarborough's office about the same time he resigned from Congress had to do with today.  Stop playing games and promoting smear campaigns lest you find yourself on the receiving end yourselves.    

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