Jasper Journal

There have been a number of political round tables this weekend trying to sort out the republican field for president in 2012. Almost invariably they fall prey to the big lie: “Obama is virtually unbeatable.”  They talk about   his personal popularity, campaign resources, and unvarnished media support. I would like to go on record as disagreeing completely with that premise. Obama is eminently beatable. Actually, I cannot understand how anyone can continue to support him.

Lets look at just a few items. We are still in Afghanistan… with more troops. Still in Iraq. In an undeclared, unspecified war against Libya. Our foreign policy in the Mideast is is shambles.  We have fewer friends and allies than under President Bush. Our economy has gone from bad to worse and he cant blame that on Bush. He wasted one trillion dollars on a slush fund stimulus that bought us no real reprieve. Unemployment is still over 9%; the housing market is still down; businesses will not invest in a climate where they are being penalized and bullied and left in a situation of uncertainty.  Gasoline prices hover at a record $4 per gallon and may go to $5 before the end of the summer; Our domestic oil and gas industry has been neutered; The space program is for all practical purposes dead. Defense is being cut so deeply that it will take years to recover. He has violated all common sense principles of capitalism and put us on a course to socialism or depression or both. Where have things gotten better since he has taken office?

So when you hear the formerly mainstream media chuckle over republican candidates, and make fun of their shortcomings, remember one thing. They are Not Obama. He is beatable. Don’t get depressed or you will just fall into their trap. I am extremely optimistic that we will have a solid candidate that will energize the electorate.  Dont be overly critical of our team… Nobody is perfect; but anyone is better than Obama.

I just read an article in the New York Times that actually inspired me. According to the article. the crop of newly elected congressmen and senators include thirty five who have previously never been elected to anything. That means that they are not political creatures, but people like you and me who wanted to get involved.

 They include doctors, dentists, a pilot, a youth minister, a pizza store owner, and small business people. I think this is what our founding fathers would have wanted. Representatives that actually represent ; not a political class that lives in Washington in perpetuity. I believe this bodes well for us. Perhaps not for the entrenched republicans and democrats used to buisness as usual. The new members may not win every battle but I ‘ll bet they shake things up.

On a related note, I also read in another article that the new members include 25 veterans. If this is true, this is welcome news. I believe people who have served know the face of battle and war up close. They will be less likely to commit forces to achieve ambiguous ends without a plan and an exit strategy. While I disagree with Colin Powell on political issues, he had it right when he articulated his vision for the use of military force. It worked in the first Gulf war and it can work again. The bottom line, commit only if you intend to win, and then do it quickly and with overwhelming force.
So as veterns day ends and we head into the last vestiges of a lame duck congress, I am inspired that we have fresh blood and new ideas to help us through the next two years.

Have a great weekend and God Bless America!

The election is over and thank God the pollsters were correct.  It was an incredible day to be a conservative and to witness the American people rise up and say NO we do not like the direction the country is going in. I saw our polling place process over 2000 voters Tuesday and was truly heartened to see people willing to endure long lines to make their voices heard.

While the country for the most part spoke as one, there were some exceptions. The east and west coast appear destined to continue on a suicidal course of electing  big spending liberals who will further bankrupt their states. On a note closer to home, just because one is conservative does not mean that he  or she  is invincible.

 I supported Jane Norton for senator but she lost in the republican primary. Her opponent Ken Buck was seriously damaged yet won the primary. Although I supported him for senator, he clearly was not the best republican candidate for Colorado.  I think the lesson is that just being on the attack won’t hack it.

We in Colorado have to regroup and find a way to turn the state red again. We lost the governorship that should have been a no brainer because of serious infighting, weak candidates, and a third party candidate that should have run as a republican to begin with if he wanted the job. Other states have shown the same thing: the candidate has to be credible and competitive as well as being conservative.

That being said,  let’s not forget the fact that the republicans have taken control of the house, picked up many governorships and state legislatures, and put forward some incredibly appealing new faces for the future. I am very encouraged that this is a turning point and we have a great crop of candidates that will lead us to success in years to come. 

On a final note, I watched the president appear before a press conference today. I was not impressed with his performance and clearly wonder if he really gets it. He was offered a number of chances to  admit his policies were at fault,  and that the American people were not happy with him. Nope. There was lots of wiggling and tap dancing. At the very end he said that the democrats had “taken a shellacking. ” The fact that HE was the reason for it did not appear to enter his mind.  Lets see what happens next. 

So thank you to all who voted, What a great lesson to give our children. Democracy works!