Land of the Free?

As I was watching news reports in the days after the Iowa Straw Poll, and listening to conservative talk radio shows in the same time, something struck me as odd...

The very same talk show hosts on the AM dial who prior to the Ames Straw Poll where billing it as a relevant event, marking true support for "America's Candidate", were now debunking the results... and why??? Because the big news out of the event was that Mike Huckabee, the underfunded underdog came in a awe inspiring second place and was the media favorite after the contest...

So the Pro-Romney, Pro-Rudy AM radio hosts who have been responding to Pro-Huckabee callers with "Good guy, doesn't stand a chance" were eating their words... Yes, I am talking about Rush, Hannity, and Hugh Hewitt...

And then it really got me thinking about how we are going about choosing our next President... when a man with as much Message as Romney has Money is belittled because he is not the talk show's favorite, and the host keeps repeating those words "doesn't have a chance", then I ask this simple question: How is this Presidential election any different than the 2005 Iranian Presidential election?

The answer... It Isn't!

In Iran, the Guardian Council sifts through the field of candidates and selects the candidates that THEY think are fit to run for president. There are no real primaries, no real pre-contests... it is who the Council decides should run, and the people hear that the guardian council has selected a field of candidates, all else are not worthy.

In the US, the Media and Talk shows anoint the candidates that they think are fit to run for president. The primaries are no longer on election day, but on the front page of TIME, or on talk radio shows where the "other" candidates are asteriks candidates, and their beloved Mitt Romney (who is still in single digits nationwide) is always granted the title of debate winner, or poll winner, because the other candidates don't count anyway (almost a direct quote from Hugh Hewitt). The Media decides who should get the airtime, who's name they will praise and who's name they will be debunking. The people hear the Guardian Council... I mean the Media Elites... and see that all else are not worthy in their eyes.

So are we getting the elected officials we deserve? Are we falling for the carrots at the end of the media elite's stick?

With 25% of the GOP vote going to "other/unknown", you have to wonder what candidate we are going to settle for... "Tell us, oh wise council of elite media, for we no longer have the ability to be free thinkers..."

OR, we can rise up, as we did in Iowa... time and again, supporting a candidate with executive experience and a strong Jeffersonian message... We can use this election to take back America, restoring it back to the wonderful Land of the Free... We can look at candidates with substance, intelligence, and core conservative values. Look in your hearts... you know what is right.

Do we want to live in a land of the elite ruling class, or do we want to live in the America that our forefather's endowed us with... the free land, where the government does not rule, the media does not rule, but the people... the common people... you and me... we rule, because we are free.

Reject the elite class. Flood their phone lines with calls. Fill their e-mail inboxes with letters. Send them letter after letter to fill their studio. Organize rallies outside their broadcasting buildings, demanding support for a Jeffersonian candidate willing to give power back... Take the power back from the elites, or suffer at the hands of their appointed leaders.

God Bless!

Straw Poll Results, and the new field of GOP candidates

For starters, congratulations to Mike Huckabee and Tom Tancredo for incredible finishes in the Iowa Straw Poll! Mike's 2nd place finishing was needed to give his candidacy the legitimacy it deserves in the main stream... of course the contest is being downplayed because Rudy-the-Elite and Sinking-Ship-McCain were not participating.

What this does show is that of the "other" candidates, who spent about 1/10th of what Mitt Romney spent, we could bring in very strong support.

The results are as follows:
1. Mitt Romney –32 percent
2. Mike Huckabee – 18 percent
3. Sam Brownback – 15 percent
4. Tom Tancredo – 14 percent
5. Ron Paul – 9 percent
6. Tommy Thompson — 7 percent
7. Fred Thompson – 1 percent
8. Rudolph W. Giuliani – 1 percent
9. Duncan Hunter – 1 percent
10. John McCain (less than 1 percent)
11. John Cox (less than 1 percent)
The vote totals for the top three:
Mr. Romney — 4,516 votes;
Mr. Huckabee — 2,587;
Mr. Brownback – 2,192

What does this mean to the field of GOP candidates?

As I predicted after the Iowa Debates one week ago, Tommy Thompson was one of the first to take the fall and withdraw from the race. His campaign was convinced that they would have a strong second place finish in Ames... but after a poor 6th place showing he made good on his promise to leave the race - leaving us with his blunt candor: "I'm outta the race"

Of course my prediction was that Duncan Hunter would be the first to go, and with a 9th place finish tallying less votes than Rudy and Fred Thompson (about 150 total votes), I am sure that it was a waiting game to see how the other less than favorable candidates reacted. Within the next few days, I would expect to see Mr. Hunter also withdraw.

