2012 Election: 9-1-1 Emergency!

If it's broken, fix it. 

Yes, we Republicans have a pretty sad lot going into the '12 elections. For the first time that I can remember, even though I follow the process closely, I have no real excitement for it. Didn't think it was possible. I've finally decided that Romney is my candidate- but really, there's no love there. As for everyone else the names are all over the map..Bachmann, Perry vs Romney, Romney vs Cain, and...Gingrich? *sigh* But there is one point most conservatives seem to agree on: Obama’s time is done. The 2012 election is in the bag.

Stop. Rewind. Reality check. It’s when we start thinking this way that things start going south and instead of clinching victory, jaws drop and we wonder what just happened. When it comes to taking advantage of positive outcomes and making gains from sinking Democrat ratings, this year party leaders seem intent on sabotaging opportunity and turning the tables against themselves. Really, true story.

If it weren’t for Obama’s toilet ratings, we wouldn’t have a chance.

The election process signals an opportunity for a changing of the guards. Its an opportunity for parties to show the people what they can offer and why it's better than the competition. Right now, I'm thinking Canada might be a nice place to live in 2013.

Image is Key
Fragmentation, religious extremism, overstepping, the ‘my way or the highway’ attitude, and sheer stupidity in front of the camera is wreaking havoc on our party image not to mention our end game. It’s not loyal Republicans or religious extremists the party needs to win over- it’s everyone else and that requires creating (and maintaining) positive public perception of what we can and are doing. On that front-Fail.

Case(s) in point…

• A dumbed-down decade? Bachmann kills us with her gift of knowledge for economic policy and US history..over and over again. Bachmann, Perry, Romney..engaging in foreign policy debates without bringing foreign policy knowledge, or facts, to the table. The televised debates- just painful. What happened to preparation? Someone should show these peeps a job posting for the position they're applying. Fact checker anyone? I'll work for cheap.

• Religion as politics: Religion has always had a place in the party platform and, in small subtle doses, can enhance the presidential presentation. After all, this country wasn’t founded by a bunch of non-believers. But fundamentalists with political ambitions? Hard right wingers don’t represent the party majority (or the national majority) and yet we’ve been seeing them too much in press and hearing too much from their representatives.

*Remember the end game; remember the audience* Solution: Stop giving these people a microphone.

• 2011 budget: We stood firm on total cuts needed and I applauded those efforts; in the end we got most of what we asked for. Hoorah. And then we overstepped with Planned Parenthood funding using the premise of spend reduction. Really. Inconsequential to the total budget and one of the few government spends producing long term saves. Threatening a shutdown is one thing but stepping dangerously close to letting it happen is called sabotaging a good thing. Supremely bad press. Think Big Picture. Obviously this was about other agendas. We had an opportunity to come out on top and we came out looking ready and willing to undermine progress simply to open doors for overturning Roe v Wade. Seriously? Score 1 for the Democrats.

• Debt ceiling agreement: holding up the process in the final stretch demanding the exclusion of provisions that ultimately ended up in the final package anyway (i.e., tax hikes, defense cuts). The point? Democrats got what they wanted and we looked like the Grinch who nearly stole Christmas. *maybe we need better press people* Surprisingly, a lot of Republicans think we got a huge win. Apparently they skipped over the fine print details of the role of the super committee. clap-clap-clap for the asses; boot in the rear for Republicans.

United we stand
Or not. What’s Prince Reibus been doing these days anyway…

Public bickering between leaders, dissension of core ideas, Republican party Republicans versus Tea Party Republicans, no strong frontrunner... Romney may be leading the pack but the ongoing fluctuation of top frontrunners, begging for Chris Christie's candidacy, the fact that Gingrich is still in..clear indications that mainstream Republicans do not have a strong allegiance to Romney or the other candidates and in general, feel we're pretty much at a low point with the candidate pool. Who to pick, who to pick. And oh yes, only one has a real shot of beating Obama anyway.

So, in the bag? At the end of 2010 that outcome seemed a real possibility. Now we have to fight even harder to make it reality. Time to change our tune and do it smartly or the direness of the last four years will end with "another 4 years"..

