2012 Election

We have recent developements in the GOP that lead me to believe that the time is near for a third party. There are a number of candidates who have broken with the leadership over ideological differences. There are a number of moderate republicans who have grown disenchanted by the growing popularity of populist social conservatives that are polarizing the party. Sara Palin and Michele Bachmann have swung the party to the right and there is less and less room for many who although firm in their fiscal conservatism, are not so keen on the social issues. These republicans are typically in the coasts and they do not appreciate the intervention of party leaders in their local races. Dede Scozzafava just pulled out of her race in New York after some in her party endorsed Douglas Hoffman, a conservative. It is time for the centrists to form a party of common sense. A party that embraces most of the people I know.

Healthcare Reform

How is it that the Democratic Party has lost the PR war for health care reform? Once again, the Republicans win because they are able to dumb down the message to appeal to the masses. Meanwhile the Democrats are forced to use full paragraphs to explain their proposals. It is time that we climb down from our intellectual high horse and begin to explain these issues in terms Bubba can understand. We were subjected to eight years of W's abuses because he found a way to appeal to this constituency. Bubba does not want to hear condescending easterners tell them whats best for them. So lets dumb down the message so that the Senate feels the pressure to pass this reform:

So Bubba:

The system is broke!
There is no choice if you can't afford it!
Millions go without care and costs are spiraling.
Every other industrialized nation in the World had some sort of socialized medicine.
We already have a government-run program that works quite well-Medicare.
Don't want the Government running your life.....but you're OK with insurance companies doing it? Do you understand that they exist to make a profit and not to provide good health care?

Colin Powell

Colin Powell endorsed Barak Obama and Rush Limbaugh calls it racist. McCain and Palin have been using different words to imply that Mr. Obama is "different" (ie. unamerican, not like us, cavorting with terrorists etc.) in an effort to appeal to undecided voters' prejudice. Colin Powell saw this as divisive, destructive and dangerous and he is taking a stand against it. John McCain told us that he would run a clean campaign and that Country would come first but he has fallen to temptation to "swift boat" Obama and forget the issues. Apparently voters have had enough. Poll after poll shows that this time it is not working. These attacks are getting the red states red hot but they are not appealing to the swing voters.... to the Regan Democrats...to those that elected Bush twice. Could it be the end of dirty politics? I don't think so but at least we have shown that it is possible to win without slinging mud. Thank you Colin Powel for truly standing up for Country first. Mr. McCain please go back to what attracted voters to you in the first place: genuine concern for your country that rose above partisanship. Please denounce Mr. Limbaugh's inflamatory statements and do the right thing. Please give us back the Johm McCain from a year ago. The one that, even as a Democrat, I would have considered as my candidate. It might be too late to win this election but it is not too late to leave a strong legacy.

With a decisive result in North Carolina and a tiny difference in Indiana, is it time to quit? I hope Superdelegates begin to defect to push her decision. We need time to heal the party, to show united front in order to face McCain. The Republican machine has been quietly preparing for battle while Dems. sling mud at each other. After a few missteps Mr. McCain has learned that silence is perhaps his best strategy for now.

Indiana was supposed to be a strong win for Hillary to show that there was still life. With all issues facing Mr. Obama, North Carolina was supposed to be much closer than the 14 point rout of today. Obama proved that he can survive the barrage that he received and still get his message across. Some difficult demographic issues remain and it will be interesting to see what the polls tell us a few months down the road when the two candidates and their running mates begin to campaign.

At some point, the Party leadership needs to step in and force the issue by twisting some superdelegate arms. I hope tomorrow the trickle of Clinton defections grows to a steady flow and eventually to a torrent. It is time Mrs. Clinton!!

Some say George W. Bush will go down in history as the worst president we have ever had. I am no historian but there are many reasons why I truly believe he is a top candidate:

1. Foreign Policy: Unilateralism has created strong antagonism world wide. The United States is clearly the bully that everyone loves to hate. We lost support in Europe and we have watched China gain power unchecked.

In Latin America government after government have turned to socialism and many ran on a very anti American platform. Hugo Chaves personifies the failure of US policies in the area.

In the Middle East Hamas has risen and Fatah has fallen. In Iran its Ahmadinejad who unseated Katami, a reformist. Meanwhile in Russia Mr. Putin is slowly returning to the bad ol' days of the USSR. A former KGB officer, he knows first hand how to play the game and if we say anything about human rights violations, all they have to say is they are also fighting terrorism. But we have lost all right to point fingers with renditions, water boarding, Guantanamo and Abu Graib.

2. The Economy: We continue to dismantle any kind of regulation opening the door wide for the World Com, Enron and sub-prime debacles. Deficit spending has sent the national debt through the roof and given the Chinese central bank more say than the Federal Reserve about our economy.

more to come......