Mike Huckabee's stellar 2nd place finish has motivated his base to move forward and continue to push past the other candidates, joining the front-runners.

What is troubling is that the numbers that Brownback was able to muster have done more to motivate his base as well... so the "Holy Warrior" will most likely fight on, bringing his bag of dirty tricks along with him.

And the biggest winner of the poll was Congressman Tom Tancredo, with a 4th place finish. I am on the Team Tancredo mailing list, and the campaign is buzzing with excitement over the finish... I don't blame them! I wonder how many more debates Tom will spend in the wings of the stage? Well, with the field dwindling before the next debate, maybe he will be put to the side... But his strong message on border security and ensuring that America is a safe, English speaking, American-first nationalist place to live will continue on.

The funny thing is that I think that McCain's finish about where it would have been in Iowa even if he HAD spent some of his blown $25 million there... with his constant snubbing of Iowa, I am confused as to why they even let him into the state!

As for the results, farewell Sir Thompson. Your candidness will be missed. And may I be the first to say to you, Sir Hunter, thank you for support of the military, and best of luck to you in your future endeavors.

Here is to the new, leaner list of GOP Candidates...

God Bless

Registered Republicans Undecided

The latest AP-Ipsos Poll shows that the New leader in the Republican Primary is:




NONE OF THE ABOVE



25% of the vote when asked which of the candidate (Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, or Sam Brownback) went to the "Other, Not Sure, None" categories... which can only mean that the media's focus on candidates that are not electable must have some deeper meaning. (i.e. all the Rudy McRomney talk is not allowing other candidates to shine on their differing viewpoints)


The same poll shows that Clinton is clearly the front runner for the Democrats...

I feel like I am stuck in an old Richard Pryor movie, Brewster's Millions, where he is running a campaign NOT to elect a candidate... instead voting for "None of the Above"...

Of course the premise of that election is that the government officials on the ballot are corrupt, and would not do well in their elected position... Kind of like our current Liberal Media Anointed Republican Hoard... who's poor numbers come from the BASE of the party who realize that these media elite candidates are neither conservative NOR Republican (unless you consider RINO a wing of the Republican Party)

The article continues:

Such discontent with the top-tier could lead Republicans to reconsider
lesser-knowns such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee

Now we are getting somewhere... Though Huckabee pulled in 3% of the ~400 Republican votes, 15% were in the "Don't Know/Not Sure" category. This means that if Huckabee can come out as a sstrong conservative alternative to the liberal Media Anointed, then we have a chance... So with 15% unsure, there is plenty of room to break out!

Two months ago, the "Undecided Republican" was at less than 14%... Rudy was well ahead of the pack at around 37% nationwide... without much shift in support (except for the Fred Thompson "idea"), Rudy has (rightfully) fallen to 20%... making him a very vulnerable candidate.

This news is very promising... especially as poll after poll excludes the "other" candidates that have a broader appeal to the Conservative base of the Republican Party... so as long as the polls keep asking for you to select between the Media Elite candidates, and keep pushing them as "top tier", I invoke the spirit of Richard Pryor:

VOTE: NONE OF THE ABOVE!

Energy Independence Will Require Radical Changes

Before I begin my discussion on this topic, let me preface by saying that the origin of the Republican Party was in radical ideology... Equality for all men, regardless of skin tone, in a time when slavery was openly practiced over much of the US, and the world. So we were born on radical ideas, and it is on such that we must continue to grow.

Most presidential candidates are talking about an energy independence plan that revolves around a 20-40% reduction in foreign oil consumption by 2020... This is a fancy way of saying that you have a plan, with a fine-print-promise of "It aint gonna happen!"

Energy independence, serious energy independence, does not come from 20 year plans with little or no gain on current situations. Such plans guarantee future energy based wars in regions of the world that would rather not have US occupation.

So to get results, we need Radical Changes... radical changes in the form of Radical Policy and Radical New Laws. I am not one to support bigger government or more laws... but in this case it is a new law that will steer the "norm" in a new direction.

When the congress passed their "sweeping fuel consumption reform" they praised themselves as the car companies grumbled in protest... the reform: mandating 40 mpg average on ALL vehicles by 2020... in hopes to reduce fuel consumption. But with the number of vehicles on the road increasing each year, this does nothing to energy consumption but maintain the status quo!

We need an energy independence bill to go through both houses and the oval office that will guarantee immediate and drastic change... Complete energy independence in less than 8 years from the time of passage... Sounds impossible, but is it? Oh, it will piss off the oil industry... but it is time to "break the addiction". My legislation would look something like this (legal jargon omitted) -

1. 100% of All new vehicles to be sold in the United States shall be Ethanol E-85, Flex Fuel, Ethanol/Hybrid technology, Bio-Diesel, or otherwise burning less than 15% total petrol per tank of fuel by the year 2012.

2. All Oil industry subsidies shall be stopped, and money used instead to prepare the ethanol & bio-diesel infrastructure, including ethanol fuel crops, ethanol / bio-diesel production, and distribution centers. All fueling stations shall be required to provide alternative fueling options (ethanol and/or bio-diesel)

3. US should fund creation of new power plants within the US, to include ONLY clean fuels, excluding Nuclear fission plants. Plants should include Offshore-Wind, Tidal Generators, Geothermal Generators, and Solar Plants.

4. States should be classified as "Sunshine" or "Non-Sunshine" states/regions. For instance, Eastern Colorado gets 300+ days of sunshine a year... this will classify it as a Sunshine State / Region.

5. ALL homes and buildings in "sunshine regions" shall be required to install Solar Panels and energy storage. Cost of installation shall be offset by government subsidies to the solar panel manufacturers. This will drastically reduce the need for power plants, and ensure reduction in natural gas/coal/oil burning emissions. The solar power could provide 75% of all housing energy consumption, eliminating energy draws / black-outs / etc.

Taking the steps above we, as a country, reduce emissions of petroleum based fuels by at least 50-75%. We will also reduce the need for mass power distribution, allowing power share of stored personal solar energy. we will completely eliminate the need to import fuels from the middle east and south America by 2020 (not just reducing by 20-40%). It assures that we become not only energy independent from foreign governments, but greatly adds to our own personal energy independence from big power companies... as well as promising better stewardship of the land in which we live.

This is a radical shift in America, and a challenge that will rival the first moon program to implement on such a short timeline...

But it CAN be done.

In fact, I have freely given my independent ideas on this policy change to Bill Richardson and the You Tube community last week, and I offer it to you (my reader) today. If there is not movement in the congress or by a presidential candidate to adopt these radical policies, I will have to take up the fight myself!

Give the policy some thought, and please feel free to comment...

God Bless.

"Get To Know Mike Huckabee" Day

I hereby declare, on behalf of the Huckabee blogging community, that July 4th, 2007 is "Get to know Mike Huckabee" day. Watch the video to learn more:




You can use this text as part of the issues pamphlet, or visit ExploreHuckabee.com to get the issues yourself:

Mike Huckabee on the Issues:

Education and the Arts:
• I believe that every child in America has the right to a quality public education that teaches the fundamental skills needed to compete in a global economy.
• Music and the arts are not extraneous, extra-curricular, or expendable – I believe they are essential. I want to provide every child these “Weapons of Mass Instruction.”
• Our future economy depends on a creative generation.
• We need to judge the success of our schools by the results we obtain, not the revenue we spend.
• Test scores rose dramatically when I was Governor of Arkansas because of my education reforms.
• I have been a strong, consistent supporter of the rights of parents to home school their children, of creating more charter schools, and of public school choice.
• We need a clear distinction between federal and state roles in education. While there is value in the “No Child Left Behind” law’s effort to set high standards, states must be allowed to develop their own benchmarks.

Energy Independence:
• The first thing I will do as President is send Congress my comprehensive plan for energy independence. We will achieve energy independence by the end of my second term.
• Achieving energy independence is vital to achieving success both in the war on terror and in globalization. Energy independence will help guarantee both our safety and our prosperity.
• We have to explore, we have to conserve, and we have to pursue all avenues of alternative energy: nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, clean coal, bio-diesel, and biomass.

Taxes:
• I support the FairTax.
• As Governor of Arkansas, I cut taxes and fees almost 100 times, saving the taxpayers almost $380 million. I left a surplus of nearly $850 million, which I urged should go back to the people.
• Our massive deficit is not due to Americans’ being under-taxed, but to the government’s over-spending.
• To control spending, I believe the President should have the line-item veto.
• I believe in free trade, but it has to be fair trade.
• Globalization, done right, done fairly, can be the equivalent of a big pay raise by allowing us to buy things more cheaply.

Immigration:
• My number one priority is to secure America's border.
• We have to know who is coming into our country, where they are going, and why they are here. We need a fence along our border with Mexico, electronic in some places, and more highly-trained border agents.
• Those who are caught trying to enter illegally must be detained, processed, and deported.
• Illegal immigrants already living among us who commit crimes must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and incarcerated or deported.
• We must get our border under control before we deal with the illegal immigrants who are already here.
• I am opposed to amnesty - I believe that those who came here years ago and are law-abiding taxpayers must pay a significant fine as admission of their guilt and have a choice of deportation or a rigorous process toward legal status.

National Security/Foreign Policy: Iraq / Israel
• I support a regional summit so that Iraq’s neighbors become militarily and financially committed to stabilizing Iraq.
• Our troops are giving their all to provide a window of opportunity for the Iraq government to succeed
• I am a steadfast supporter of Israel, our staunch ally in the War on Terror, the only fully-functioning democracy in the Middle East, and our greatest friend in that region.
The United States must remain true to its long-standing commitment to the Israeli people
As President, I will always ensure that Israel has access to the technology she needs to defend herself from those who seek her annihilation.
• I believe that we are currently engaged in a world war. This war is not a conventional war, and these terrorists are not a conventional enemy.
• The top priority of the President as Commander in Chief is first and foremost protecting our own citizens.
• With a focus on renewed diplomacy and inclusion, we can accomplish the goals of our nation without having to go it alone.
• During the Cold War, we had hawks and doves, but this new war requires us to be a phoenix, rising reborn to meet each new challenge and seize each new opportunity.
• As President, I will fight this war hard, but I will also fight it smart, using all our political, economic, diplomatic, and intelligence weapons as well as our military might.
• The terrorists train in small, scattered groups. We can accomplish a great deal with swift, surgical air strikes and commando raids by our elite units.
• We have to get tough with President Musharaff who has allowed Al Qaeda and the Taliban to have bases in Waziristan.
• We don’t have a dog in the fight between Sunnis and Shiites – our enemy is Islamic extremism in all its guises.
• The long-term solution is to empower moderates in the region by attacking the underlying conditions that breed terror.
• Part of winning the war on terror is achieving energy independence.
• I believe in the Powell Doctrine of using overwhelming force to accomplish a mission.
• I have the executive and crisis management experience, the judgment and the temperament to be an effective commander in chief.
I will expand the army and increase the defense budget.

You can use these images, or go to Mike Huckabee's official Myspace page for higher resolution versions... or make something yourself...

Remember, 100 pamphlets... or 1 hour... Hit the parades, the markets, the fireworks shows, the BBQs, church picnics... anything... Putting that flier in someone's hand, looking them straight in the eyes and saying, "You need to see this guy"... wow... it is a powerful message!

Polling and the 2008 Presidential Race

I would like to first thank my friends at the Huckabee '08 blog for alerting me to this article. Please check their blog for a complete Arkansas based analysis of the results and possible race.

The Rasmussen Reports polls have FINALLY conducted a Huckabee poll, pitting him against Clinton, Obama, and Edwards for 2008. The results? Clinton holds only a single digit lead (Clinton 48% / Huckabee 43%). What this means is that Clinton, who most likely holds the lead on name recognition alone, is within reach of this up and coming candidate. Obama and Edwards were polling higher than Clinton against all candidates in this 800 voter study, 47% of which declared that they definitely would not vote for Hillary. That leave a 10% undecided on the Clinton/Huckabee poll. How to get that 10%? Let Mike talk about education, arts in education, and taxes... and stop ONLY asking him about his religious views in the debates! Enough already - the man is a level headed Christian. Move On!

Regarding the Iowa Straw Polls - WOW... what a choice for the slipping top tier candidates!

Giuliani and McCain have both decided to not participate in the Ames Iowa Straw Poll, and for good reason: Romney is expected to beat them both. A Romney win in those polls would be a BIG hit to their campaign, and a trump for Romney. So what should we expect to see? With Fred Thompson also not participating, we should see a Romney lead with a great showing of support for the other candidates, namely Huckabee!

"No candidate has skipped the straw poll and gone on to win the caucuses in the past 30 years..."
The Ames poll is a huge benchmark test for the nomination, measuring the organization ability and strength of the campaigns, and the fact that two of the "top three" are declining to participate because of an expected poor showing is disappointing. I say, if you are in it to win it, let's see what the PEOPLE think! I mean, honestly, NYTimes polling can only get you so far... Leave it in the hands of the voters, and let's see what the NEW direction of the party is going to be.

One thing that I have been saying for some time now, the "Top Candidates" want nothing more than to maintain the status quo. We need to put some spin on this story and expose the "Top Candidates" for what they are... beatable!

Lightning Strikes, but No Major Sparks Fly

The highlight of the GOP debates: God silences Giuliani during his defense of his abortion stance, after being compared to Pontius Pilate (in reference to the crucifixion of Christ where Pilate did not agree, but did nothing to stop the act). The building (or immediate area) was struck several times with lightning, cutting power to his microphone. Better yet, he acknowledged God's presence by saying that he was afraid of the timing of the strikes, and all the other candidates moved away, as if to let God do his dirty work. So for those of you who believe in coincidence only and not God, what were the odds of that???

Other than that, my take of the evening was pretty bland from the top tier.

McCain is a broken record... I understand the philosophy of staying on message, but you don't have to repeat the same phrase over and over. It is like listening to an elderly man who's memory is starting to go, so he tells the same story over and again!

Romney came off as the flip-flopping Republican version of 2004 John Kerry. As I recall, he was even called a flip-flopper by one of the audience members during the Q&A portion of the night. Not a good sign, Romney... And his response: I'll do what I have to do to get the votes... ummm, what? so instead of standing on your principles you will lie, cheat, and steal to get the votes... In the words of Trump, "You're Fired!"

And I think that Brownback got it right, when he told the audience that the party cannot be considered a conservative party if they nominate someone who is as socially liberal as Giuliani. There is moderate, and then there is a Liberal on the Republican ticket...

So other than McCain fumbling, Romney defending his flip-flops, and Giuliani defending his very liberal social issues, there was nothing helping the "head of the pack" candidates... i.e. their attempt to maintain the status quo (hmmm... sounds familiar - see my post about the Democratic debate).

What WAS amazing were the "others". Huckabee came across as the witty and confident underdog that he is, with great answers to open ended questions about the greatest moral issues in America today... and wonderfully, the rest of the field followed... In fact, whenever Huckabee spoke on any topic, the rest of the candidates seemed to try and build off of Huckabee's intelligent remarks, perhaps hoping that the audience will think that they came up with the thought... It was a series of great moments for Huckabee.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Republican Party has “lost credibility” said former
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee when he was asked what happened to his party during the 2006 midterm elections, when the GOP was swept from power in
Congress.
“We didn’t do what we were hired to do and the people fired us,”
Huckabee said at Tuesday’s Republican presidential debate.
Citing the Bush administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina, corruption scandals involving GOP lawmakers and other issues, Huckabee said, “The Republican Party as a whole deserved to get beat. "We’ve lost credibility.”

And that is why Huckabee is the guy to fix the party... he stands for honest conservative values!

Paul is getting further and further out into left field... He has some very good moments, but all in all, he is OUT THERE!

Brownback did a good job in re-emphasizing the diplomatic solution to Iraq. Everything else was pretty forgettable from him.

And the rest... well, a few good moments surrounded by blandness.

I would score it as a Huckabee win overall, with the top tier candidates starting to lose steam.

Huckabee - discussing the issues

Mike Huckabee is growing in popularity, not only due to grassroots efforts alone, but because once his views on the issues are heard, citizens realize that he is the right man (person) for the job of the next US President.

Take a minute, visit the YouTube site, Explore Huckabee, and listen to his views on the issues. Everything from Arts and education to eliminating the IRS. I am sure that once you hear what he has to say, you will support Huckabee too!

Get up to date on the issues, and get the word out! Let everyone know that You Like Mike!

Why I like Mike Huckabee for our next President

Let me preface this by saying that I started supporting Huckabee for president the second that I read his bio on Wikipedia... which was about December of 2006. Talk about a well rounded guy without the "drama" of EVERYONE else in the conservative camp! Anyway, I liked what I saw and joined the Explore Huckabee team right away.

Since then, I have paid special attention to his speeches, his comments during the debates, his e-mails, and his blogs... this guy just keeps looking better and better.

To top it off, I recently purchased his latest book, "From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 STOPs to Restoring America's Greatness"... and I am quickly realizing that this is the sort of president that the US needs!

He is the answer to the growing political rift, the increased divide in the "class", and the content based politician that has been elusive in recent federal elections. Believe it or not, Mike Huckabee stands for common decency toward your fellow man, and he not only believes in what he says but he LIVES IT! He is of the same line of thinking that I am, that the government is only as good as the people who support it, and thus it not only benefits us ALL to be better people, but to be involved in our community and thus better ourselves and our expectations of our government.

As he states in his book, we are in a political environment where the goal is to win, not better the lives of the people. This is where the vicious attack campaigns have come from... and it is destructive to not only us as citizens, but to the pool of citizen servants who will dare put themselves into the political spectrum... i.e. it scares away a lot of great political potential for fear of defamation... and what we are left with... the "lesser of two evils"...

This is exactly why I intend to vote for Huckabee. He is a decent man, with a great outlook on life. He is the very type of man that you can ACTUALLY be proud of when you say, "That's my President!!!"

And when I decide to get my political hands dirty, I hope to have the same outlook, and openness that Huckabee has.

This man has moved me, and I am sure that if you look into what he stands for, perhaps read his book, you will be moved as well.