The Superbowl Snooze: The Good and The Bad

My friend wondered where my commentary was for this year’s Superbowl ads so here goes... *I’m three weeks behind but whatever* In short, from what I saw, someone definitely hit the snooze button on my Superbowl ad party. Folks in the biz, I was not impressed. For most of this years’ ads, the general reaction was, ‘eh, I saw this last year I think’.

There were, however, a few that stood out – both good and bad. Let’s review some of the more memorable ones and those we hope never to see again...

THE GOOD.

1. Google - Parisian Love

Two thumbs up for this ad. Simple, powerful, effective; we get it. The ad starts us off with someone doing a Google search on ‘study abroad in Paris’ then takes us through a cute love story between some American guy and a Parisian girl - all through the use of Google’s powerful search engine.

This commercial feels vaguely reminiscent of the Chase card commercial depicting a relevant Chase card for every major point in your life from singledom and having fun to falling in love, getting married, having a family, retirement. It just makes you feel good. We get it. Using Google for relationship advice? Beautiful.It’s just one of the things that make this ad completely relevant from an audience perspective. How many people haven’t done this... The cute back story just pulls it all together. *Clap-clap-clap for Google and their first Superbowl ad*

2. FLOTV - Injury Report

Poor, poor Jason: forced to shop instead of watch the Superbowl.I know many guys that probably felt the pain of this scenario all too well.I thought this was cute and funny..in a dry, entertaining way. "Injury report: Jason’s girlfriend has removed his spine rendering him incapable of watching the Superbowl...Change outta that skirt Jason.” Classic. It’s not terribly hilarious but guys get it (and so do some of the ladies – you know who you are). The straight-forward dry humor coupled with the “I get it” factor is what makes it work.*chuckle, chuckle*

3. Doritos - Tie between Casket and Kids These Days (at the vending machine)

Some classicly 'decent' Doritos commercials - nothing that really blew my socks off, but these two made me chuckle fairly consistently so they make the list. One thing I will say for Doritos and Co - they understand the entertainment factor: keep it short, keep it simple, make us laugh (and, make us hungry for Doritos). For me it was a tie between The Casket and the Vending Machine – both clever and fun, both made me hungry. Particularly in the Casket version...all those Doritos..yumm. *Score*

Too bad the guy wasn’t so mouth-watering though..*ickk*

On that note...really, Doritos should play up the hot man factor just a little...after all, women viewers are more likely to watch the Superbowl commercials, they're more likely to do the shopping (and therefore, buy the Doritos for the next house party) and they currently make up almost half of the Superbowl viewing audience. That makes the hot-man factor equally as relevant as the hot-woman factor played in so many other Doritos commercials. Doritos et al: work on that eye candy would ya???

THE BAD.

1. Audi - Green Police

People want to be entertained, not sit there feeling like an ass. This commercial had me debating the top three things I felt like doing most while watching that commercial: bathe in a tub of foam and plastic, pollute the Pacific- drop an oil tanker, fly to Alaska-club a baby seal. Probably not a good thing. *I can almost feel the e-tomatoes flying* This commercial takes the ‘Going Green’ concept and slaps you in the face with it in a way that is neither funny nor appreciated.

Audi so strongly identified with the Green Police in this ad that I had no desire to go out and get one. In fact, I was feeling rather anti-Audi after the ad. Who wants to associate with a brand that says you’ll be arrested for having your hot tub too hot (helloooo 'hot' tub...) or drinking from a foam or plastic cup (hellooooo Superbowl...?). It’s annoyingly over-the-top comedy and headache-inducing Green Police jingle just make you want to do bad things....like take the Audi A3 TDI for a test drive – right into oncoming traffic or better, the Green Police.

Moving on...

2. Dove for Men - Journey to Comfort

Where to begin? For me, this ad fails on so many levels. You can just see the outer lining of a good concept, but somewhere during the execution phase the good concept just went bad. The tagline is about men going through the difficulties of life....as a young man, a husband, father, point-man – and having to handle the pressures and expectations (like the responsibility of kids, the lawn, dishes...the wife). Presumably, according to the ad, men handle it because that’s what real men do so be comfortable with the man you are and the life you have.

Heh? Sorry. Simply put, the message doesn’t match ‘the message.’ The message in this ad is really about “acceptance and resignation.”

Instead of feeling the intended: “I’m a man and I’m comfortable with my life, my manhood and my responsibilities” what I got was more along the lines of: “I was doing fine right up until I met my wife. I now despise my life, I’m a pussy and a drone but whatever...cheers *insert sappy smile and cue the cheesy end-music*”

At the end of the commercial I’m asking myself two questions:

1) how many married men sadly identified with this commercial, and

2) how many single men are crossing marriage off the to-do list or debating a 10-year delay...

From a marketing perspective, this ad is so targeted it almost says unless you are a married man who despises his life and deals with it with acceptance and resignation – this soap isn’t for you. Not very effective marketing when more than 35% of male SB viewers are between the ages of 18-34. This ad alienates the vast majority of that potential.

But, having said that....I'd be interesting to know which of you liked the ad and why....

3. US Census - Snapshot of America

Of course this had to be on the list....

How much did the government pay for the 3^rd quarter spot and all those vignettes?

And...why? Thank you government for putting my tax dollars to work so effectively. And for the record, the ad sucked.

The Obama-GM Debacle

Obama says he wants to, “get G.M. back on its feet, take a hands-off approach and get out quickly.”

Problem: No plan.
Obama wants to build affordable green cars and save the mega company yet, he’s presented no product plan, no manufacturing plan and no plan for appeasing creditors, not to mention the fact that no one on his staff has experience turning around a large, complex, flailing company.


Problem: Get in and get out? More like get in and duck.
Obama and his diaper, er dapper clad youngings claim that they can get GM out of debt quickly and help them turn a profit after investing tax-payer dollars to the tune of $50billion. Really? That’s an arrogant notion considering GM’s been stuck in the non-profit quagmire for decades (and again, no one on Obama's staff has any experience dealing with billion dollar instant makeovers).

Obama wants GM to focus on building small, energy efficient cars for the future, yet GM's most profitable and most popular cars are the gas-guzzling SUVs and its monster Cadillac Escalade. What’s more, automotive economists have pointed out that sales of small-engine, green cars account for only 17 % of total automotive sales in the US and that it's a very competitve sector.

More arrogance. I'll miss those tax-payer dollars....


Problem: UAW, UAW, UAW
Management and the UAW have had a bad marriage for the last 30 years which has dragged down the entire company. Why neither party has ever filed for divorce befuddles me. Today's UAW is like some pesky virus that plagues every sector of the business until it's no longer functioning, and now they have even more stake in the company. Brill.

The UAW doesn’t approve of sending production off-shore, and while I agree that we need to keep jobs here, what the UAW doesn’t understand, or chooses to ignore, is that the UAW is the reason many U.S. automakers have turned to foreign production. Not only has the UAW priced itself out of the market with its incredulous wages, benefits and union dues, but they've gone greedy with their business dealings. Like I always say, they don't do squat but they sure do pay people well to take an 8-hour lunch break cleverly disguised as an 8-hour work day.

This UAW situation motto was pulled from the 'about us' page of their website:

"Wake-up, wake-up [yawn, stretch, yawn]...that bolt in the production line
needs to be replaced. Stop production. Go to maintenance and fill out a requisition to get the bolt guy to come down here and replace it. As soon as maintenance approves that other requisition to fill that open management position, hopefully we'll have the bolt guy down here sometime next month. In the meantime, here's
your paycheck for the next 4 weeks, plus bonus. Have a nice lunch."

Ok, so it didn't come from their website... Very amusing though is the thought of government getting into bed with the UAW. *chuckle, chuckle* That's likely to have explosive outcomes.


Problem: American car company + European car company = Disaster
Obama has given Chrysler 30 days to come-up with a game-plan for the newly proposed "ChryslerFiat", with a promise to provide $6billion in financial backing.

Flashback: Past attempts to merge failing US automakers with European automakers (American Motors and Renault, Daimler-Chrysler etc.) has resulted in poor quality, managment fumble-bumbles, revenue nose-dives, and expensive products that people just don't want. And apparently, neither do the automakers that produced them since even GM and Ford are dumping their still fairly new European divisions faster than you can say SAAB.


Problem: Any business + Government = Disaster
The government holds a 60% stake in GM. Does anyone really think this is a good thing?

Let’s consider…
City transportation: Loses millions every year. [FAIL.]

AMTRAK – has lost over $500 Million during the whole of its government-run lifespan with debts totaling more than $3Billion. [FAIL.]

Social and Welfare programs – [FAIL.]

Medicare – I read somewhere that Medicare was so lax in its oversight that they were approving orthopedic shoes for leg amputees. [FAIL.]

Federal deficit before Obama – [FAIL.]

Federal deficit after Obama – Obama has nearly tripled the deficit. Who knew one could expound even more on failure. [FAIL.]

The government-run Government - [FAIL.]

All, at the end of the day, private enterprise is the best there is at alleviating suffering and maximizing wealth to the most people most effectively and efficiently.

'Nuff said.

Keeping Guantanamo Open

A controversial topic...but those are always more fun to talk about.

Closing Guantanamo is a symbolic move, but it's not the right move. Of course, saying that out loud doesn’t yield popular votes or help make new friends; you’re more likely to come across as an insensitive swine. *I can feel the e-tomatoes flying already* In any case, popular sentiment doesn’t change reality.

First: when you consider the purpose for it, the environment, the people in it, and the security, etc... Guantanamo is clearly a unique facility. Fact is...even closed, a facility of this kind will have to exist somewhere. The entire facility is guarded by military personnel, guards are armed to the hilt, and doctors have to wear heavy armor when treating prisoners to protect themselves against violent attacks like stabbings. All of these elements ((plus interrogation and national security) go beyond what we would consider standard prison environment. Given the nature of the detainees and the primary function of the facility, the location seems to me to be an ideal one.

“An effective counterterrorism policy would segregate terrorists from society, gain intelligence about their activities and organization by lawful means, hold them criminally responsible for their crimes, and discourage the spread of their numbers and ideology.”

As far as I'm concerned, successfully achieving the first three goals is quite enough for me to validate keeping Guantanamo open. Few will deny that there have been abuses in the interrogation process - perhaps even gross atrocities. That said, the existence of these abuses does not and should not discredit the benefits of the facility or the necessity for keeping it open. If the detention facilities at Guantanamo are closed, the United States will still have legal and moral obligations to safeguard the prisoners, collect intelligence, and try war criminals. In fact, there are many who agree that meeting those obligations in accordance with national security concerns will require procedures and facilities that look an awful lot like Guantanamo.

Second: looking at our own domestic prisons I'm not ignorant enough to believe that similar abuses aren’t occurring. I know abuses happen; I watch 20/20 and Dateline! ;-) Prisoners may not be chained for days without food or use of bathroom facilities (that's the nicest way to put that), but are prisoners who are beaten by guards, gang-raped and demoralized considered to be receiving better treatment? How do we distinguish? On one hand we have Guantanamo and public outcry over the treatment of terrorists who live and die to kill Americans (meaning they could give a squats ass about you) and on the other hand the public doesn't say boo about the treatment of American prisoners within our own domestic detention facilities. I find the obvious contradiction extremely disturbing and I believe this one consideration alone renders the whole argument of prisoner treatment at Guantanamo moot.

In any case, before we even consider closing Guantanamo, it needs to be stated very clearly how the government intends to collect intelligence, interrogate detainees and safeguard prisoners more effectively and humanely than the current detention operations at Guantanamo. Following that, the government needs to address how they intend to monitor all of those operations to ensure the proper processes are being followed (or being followed any differently than the current operations at Guantanamo). I've heard nothing; I've read nothing that addresses these important questions. Arguing that the United States should close the facilities merely to placate criticisms of its detention policies is not enough (unless of course you're Obama or part of his idiot administration).

*I find this whole Guantanamo business eerily similar to the administration's handling of Healthcare - let's not identify the issues and try to fix the problem, let's appease public opinion by making stupid decisions to take focus away from the issue, and hope the issue resolves itself*

moving on...

If we close Guantanamo…where do the prisoners go?
A friend posted a video on Facebook recently and the message of the youtube video was basically: Terrorist..Coming Soon to Your Neighborhood. Extreme? Probably not by much. One possibility under consideration is to send detainees to local prisons; another option is to send them to Camp Pendleton. I suggest another alternative...if GITMO does close, cut a hole in the fence and let them loose in Cuba. Castro was nice enough to empty his prisons and send them to us in the 70's, let's return the favor! And by the by, sending suspected terrorists to a prison facility filled with militarly prisoners - isn't on par with creating a more humane environment; in fact I would argue that it's more akin to putting sheep in the lion's den. Putting suspected terrorists at the mercy of American prisoners and guards - military or otherwise - also seems to render the whole argument of prisoner treatment at Guantanamo moot. On second thought, this option does have some appeal...

Next idiot move.....

A Sinking GOP

Just a few years ago, I was telling college students that the problem with the Democratic party is that…there is no true party. Eight years ago, the Democratic party brand was in shambles. It had no solid ideology to spout, no real platform, dissent ran amuck throughout the party, and there was no strength in leadership.

Suddenly, today’s Republican Party has landed itself where the democrats were 8 years ago: lacking a coherent vision that resonates with ordinary voters and weighed down by ideological bankruptcy. States are turning blue, pulpit religion seems to be finding its way into a lot of party conversations, the party as a whole feels demoralized and beaten, and strong party leaders are non-existent. I’m not sure I could even name a solid top 5. And if I could, no folks, Sarah Palin would not be on that list.

Briefly on Sarah Palin: let’s face it; Palin energized the Party base – no joke. But here’s the reality: we were so desperate to reinvigorate a lifeless party, to bring youth to our ideas and our image, that we blinded ourselves to what can be classically characterized as a woman who is just plain air-headed. We scorn Obama for his down–right idiot behavior in recent months (as well we should), but can we honestly say Palin would have given a better representation – as VP or possibly as President. EH. No. And yet we wanted that November win so badly (and just as badly we wanted the Democrats to fall with a thunderous THUMP), that we ignored the obvious to get there.

Many of us know what it means to live, breathe and “be” Republican, but there seem to be a lot more who just don’t get it. What has happened to our party since the Reagan days? Republican politicians tout Reagan's name to invigorate skeptical voters *and we within the party love hearing his name*, but Reagan was last President in 1989. What does that say about our party when the last great conservative leader we quote was leading twenty years ago??? Are we even still the same party that Reagan loved so much? Certainly not; we just use his name.

George W. Bush's popularity pretty much tanked our overall image, but there’s no denying the fact that there’s a lot more going on in the GOP that is responsible for its decline. Anyone who says otherwise would probably vote Palin for President in 2012. *you know who you are*

What we need to do
We need to rebuild the Republican brand. We need to rebuild from the local level and let the revolution spread upward and outward. I’ve seen it start here in the Springs – a lot of togetherness and discussion. Let’s spread the passion and renew the party.

The party has to do a better job of communicating, in plain English, what our policies mean to the people here at home. The awesomeness of our ideals hasn’t changed, but younger generations don’t seem to get us. We need to do a better job of saying: This is what we believe, this is why we believe it, and this is what it means to you; for reasons a, b, and c…this is how our “vision” impacts you. Simply saying what you believe and pointing at the other guy isn’t enough – not today. The future of the party isn’t the older generation who remember what the party used to be, but the young folks coming out of college who will make it what it needs to become. And from young to old, left to right, people need to understand the connection between policy and personal impact.

And finally,

The party has to be above bitterness and anger. It seems that so many conservatives these days are more interested in spewing pure hatred for leftist ideologies that they refuse to engage in real intellectual conversations on the issues. And I’m not saying the left doesn’t do this either but who cares what they’re doing. Whatever it is…they’re doing it better than we are. And if there’s something to really be angry about, let’s start there.

It’s a Hospital, Stupid

Yesterday, I had the unfortunate experience of hitching a ride to the ER in the front of an ambulance (don’t worry, aches and pains aside…everyone is OK). But on the way to the ER, we didn’t nedessarily know that things would be okay. There was only concern and a need to get in front of the ER doctor. *Insert unhappy rant*

The hospital we went to was St. Francis Medical Center, a new facility under Penrose-St. Francis (see pretty picture)

It’s a nice looking hospital no doubt; the fact that it’s brand new doesn’t hurt either. And the food is pretty decent for hospital food. The only question I have is: Who’s the idiot architect that designed the parking layout?? Ok two questions: And which moronic suit approved it??

*If you agree that it should be a straight shot from the road to the ambulance drop-off, raise your hand*

Now, the picture above was taken when the building and parking lots were completed but the layout from the main entrance to the parking lot was still in progress. Notice the distance? Yea, that’s not for fear of hospitals, that’s because between the main entrance and the hospital there is a long (out of the way) road that very slowly meanders towards the hospital before it leads you into 3, count ‘em 3(!) ridiculous round-abouts. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing a round-about, I’m sure you can empathize without me having to say anything. After the three, count ‘em 3(!) ridiculous round-abouts, you have a few more twists and sharp turns before you finally see the emergency entrance. Alas, there's one final sharp turn to get to the actual ambulance entrance.

Heh? Are you kidding me??!!?!

The layout is worse than the worst airport I’ve been to and yes, this is the only way to get in or out. The ambulance driver almost took the wrong exit on the second round-about during daylight and we did take a wrong exit on the very first round-about leaving at night. Imagine the poor patient strapped to a gurney in the back, having to endure all that crap. *Ouch* Imagine a patient bleeding to death or suffering a heart attack and it takes 20 minutes to get to the hospital and another 15 just to get from the main entrance to the ER.

Doctor: The patient died on the way?*

Driver: He would have been fine, but, we took a wrong turn on the second round-about, ended up by some apartment complex in who knows where before we could turn around, then exited on the third round-about in front of the wrong ER entrance. Btw: Where IS the ambulance entrance?? We never did find it....

Pffft. Morons.

Top 10 Favorite Movies of All Time

So after I posted the best action films of the last 30 years, someone asked me if any of those would qualify as my favorite movies of all time. My answer: some, yes but for the most part, not really.

Here's my list of my all-time favorite movies in no particular order because that would be TOO difficult I think. These all qualify as #1 depending on the day and my mood! There were only two criteria for this list:
1. Which movies do I tend to watch over and over again, and
2. Which movies, in my opinion, stand the test of time.

1. Aliens [best action flick and just such a fantastic movie! In all honesty, I've probably seen this movie 50+ times throughout the years....]

2. Frequency [I love movies that have a unique story line, surprising twists and turns, and in the end all the pieces seem to fit together perfectly. This is one of those movies. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it - it will quickly move up in your list of favorites - I promise!]

3. the Usual Suspects [This is another one of those nicely constructed movies with a unique story, great cast and a wow of a finish. Kevin Spacey is tops in this movie]

4. Gone With the Wind [A classic. How can this movie not be on my list. I adore Rhett Butler! And as selfish, pig-headed and spoiled as she may be, I also adore Scarlett O'hara. My grandmother introduced this movie to me when I was in 5th grade and I've never stopped loving it]

5. Eight Below [This is a relatively new movie released by Disney; and it is fantastic! Both heartbreaking and uplifting]

6. Star Wars: the second trilogy: IV, V, VI [No words necessary. I'll just say this: if you're not a Star Wars fan then I really just have no words... This is the ultimate fantasy, feel-good movie of all time.]

7. Back to the Future [You made a time machine....out of a DeLorean?!?!?!, Helloooo McFly!, I've never seen purple underwear before Calvin, You're my muh- my muh-...., Dad-da-daddio, now why don't you make like a tree and get outta here (i laugh every time I hear this because I'm pretty sure it's make like a tree and leave). All together great lines and memorable scenes. One of my favorites is the opener and the "mega amp" blowout]

8. Apollo 13 [I have a thing for movies that are based on true events and have a certain documentary type quality to them; and this is just a great one start to finish. Outstanding cast and great directing. It's just a good Sunday evening-type movie. The extended addition is also terrific]

9. Terminator ["I'll be back." Another movie that hit my list of top 10 action movies and it's one of my favorite movies to watch when I'm sick. In all honesty, I've probably seen this movie 100+ times over the years. I also had a crush a Michael Biehn too so that helps - although Arnie's naked tusche seemed to get a little more screen time.]

10. Miracle [another one of those Disney feel-good movies. I think this is one of Kurt's best performances. