Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Daily Kos And Fraudulant Polls

This is really interesting. It appears that The Daily Kos was, surprise of surprises, fooled by their own polling group, Research 2000.
Now this would not be much of a story, except the Mr. Kos himself, Markos Moulitsas, was going to use much of this polling data in writing his tome "American Taliban". It was this polling outfit that asked absurd questions of supposed conservative and or Republican voters that is the basis for Mr. Kos' book on the "extremism" on the right.
Of course Mr. Kos is doing what all good lefties do. He is planning to sue this outfit.
Hmm, it seems like many on the left have a real hate for Rasmussen Reports, yet their polling is independent and rather accurate.
Well, I can not wait for Mr. Kos and his book of fiction on American conservatives. Based on fictional polling.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Major League Baseball Back To Normal

Ahh, the end of June and the end of the most abominable time in the major league baseball calendar.
Interleague play.
Most of June is dedicated to interleague play. That is when teams from the National League, the real league, play their minor league counterparts, the American League. And vice-versa.
This is the brainchild of the major league "commissioner", Bud Selig.
Back in the 1990s as he and fellow owners colluded to ruin baseball by not playing a World Series, Mr. Selig had this idea.
And believe me folks, it was a truly crappy idea.
It was to redraw major league baseball. It was to essentially end the National and American leagues as we still know them. Teams would have switched leagues and it would be more like the National Football League was when it absorbed the American Football League teams in the late 60s.
Fans rightfully revolted and Mr. Selig could only switch the team he owned, the Milwaukee Brewers, to the National League. But, Mr. Selig had an even worse idea after he moved his Brewers (he was the owner at the time).
Interleague play.
It is meaningless to the real baseball fan. It is a scam that "creates" rivalries.
Folks, rivalries begin for many reasons. None can be fabricated the way that interleague play is supposed to do.
Oh, and the only major league owner to vote against this truly Satanic act was a real baseball man.
That was the former Texas Ranger owner, one George W. Bush.
Now, as I listen to the Dodgers play the hated Giants, all is well until the real interleague play begins. In the World Series in October.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

The Weigel Affair And The Reality That The Obamawhore Media Really Do NOT Want To Cover Conservatives

It should become clear to many Obamawhore media watchers, but what the Dave Weigel Affair should prove beyond a doubt is this.
That the aforementioned Obamawhore media does not want to cover and or take conservatives seriously.
A little background.
The Washington Post earlier this year hired Dave Weigel to be its conservative "beat writer and blogger." Sounds great for conservatives, doesn't it?
Except that Mr. Weigel really has had no credentials among mainstream conservatives. At best, Mr. Weigel is a libertarian and a shaky one at that.
Well, some of Mr. Weigel's work at The Post should confirm that thinking to be correct. Some of his work included stories about the so-called "birther" movement, talking about fringies of the conservative movement and trying to make them appear as the mainstream of conservative thought.
But it what Mr. Weigel and roughly 400 fellow-travelling leftist "journalists" wrote at the now defunct JornoList that proved those of us suspicious correct.
The Daily Caller was the recipient of leaked e-mail correspondence between Mr. Weigel and fellow-travellers at JournoList.
Before sharing some of Mr. Weigel's whining, I want to make one thing very clear.
I do not think that The Washington Post or any other publication needs to put a rah-rah person covering conservatives. But it would be nice to have someone that at the very least respects conservatives and does not trash-talk them behind their back.
And that is what Mr. Weigel did. And boy, did he ever.
Mr. Weigel's view of the Tea Party movement was one of sheer boredom:

“Honestly, it’s been tough to find fresh angles sometimes–how many times can I report that these [tea party] activists are joyfully signing up with the agenda of discredited right-winger X and discredited right-wing group Y?”

OK, how about Marco Rubio? Nikki Haley? Tim Scott? Scott Brown? Rand Paul? Sharron Angle?
Are these the people that Tea Partiers have "signed on" to that have a discredited agenda and connected to a discredited group? No, not at all. But, that is the ranting of the conservative "beat writer" at the Washington Post.
But some of Mr. Weigel's other implications of conservatives are slanderous at best and easily discredited.
Mr. Weigel claims that conservatives are, among other things, racists, violent and trying to protect White privilige.
Again, may I point this out to Mr. Weigel?
Of the six names I mentioned, Mr. Rubio is Cuban-American. Mrs. Haley is Indian-American. Mr. Scott is Black. Two of the four, Mrs. Haley and Mrs. Angle are women.
As the television pitcher says in the latest infomercial, but wait! There's more!
Mr. Weigel serves up this whopper:

“There’s also the fact that neither the pundits, nor possibly the Republicans, will be punished for their crazy outbursts of racism. Newt Gingrich is an amoral blowhard who resigned in disgrace, and Pat Buchanan is an anti-Semite who was drummed out of the movement by William F. Buckley. Both are now polluting my inbox and TV with their bellowing and minority-bashing. They’re never going to go away or be deprived of their soapboxes.”

Wow! Where to begin?
First, Mr. Gingrich is one of the most brilliant thinkers on the scene today. You may not like his politics and yes, he resigned as Speaker of the House. But to call Mr. Gingrich a blowhard is shallow and shows Mr. Weigel just does not like conservatives.
Second, Pat Buchanan? How many times do I have to say this. Mr. Buchanan is no longer a credible conservative. He did that to himself. And he is the token conservative along with Joe Scarborough at the little-watched MSNBC.
But, Mr. Weigel went after Matt Drudge.
Again, you do not have to like Mr. Drudge, but the reason there is so much animus against him is that he exposed the Clinton affair with Monica Lewinsky. And the left has never forgiven him for that. And please, The Drudge Report is not like the Puffington Post. It essentially links very mainstream sources for news. There is no bloviating from Mr. Drudge as there is from Queen Arianna over at her Puffington Post.
Oh yes, how long has Arianna been divorced from her bi-sexual former husband, Michael Huffington? Can't she now use her maiden name since she has rejected her conservative politics of the 90s? In case you did not know, Arianna's maiden name is Stassinopoulos.
Back to point.
How can conservatives still defend this guy Weigel? Many, including a blogger that I really respect, The Other McCain, feel that Mr. Weigel was an A-OK guy. Why? FTR, some of the National Review folks had nice things to say about Mr. Weigel. They include Jim Geraghty, Mr. Campaign Spot, Jonah Goldberg, John J. Miller.
Again, why is there some defense of this guy?
Really what it comes down to is that this is how the old network thought. Any coverage is good. Because the media is so hopelessly left-wing, any crumbs we will take.
Sorry, wrong thinking.
If The Washington Post really wanted someone that can cover conservatives objectively, maybe they could have snagged Byron York or David Freddoso from the Washington Examiner.
But, they really do not want genuine coverage of conservatives. They want to treat us as some kind of anomaly rather than the leading mainstream movement of the majority of Americans.
This post by Daniel Halper over at The Weekly Standard gets to the heart of the matter.
And for JournoList, it proves the conspiracy crowd may be on to something. About 400 lefties writing to each other about how they will cover the news.
When the Obamawhore media wants to get serious about covering mainstream conservatives and mainstream conservatism, they will look for those that know first hand. And respect those on the right.
Until then, the best we have is Dave Weigel. And that is not good enough.

United States, Mexico, Kicked Out Of World Cup

Well, not literally, but both the United States and Mexico have been eliminated, respectively, from the FIFA World Cup.
Yesterday, Ghana defeated the United States, 2-1 in extra time, aka overtime, and it did not take long for Asamoah Gyan to score the winning goal. In fact it occurred in the third minute of the first extra time.
Although it was a bad day for the United States in losing to Ghana, it was a success in television ratings. And yes, it did momentarily give soccer a boost in the United States. But it will be short-lived not because of some silly right-left divide. But because soccer has a lot of structural problems built in that make it a distant fifth most popular sport in North America.
Speaking of North America, the Mexican team was eliminated today by powerhouse Argentina, 3-1 and now there is no North American team in the World Cup.
It appears that those rooting for the United States and or Mexico can now become free agents and root for the favorite Brazilians. Or whoever ends up playing Brazil. I, for one, will go with the underdog and whoever plays Brazil.
While this appearance by the United States was better than last performance in 2006, again it will do nothing to make soccer the sport its boosters want it to be in the United States. Or Canada for that matter.
The most exciting fact is where the matches are being held. In South Africa. Within a little over a decade when Nelson Mandela was elected president and apartheid was eliminated, this is a chance for a desegregated South Africa to shine. And it has. And that maybe the real story of this edition of the FIFA World Cup.

Good To See Our Leaders Have Their Priorities Straight

It is really a good thing to see the absolute stellar leadership of Laurel and Hardy, er the Dear Leader, President Obama, and his sidekick, Vice-President Boffo Joe Biden.
Item one in the leadership file.
The Dear Leader, President Obama, upon his arrival to the G-8 summit in Toronto inquired about, well the bevy of golf courses in the area that the summit is being held. Now, this was not just something put out on some blog and went viral. This was straight from the mouth of the industrial minister?* of Canada, Tony Clement.
I assume that Mr. Clement did not mean for it to be such a bad thing, but the reality is that the Dear Leader, President Obama, has shall I say a penchant for the golf course. It seems funny for a leader like the Dear Leader, President Obama, who criticized former President George W. Bush's management style to be emulating him in spades.
Well, there is some hope and change.
And for item number two, the Treasury Secretary, Tax Cheat Tim Geithner, pretty much surrendered United States economic leadership by conceding that the United States can no longer lead the world in economic growth. Now that is really nice. I am certain the nearly "officially" 10% of those unemployed in the United States love hearing that. And while Mr. Tax Cheat Tim is right that the global economy must improve, taking the United States leadership out of that equation is de facto surrendering United States leadership where it is needed the most.
Mr. Tax Cheat Tim could not have said what he said with no rebuke from the Dear Leader, President Obama. Which means it is the position of the administration.
But enough of that.
I mean, the number two guy, Boffo Joe Biden, continues to make many Americans wonder this. Would Sarah Palin have really been that bad as Vice-President.
Answer is. . .of course not!
Here is Boffo Biden at his best.
This past week, Boffo Biden was in Wisconsin assisting the reelection campaign of Democrat senator Russ Feingold. After what the veep said, I am certain he was not all that thankful for the help.
The two men stopped off at a suburban Milwaukee custard shop and Boffo Biden, to his credit, was willing to pay for the custard that Sen. Feingold and he bought. But, when Boffo Biden asked the manager of Cobb's custard shop what he owed him, the manager said it was on the house. And the manager said that if the Obama administration would lower taxes, he would call it even. The reward for that honesty was Boffo Biden referring to the manager as a "smartass".
Nice. Really super duper nice.
See, that is what the administration thinks of the "small" people. You know, if there is a little honesty, call them names and not address the point that the gentleman was trying to make.
It seems that belittling a constituent and potential voter is the game this administration is playing.
But, it also shows priorities.
The Dear Leader wants to get in a round or two of golf and an economic summit.
The Treasury Secretary surrenders American leadership in the international economy.
And, Vice-President Boffo Biden insults a voter.
And all this within the last 72 hours.
These people will wonder after November 2, 2010 why they are no longer in the majority of either house of congress. Or governorships. Or state houses.
Maybe events like these will be a lot of the reason why.

* Why would any democratic, capitalist economy need an "industrial minister"?

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Haley And Scott Win In South Carolina

Tonight the Republican voters of South Carolina made history as they voted for Nikki Haley to be the gubernatorial candidate. She will be the first Indian American candidate for governor in South Carolina. And in the first congressional district, GOP voters voted for Tim Scott and he will be the first Black Republican that will be elected to congress come November in this very Republican district.
The numbers for both candidates were not even close.
Mrs. Haley won with 65% of the vote over J. Gresham Barrett.
Mr. Scott's vote total was even stronger than Mrs. Haley's as he garnered 68% of the GOP vote against Paul Thurmond.
Turnout was very low for this runoff election. But the race for governor was really one that was, in a word, disgusting.
The wild accusations against Mrs. Haley included not one, but two accusations of adultery and Mr. Barrett's supporters questioning whether she is really a Christian or not.
The more the mud was slung, the more Mrs. Haley gained support and votes.
In regards to Mr. Scott, there seems to be something fitting that he would be running against Paul Thurmond, son of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond. It is as if there was a message that this deep, old and new Southern state is about to turn a page in a big way. By nominating Mr. Scott, the voters said goodbye to a checkered past.
And because this is a solid Republican state, these two should easily win their respective offices.
But now is not a time to be complacent. Both candidates will need all the help that they can get.
If you want to help Nikki Haley, here is her website. And Tim Scott's website is here.
The voters of South Carolina will make history on November 2, 2o10. But these candidates can use all of our help.
An amazing night in South Carolina.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Will Sarah Palin Help Tim Scott Win South Carolina First?

Over at Sarah Palin's Facebook page, she makes an important endorsement in this Tuesday's runoff in the South Carolina first congressional district.
It is a classic establishment, anti-establishment race between Paul Thurmond, son of the late senator, Strom Thurmond and Tim Scott, backed by the Tea Parties and conservatives.
This also has an extra added bit of something for the race-huckster crowd.
Mr. Scott is black running against the son of one of the leading segregationists of the past century.
But, in reality, it has nothing to do with anything.
What does matter is that Mr. Thurmond represents the past to many people. Mr. Scott represents a bright future for the Republican party not just in South Carolina but throughout the South.
On the issues, Mr. Scott is a solid conservative. He opposes the Dear Leader, President Obama, and his so-called health care "reform" scam. He supports gun rights, opposes abortion on demand, reforming the tax code, reducing spending and protecting our borders.
Mr Thurmond also sounds conservative themes. But, he adds constituent services. Something that his old man was legendary for. When I look at Mr. Thurmond vs Mr. Scott on the issues, I feel more confident that Mr. Scott will be able to articulate a positive message. Also, I note that while Mr. Thurmond supports the so-called Fair Tax, one of the leading proponents of the Fair Tax is the former Arkansas governor, the Rev. Mike Huckabee. And he is supporting Mr. Brown as is Mrs. Palin.
But I think Mrs. Palin's endorsement will put Mr. Scott over the top. In the previous election, Mr. Scott was ahead of Mr. Thurmond by a wide margin, 31% to 16% in a multi-candidate field. The South Carolina Republican establishment is supporting Mr. Thurmond. But, with a solid vote for GOP gubernatorial front runner Nikki Haley, also supported by Mrs. Palin, this maybe be enough to trickle down to this congressional race.
If both Mr. Scott and Mrs. Haley win, this is great news for Sarah Palin. It shows that she has the real pulse on the Republican voter nationwide.
And that is what the Republican establishment fears the most.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Even The Establishment Realizes It Is A Republican, Not Anti-Establishment Election

This post by Stuart Rothenberg is proof positive that the message is finally getting through to the mainstream of the United States.
That the up coming mid-term election is a Republican wave and not just an anti-incumbent election.
The headline alone notes that Mr. Rothenberg is at the very least disdainful of the anti-incumbent meme.
But go further into the post.
Mr. Rothenberg notes incumbents that have won their primary challenges.
Here are just a few incumbents that won their primaries:

Republican Mike Crapo had 79% of the vote for his senate reelection bid.
Sen. Jim DeMint, Republican from South Carolina had some opposition yet eked out a win with 83% of the Republican vote.
Alabama Republican veteran senator Richard Shelby received 84% of the Republican vote.

Just in case you thought this was limited to Republicans, there is a strong Democrat example.
Our illustrious Democrat Diva, Sen. Barbara Ma'am Boxer. She received 80% of the Democrat vote.
And some such as Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Ia) and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) had no primary opponents.
And go further to near the end of Mr. Rothenberg's post.
The crux is who is really energized for this election. And, according to Mr. Rothenberg that clearly belongs to conservatives and Republicans. Regrettably, Mr. Rothenberg describes these voters as angry. But, the point is that the angry voter shows up for these elections. And this time around, the conservatives and Republicans are the ones that are mobilized. And these are Mr. Rothenberg's words:

"Ultimately, 2010 will be remembered as a Republican wave election, not an anti-incumbent year."

The signs are out there. Yet there are still supporters of the Dear Leader, President Obama and his supporters that really seem to believe their own hype. That the economy will somehow dramatically improve by election time. That people do like the Dear Leader, President Obama. Somehow, that will transcend down to the candidates.
None of that optimism will happen and Team Obama will more than likely be facing a very Republican congress.
Even a mainstreamer like Stuart Rothenberg is getting that message.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Best Take On The Gulf Oil Disaster And Other Thoughts On The Subject

Today, Larry Kudlow offers what I think is the best analysis on the ongoing Gulf Oil Disaster.
To sum it all up it is the following.
BP (British Petroleum), congress and the White House all get to share the blame. And all can do better to get on the road to solving the problem.
Lets take congress first.
All the bellyaching is about congressman Joe Barton (R-Texas) and his "apology" to BP for the "shakedown" in the Dear Leader, President Obama, forcing BP to give the federal government $20,000,000,000 to help in all efforts to clean up the disaster. And to compensate those that are directly affected by the disaster.
The real question is why the hell is congress having such hearings now as the disaster is growing?
Does any one really think that the hearings this past Thursday were worthwhile? Did congress learn anything new?
No and no.
Yet all these congressmen were there, beating up the incompetent BP CEO (now former CEO),
Tony Hayward. As Mr. Kudlow pointed out for one thing, Mr. Hayward was more than sufficiently laywered-up. And, he just was playing possum with the congressmen. Thus, not one thing resulted in the hearing. Except that when Mr. Barton spoke the truth, he became the story.
Two asides before moving on.
First, Mr. Barton should not have apologized for anything. What he should have done is simply point out that what the Dear Leader, President Obama, did was indeed a shakedown. As Mr. Kudlow pointed out, there are no laws that give the president authority to do such a thing.
Second, since this really was a Democrat party production, the Republicans should have simply not participated in the show-trial. It did no good. Except it gave the Republican members of the committee a chance to see who could be more anti-BP. They or the Democrats.
And while the show trial went on, why is congress not performing real hearings and oversight on the Minerals Management Service? That may be a real role that congress can play in finding out what went wrong and what can be done to prevent such a disaster from happening in the future. But no, it is much more important for congressmen to puff themselves up against the eeevvviiilll Tony Hayward.
Also, why is the Jones Act not being suspended? After all, there is a precedent for this in the recent past.
Former Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff suspended the Act in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
In reality, the Jones Act is a piece of legislation that is protectionist at the core. And needs to be suspended now so that ships from other oil companies and supplies can help in the effort to stem the flow of oil.
A really excellent point from Mr. Kudlow is that the Dear Leader, President Obama, could have used the Oval Office speech this past Tuesday to announce a task force of people from other oil companies and people that have experience in these kind of disasters.
And that leads to leadership, or lack thereof from the Dear Leader, President Obama.
It is not enough for the Dear Leader, President Obama, to travel four times to the gulf region. We get it. He feels their pain.
But what is needed is for the Dear Leader, President Obama, to show leadership. Suspend the Jones Act. Get the best and the brightest from yes, the dreaded oil industry, to get together and come up with a real plan to stop this disaster.
Of course the Dear Leader, President Obama, used his speech to tout the fallacy of a "green" economy and that this is a reason to pass the Crap and Tax legislation. And of course the shakedown on BP to put $20,000,000,000 in "escrow" to help all efforts to clean up the disaster and compensate those that should be directly effected by the disaster.
Another aside.
I quibble with the Wikipedia link implying that Crap and Tax is market driven. If there is a government authority over it, it is not market driven.
But that is beside the point.
The Dear Leader, President Obama, needs to step up to the plate. No, this is not all his fault. But the Dear Leader, President Obama, has not manned-up and done what needs to be done now. In the short term. The rest can and should wait.
And what about BP?
Well, it is becoming obvious that they more than likely cut corners in the building of this oil rig out in deep waters in the Gulf Of Mexico.
And according to Ed Morrisey over at Hotair.com, it appears that this disaster was in the making as early as February of this year.
And BP was one oil company that has touted that it had been focusing on the politically correct "green" economy. In fact, before the Gulf Oil Disaster, the same eeevvviiilll Tony Hayward was going to get together with the Dear Leader, President Obama, in promoting the Crap and Tax legislation.
Ironic, isn't it?
Now, BP is the vilian.
Well, they have been a bad company for a long time now. But they tried to get in bed with those that, essentially, would want to put them out of business. And a lot of good it has done.
The real priority for all involved is to stop the blowout from getting worse. To allow every way possible to prevent oil from reaching shorelines all along the Gulf.
There will be plenty of time to play the blame game. But, not now.
Larry Kudlow hit the nail on the head with this piece.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Los Angeles Lakers Win 16th NBA Title!

The Los Angeles Lakers put the Boston Celtics out of their misery tonight and won their 16th National Basketball Assiociation title besting their bitter rivals, 83-79 at the Staples Center.
The Lakers were down at halftime, and did not start the second half all that well.
But in the fourth quarter, the Lakers woke up and decided hey, we want to win this thing.
One thing that this game proved is an old NBA adage.
That you can miss most of the game and watch the last two minutes and that is the most exciting part of the game.
True that for this game.
And this breaks a really bad streak.
In four previous game sevens between the two storied rivals, the Celtics won all four and the championship.
Until tonight.
Now, all I ask is that the Laker "fans" celebrate but show some class and respect.
Is that too much to ask?!
For the Boston Celtics, it is wait until next year.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, time to celebrate!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

What The Left Really Thinks About Conservative Women

Here is a take on what frightens the left about successful conservative women.
Linda Hirshman is a writer for Tina Brown's loathsome Daily Beast site.
And what she has to write about what she calls "Mini Palin's" is without a doubt a stupid hit piece on the upcoming election in which there will be some great, accomplished, conservative Republican women running for office.
The women that Miss Hirshman focuses on are the following.

Nevada Republican senate candidate Sharron Angle.
Colorado Republican senate candidate Jane Norton.
New Hampshire Republican senate candidate and current attorney general Kelly Ayotte.
Former Utah Republican senate candidate Cherilyn Eagar.

So, what has Miss Hirshman's thongs in a bunch?
Well, that these women are traditional. That they have "A bachelor's degree from a non-elite school"-that means a state school. You know, like University of Nevada, Reno (Mrs. Angle), Colorado State University (Mrs. Norton), Penn State (Mrs. Ayotte), Brigham Young University (Mrs. Eagar).
Terrible institutions one and all.
That is the implication.
After all, these gals did not go to Wellsley College and Yale Law School (Secretary of State Hillary Clinton). Or Princeton University and Harvard Law School (First Lady Michelle Obama). And because they did not go to the "right" schools, that apparently disqualifies them from pursing elected office.
By traditional, these accomplished women went into "show business", or -THE HORROR- becoming public school teachers! Of course, there is the oddball of the bunch, Mrs. Ayotte. How dare she actually pursue a law degree from Villanova. And run for and become attorney general in New Hampshire.
Miss Hirshman goes on to diss all the candidates "thin" record on their time in elected office.
As if Mrs. Clinton is the most qualified secretary of state in United States history. Or that if she was plain ol' Hillary Diane Rodham, she would have gotten where she is today.
Oh, and it is so terrible that these women have not been "on their own" business wise, so to speak. They have been involved in family businesses.
Again, may I beat the Clinton horse into the ground. She would not be where she is if she was not Mrs. William Jefferson Blythe Clinton.
But once you get to the meat of this diatribe, it all comes down to abortion.
Here is what Miss Hirshman says about the women and their view on abortion:

(Kelly) Ayotte, similarly well-positioned in New Hampshire, is a hero to pro-lifers for her insistence on pursuing an ultimately successful appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of New Hampshire's parental-notification law, against the expressed wishes of the newly elected Democratic governor. Indeed, all four are elaborately and explicitly opposed to women having access to abortions in all but the most extreme cases, if at all. Their most "liberal" position is to make an exception for rape or the mother's life.

That is what really bothers Miss Hirshman and their ilk.
That there are women that oppose abortion on demand. That they do not believe it is a "right" but that it is a life being taken.
A lot of women have had abortions. And many have regretted the fact that they have. They look to it as something very painful in their lives. And they do not want women to have to feel alone and make a decision that is, no matter what, life changing.
Now this is an old article, but it is instructive as to what really drives left-wing feminists crazy about accomplished, conservative women. And why these women must win their contests in November.

CORRECTION:
The attorney general in New Hampshire is an appointed position. Kelly Ayotte was appointed attorney general in 2004. She did not run for the office. Thank you observant reader.

HT: Kathryn Jean Lopez @ http://corner.nationalreview.com/

Monday, June 14, 2010

The American Right Hates Soccer? News To Me!

Another reason I loathe National Public Radio.
In this piece partnered with The Nation magazine, a writer explains to readers that American conservatives hate soccer.
The writer, Dave Zirin, cites radio and television talker Glenn Beck and radio talker and former Watergate felon G. Gordon Liddy and their comments regarding soccer and The World Cup.
The FIFA World Cup is being played in South Africa from now until July 11. It is played every four years since 1930. And yes, the United States pretty much sucks in this competition.
Mr. Zirin actually makes one good point and one meaningless point.
Soccer is one of if not the most popular youth sport in the United States. There is AYSO and it has been popular to my knowledge since the 1980s.
The problem is that soccer is not really on the radar in high schools, less at the college level and until the formation of Major League Soccer, was not existent after the failure that was the North American Soccer League.
Thus, it has never really developed the same way that baseball, basketball, football and ice hockey has in the United States and for that matter Canada.
But Mr. Zirin cites something that I have heard since the days of the NASL.
That immigrants are making soccer more popular in the United States than ever before.
That may be true. But, there is no real evidence to back that claim up.
What may be correct is that many of those that played AYSO soccer growing up are becoming fans of soccer thanks to Major League Soccer, which has done a much better job promoting soccer than the old NASL.
The way that it was formed and has expanded has been much more realistic than the old NASL. For one, MLS has been able to get smaller, soccer-only stadiums built throughout the league. Few teams play in huge stadiums. But there are a few, and they do tarp off many seats so the stadium does not look empty.
One other fact is that there have been few if any American soccer superstars. That plays into the reality of the sport failing to gain the status of the four major league sports mentioned earlier.
Now your humble blogger grew up going to see the old Los Angeles Aztecs at the Rose Bowl. Followed the Los Angeles Skyhawks of the old American Soccer League. There is a lot to like about soccer.
But, the reality is that since it is not in the top four sports, not to mention college variations of the top four sports, it suffers.
But, for Mr. Zirin to cite Glenn Beck and G. Gordon Liddy as what conservatives in the United States think about soccer is insipid.
It shows the shallowness of The Nation and National Public Radio.
Most people I know, conservative and liberal, have at least a little interest of the World Cup and who wins. But, there is no one group that hates soccer or loves it more than any other.
Ace over at the Ace of Spades has an epic take on the real reason soccer just has not made it here in the United States the same way as the rest of the world. He also cites why liberals and the left embrace soccer. However, do they also support the violent sub-culture that soccer brings out? The nationalism? And yes, racism by fans in many nations?
I am an American, conservative and I like soccer. It has its moments, but it is not the same as watching something like say the just concluded Stanley Cup in ice hockey. Or the NBA playoffs currently going on. Or the Super Bowl. Or the World Series.
Until that happens, soccer will be way down on the sports priorities of most Americans. And not because of silly comments from Glenn Beck and G. Gordon Liddy.
Watch the World Cup and enjoy!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

And Now, The Left Goes After Nikki Haley's Christianity

Ooh Boy!
It is not enough for an imbecile South Carolina state senator names Don, er Jake Knotts to slam his party's front-runner for governor. About her Christian faith. Hell, "Sen." Knotts out right says that Nikki Haley, the Republican front-runner for governor, is not really a Christian.
But, that is just the beginning.
Now a writer over at Slate magazine thinks she should jump into the fray. From the other side, of course.
This is what passes as the more intelligent way to address whether Mrs. Haley is indeed a Christian and a Methodist.
The writer of this hit piece, Neela Banerjee, wants you to know that because she too is Indian, she is going to write the truth about Mrs. Haley and her relationship to God. Or not.
Miss Banerjee writes that because Mrs. Haley is one of them there "light skinned" Punjabi Sikhs, it probably makes it easier to pass off as being White. With a great tan, but White in Miss Banerjee's world.
Here is something to explain to the non-Christian.
Not everyone that converts to Christianity likes to discuss the conversion. Especially in families like Mrs. Haley's. Some members of the family have not had the same experience. Thus, while in Christian settings, it is very easy for that Christian to talk the talk. But outside, it is still hard. See, that is why one progresses as a Christian. If all were at the same place, it would be very boring indeed.
Again, I do not question anyone that says they are Christians. What I do question is what one believes and how they got to that thought.
Many people still believe that the Dear Leader, President Obama, is really a closet Islamic. I do not. He says that he is a Christian, was baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Until he rejects it, I believe that he is.
By the same token, the other side should also believe that Mrs. Haley and the Louisiana governor, Bobby Jindal, are committed, practicing Christians.
And so should those on our side. If one wants to go after Mrs. Haley on public policy, go for it. But, leave her religion out of it.
The Other McCain has the goods on this. And I do like the fact he points out how long it has taken ethnic groups to become a real part of the American fabric. But he also takes aim at Whites as well:

Defining oneself as distinct from the Vanilla-American — that stereotypical Wonder-Bread-and-Miracle-Whip WASP – has become a sort of geneaological parlor game since the 1960s. Nowadays, even the blandest of Anglo-American yuppies seem to feel obligated to put an ethnic asterisk beside their ancestry, as if to signify that they’re down with the whole multicultural-diversity agenda.

First, I like Best Foods (known as Hellman's east of the Rockies) mayo. No "Miracle" Whip for me!
Second, I guess I am ethnically boring to the left.
My mother's mother's family came from Scotland, were Presbyterians. My mother's father came from Canada.
On my dad's side, oh that is interesting. His family were, get ready. . .JOOOZ! From Odessa, The Ukraine.
But most important is this.
I am an A M E R I C A N!
Pure and simple. I was born in the United States and I consider myself nothing more than that. I have a pride at my heritage, but it is a heritage. It really has nothing to do with me or my family now because we are Americans.
Let us say this together.
I am an A M E R I C A N! The Dear Leader, President Obama, is an A M E R I C A N! Nikky Haley is an A M E R I C A N!
In the realm of public policy, that is what matters. And if we want to talk about our Christianity and our relation with Jesus Christ and how it affects how we look at public policy, discuss that. Not whether any of us is a Christian or not.
Until we get there, slime merchants like "Sen." Knotts and Miss Banerjee will question the sincerity of people's religious beliefs if not whether they are or not.
A real disgrace.

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Real Time California Election Results

If you are interested in seeing the outcome of the races in California from today's primary election, here is the Secretary of State site.
For the Republicans, Meg Whitman wins the governor's race-big! Carly Fiorina wins the senate race. Will be interested to see where Chuck DeVore finishes there. The Political Whore, Abel Maldonado looks to be the winner for Lt. Governor.
I am really contemplating supporting the Democrat for this one. I can not in good consience vote for this creep. Let me know what you think.
The Secretary of State race is being won handlily by Damon Dunn. Thank goodness for this! California would really be a laughing stock if Birther Orly Taitz won this race.
I also thing that Sarah Palin won big tonight.
Why? I think her endorsement of Carly Fiorina put her over the top.
A lot more tomorrow.

Recommendations For California Primary Day Today

Today is the big day for us in California. It is primary election day. And, I will offer my endorsements and or recommendations. Please note, I only give recommendations for the Republican primary. I'll let the Democrats fight it out.

Governor: Steve Poizner
Lt. Governor: Sam Aanestad
Secretary of State: Damon Dunn
Controller: Tony Strickland
Attorney General: John Eastman
Insurance Commissioner: Mike Villines
United States Senator: Chuck DeVore

Poizner has taken a hard line on illegal immigration and is running against Gov. Benedict Arnold. Don't let the polls get you down. The same polls show that a lot of voters are undecided. And as much as 20 percent of those who have made a choice can change their minds. Same for the United States senate race. The good news is that, God willing, Terrible Tom Campbell will not be the Republican nominee to face Sen. Ma'am Boxer.
The Lt. Governor race is important. If you are a self-respecting Republican, you can not, I repeat, can not vote for the Political Whore, Abel Maldonado. You must vote for Sam Aanestad.
In the Secretary of State race, Damon Dunn is the clear choice. Orly Taitz is a leading member of the so-called "Birther" group. She would abuse the Secretary of State's office to go after the Dear Leader, President Obama. I may not like his policies and can not wait to vote him out in 2012, but he was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i in 1961. End of story.
John Eastman is the clear constitutional choice for Attorney General. Because some serious constitutional issues will come before that office in the next four years, Mr. Eastman would be the kind of AG that can take cases before the United States supreme court over the Los Angeles county District Attorney, Steve Cooley. Mr. Cooley will make a good nuts-and-bolts type of AG, but Mr. Eastman will be better whereas constitutional questions are concerned.
The Insurance Commissioner race is a hold-my-nose and vote for the tax-hiking former Republican assembly leader, Mike Villines. I do not know enough about his opponent, Brian Fitzgerald. So, I would recommend Mr. Villines or do not vote in this race.
Now on to the propositions.

Proposition 13: Yes
Proposition 14: No
Proposition 15: No
Proposition 16: Yes
Proposition 17: Yes

Prop. 13 is a minor adjustment to the original Prop. 13 passed in 1978. Not a real big deal but a good thing to not reases property that is seismically retrofitted to meet earthquake standards.
Prop. 14 is a scam to take political parties out of nominating their candidates for office. It would have the effect of members of the same party running for the same office. Not a good thing.
Prop. 15 is another public-financing for elections scam. The government should not be in the business of effecting election outcomes. Simply to make sure that they are conducted and fairly.
Prop. 16 affirms that the people can vote on tax increases for cities and other government agencies that want to begin a government electric concern. And it would make it a two-thirds requirement. A good thing.
Prop. 17 allows people taking coupons for their auto insurance to any company. It also allows same companies to determine rates based on drivers having continuous insurance coverage. Again, this is a good thing.
Remember, one can vote until 8PM tonight. So fellow Californians, get out and vote. Of course for the right candidates!

Sunday, June 06, 2010

In California, Vote NO On Prop 14

In this Tuesday's California primary election, there is a very bad proposition on the ballot that should be called the incumbent protection law.
But, Proposition 14 is being touted as an "open" primary law.
It is not an open primary, but a way to allow multiple Democrats and Republicans to run in general elections. Oh, and they do not have to even say they are Democrats and or Republicans.
Well, they sort of do, but if one lives in a gerrymandered legislative district, the end result will be two Democrats running against each other in general elections. Same for Republicans.
And, it totally disenfranchises voters that do not belong to the Democrat or Republican parties.
In California, there are several small parties that generally end up in primaries and general election ballots. They are Peace and Freedom, Libertarians, Greens and American Independent.
Granted, none of these parties can fill a phone booth. But, they generally can garner anywhere from 50,000 to over 100,000 votes each in elections.
This diagram shows what the ballot generally looks like now. And how it will generally look like if, God forbid, this monstrosity passes. Oh, and trust me, there will NOT be a Democrat running against a Republican in many of these elections. It will be members of the same party running in a general election.
Can you say disenfranchisement?
That is what this abomination will do. It is a backdoor way of trying to take the rights of political parties away from the parties.
In other words, each party can and should decide how they will nominate candidates in the general election.
Occasionally, the Democrat party has opened their primary. Republicans have generally kept theirs closed. And I will admit, I do not know how the minor political parties hold their primaries. The myth being perpetuated by supporters of Prop. 14 is that it will elect more moderate people from both political parties. Notice that they leave out the minor parties. Hell, they are so minor they are just a nuisance any way.
And that somehow voter participation will increase in both primary and general elections.
This election format is done in Washington state. And, surprise! It has not worked out the way it was touted. This article in The Sacramento Bee pointed out that there have been some one-party general elections. And that both Democrats and Republicans try to discourage many candidates so that it can in the end determine the outcome. Oh, and voter participation has not increased. In fact, the California Republican party will switch to a caucus system according to this article in the Oakland Tribune.
What is not pointed out is that the real power will probably be in state Democrat and Republican conventions as to who the favored candidate will be in any given election.
This is another bone to the most weasel of voters.
Moderates.
People who have no backbone to belong to any political party.
These people think that they are so above the process. Yet these same voters complain about the quality of candidates.
Hey, guess what moderates? JOIN A PARTY! BECOME AN ACTIVIST!
If moderates really think that the Democrat and Republican parties in California are being run by extremists, get involved in the one that fits closest to what you believe.
No party is perfect.
I am a Republican because it is the party that I believe best advances a conservative agenda. But often times, I am writing about the shortcomings of my party. Because I care. Because I want to see good candidates. Those that can win with articulating a conservative message. I do not just sit a bitch about the candidates. I back one in the primary and if he or she does not win, I generally will back the one that does.
But moderates just can not seem to make up their minds.
And they want the main political parties in the United States to be as mixed-up as they are.
My fellow Californians, please do not be fooled. Prop. 14 will do nothing to moderate the process. It will protect a lot of politicians always finding new ways to screw the will of the voters.
VOTE NO ON PROP. 14!

Support Nikki Haley For GOP Nod For Governor In South Carolina; Or What Is In The Water In South Carolina

Do you remember the old Rocky And Bullwinkle show? When at the end of each episode, the narrator gave two titles to the next episode. One real and one alternate, funnier tittle.
That is what is going on in South Carolina in regards to the Republican primary for governor.
The leading candidate is Nikki Haley. A member of the state legislature, she is supported by Tea Party activists, former Alaska governor, Sarah Palin and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Mrs. Haley is running against the current lieutenant governor, Andre Bauer, current congressman J. Gresham Barrett (why would he go by Gresham when his first name is James?!), and the current attorney general, Henry McMaster.
Yes, it is a crowded field. And Mrs. Haley has an average lead of 16.3% according to the Real Clear Politics cumulative average.
So, it would be understandable that someone mired in the lower rungs of the polling would come up with something to try knock Mrs. Haley off of her perch.
Well, there have been three events that tend to make me ashamed to be a Republican.
It started when a blogger who once worked for current governor and gigolo Mark Sanford, Will Folks, wrote that he had a sexual relationship with Mrs. Haley. Yes, with Mrs. Haley. Oh, and Mr. Folks has supported Mrs. Haley.
Good Lord, I can not make this crap up. No matter how hard I would try.
And, Mr. Folks kept digging deeper in the dung pile as Mrs. and Mr. Haley denied the alleged affair.
But, just to add insult to injury, another douchebag crawled up from the dung pile.
This loser is Larry Marchant. A one-time lobbyist and a now former member of Mr. Bauer's team, he claims not to just inappropriate physical contact as has Mr. Folks. Nah, just a one-nighter while both were in Utah.
Nice.
Mrs. Haley is a married, mother of two children. I am sure that they just love hearing that their mom is the MILF* of the South Carolina statehouse. At least that is what these two losers are implying.
But, it does not stop there. Oooh boy, it just gets better.
Nikki Haley is the former Nimrata Randhawa. Hmm, I guess it is a funny sounding name in South Carolina. Well, that is because Mrs. Haley is, wait a minute, a Indian-American. And worse her family are Sikhs, a religion from India.
No matter that Mrs. Haley was born in South Carolina. No matter that Mrs. Haley is a Christian and married her husband, Michael Haley, in Methodist church service. Hell, it makes no difference that Mrs. Haley serves on the board at her local Methodist church, Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church. Now, in her Wikipedia entry, it does say that Mrs. Haley attends both Sikh and Methodist services. Well, I am a Protestant Christian yet I have attended Roman Catholic services. Never take communion as I will not disrespect their belief that only Roman Catholic's should take Holy Communion. But the point is so what?
Well, that is enough for some of her opponents to question whether Mrs. Haley is really a Christian or not.
That line of attack is being led by the J. Gresham Barrett campaign. Because after all, James is a good Christian. And he just wants people to know that because maybe Mrs. Haley attends Sikh religious services, she may not be that Christian she is cracked-up to be. No matter that maybe her family has not converted to Christianity. That maybe she attends the Sikh services to respect her parents. HA! She is a closet dagger-handler! And us Christians better look out for her. Heyuck! yuck! yuck!
But the topper of the anger towards Mrs. Haley comes from this neanderthal who has been elected a state senator in South Carolina.
His name is Don, er Jake Knotts. "Sen." Knotts gave us this pearl of wisdom on an internet political show:

“We already got one raghead (the Dear Leader, President Obama) in the White House, we don’t need a raghead in the governor’s mansion.”

WOW! This Knotts guy is a genius. A f---ing genius!
A little bit of defending the Dear Leader, President Obama, here.
President Obama says that he is a Christian. I believe that he is. A misguided one, but a Christian. Because until he denies that he was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and renouces the faith, he is a brother in Christ as I am. Also, the Dear Leader's father was from Kenya. In Africa. Not Arabia. Get that straight, Knotts.
As far as Mrs. Haley, Sikh men do wear turbans. But last I checked, it is for nothing more than religious reasons. Oh, also, Sikhs are not at war with the West or Jews and Christians.
Why is that relevant?
Well, Sen. Knucklehed, er Knotts, continued:

“She’s a raghead that’s ashamed of her religion trying to hide it behind being Methodist for political reasons. . . .“This is Jakie Knotts trying to let the people know . . .“This isn’t the first time I’ve said it . . . I’m not on a crusade to downgrade her, but if someone asks me I’ll tell ‘em. And look here, someone wants to vote for her knowing the truth, vote for her. . . .“We need a good Christian to be our governor. . . She’s hiding her religion. She ought to be proud of it. I’m proud of my god.”

Hmm, funny. When I look to see what religion "Sen." Knotts is, I can not find it. Hell, in the last link, look at "Religion" and it is a blank as "Sen." Knotts face is.
And who does "Sen." Knucklehead, er K n o t t s, support for governor?
Andre Bauer.
Mrs. Right View From The Left Coast, Scout the Wonder Dog and I visited South Carolina last year. We loved it. The food, the people and the hospitality. I know that there are good people in the state. Really, there are. But, there are some douchebags. And, unfortunately, some in in elected office.
Nikki Haley is solid on the issues and has a great deal of support. She needs to not just win the Republican nomination for governor but win big. The people of South Carolina deserve better than what they have gotten from these candidates that will do anything to bring Mrs. Haley down.
To my friends in South Carolina, vote for Nikki Haley!
And, check what's wrong with the water down there!

*MILF-Mom I Like To F---

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Another Reason Texas Is Looking Good These Days

You know, as a native Californian, I can tell you not everything from the once Golden States is bad. In fact, one of the best things about California is In-'N-Out burger.
Believe me, once you have had one, you will not be all that impressed with any other burger.
And, do not forget that there is a "secret" menu that is a treat all in and of itself.
Now, the chain that has been a staple of Californians, Nevadans and yes, Arizonans is now moving into the Lone Star State.
Now as one who has been frustrated with the way California has been going these past few years, if I could convince Mrs. Right View From The Left Coast that Texas is a great place to live, here maybe another reason in my favor.
Texans, you are in for a taste treat.

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

When The Washington Post Points Out The Evils Of Public Employee Unions That Can Not Be Good News

I am stunned. No, really. I am stunned that The Washington Post editorial page has the wherewithal to make a legitimate comparison between two counties, public employee unions and their budgetary woes, it is stunning.
In this from The Washington Post editorial, it notes that Montgomery County, Maryland is a good, ol' fashioned, corrupt, union employee county. And that Fairfax County, Virginia, is not.
The thrust of the editorial is how these two counties did what every entity does when times are good. They increased spending. And how when times are bad, they have to look at ways to cut budgets that probably should not have been drastically increased in the first place.
Now the editorial does not condemn the public employee unions in Montgomery County, Maryland. It points out that the County Board is all Democrat. And rather inexperienced in comparison to their counterparts in Fairfax County, Virginia. The county executive in Montgomery is elected. The county executive in Fairfax is appointed. Thus one is accountable directly to the voters and one indirectly.
The editorial gave a comparison of budget year 2006.
In Fairfax County, the budget rose six percent.
Not Bad.
But in Montgomery County, the budget rose 11%. It did not help that the County Executive was also running for the Democrat nomination for governor. You do not win primaries in the Democrat party by holding back on the government goodies.
When times got tough, Fairfax County has been able to freeze government spending-including wages. Montgomery County has done song-and-dance, smoke-and-mirrors and finds that because there are powerful unions, it is not easy actually carrying out the same thing that Fairfax County did.
Virginia does not allow public employees to organize into labor unions. Maryland does. And the result is that one county, Fairfax, will weather the economic downturn. The other county, Montgomery, may begin to look like Greece at some point.
Read the whole thing.
Now, if California could be more like Virginia. . .

Democrats More Stressed Over The Economy?

While there is a lot going on in the world, I find this item rather interesting. Interesting considering that in this article, we are being told the economy is really improving.
Oh, don't be bothered by the "stubbornly high" unemployment-a wondrous 9.9%. And don't worry too much about finding work when the competition is "fierce". And really, don't worry about the shrinking paycheck.
Here is the part of the article that is rather interesting:

Last year, Democrats felt better about their finances than Republicans, despite generally being in worse shape. That sense seems to have worn off: Democrats now report higher debt stress levels on average than Republicans.

So, how is that Hope 'n Change working out for you Dems? I thought that if the American people elected the Dear Leader, President Obama, people would not have these nagging problems? You know, like paying one's bills. Mortgage and or rent payments. Credit card payments. Car payments.
I mean, isn't that what a supporter of the Dear Leader, President Obama said two years ago?
Remember Peggy Joseph? She is the gal that said this about then candidate Sen. Messiah Barack:

"I wont have to worry about putting gas in my car, I won't have to worry about paying my mortgage.. You know, If I help him, he's gonna help me."

So, Peg. May I call ya' Peg? Has the Dear Leader, President Obama, helped you with the gas for your car? Has he helped pay your mortgage? Huh? Has he?
See, now the fun is finally wearing off those that thought the Dear Leader, President Obama, was the Messiah. That he was just going to wave a magic wand and all would be well.
The reality is that this economy sucks. Even if there is some recovery, it clearly is a jobless recovery. It is beyond tenuous at best. Every day, events in Europe, the Middle East and other parts of the world is putting a strain on any long-term economic recovery and growth.
That is part of the problem.
A real problem is that there is the Peg Joseph mentality at the top.
There is this thought that there is a magical piggy bank and all that has to be done is run up national debt in hopes that the economy will recover and there will be the kind of growth that will produce jobs that sustain the growth. But, darn it, there is something called inflation. That is the result of running up unsustainable debt.
Someone will have to eventually pay all this debt off.
Which brings me back to why this little item in a little-noted article is very worrisome-or at least should be-to the Democrats.
If enough of these people stay home come November 2, election day, or vote for the Republicans, the Democrats can kiss the House and senate majorities good bye. Majority of governorships. Good bye. State House legislatures. Good bye.
And to think, a year ago, the Democrats were talking about a permanent majority.
Maybe the Democrats need to rethink their strategy. Maybe the Democrats should be really concerned about real economic growth. Not the government kind, but the private sector kind.
People need and want to work. And they want to be able to pay their bills and not feel like they will never catch up.
After all, at some point, this is not George W. Bush's fault. Somebody needs to man up and take responsibility. Guess who that should be?


HT: Purple Avenger @ www.ace.mu.nu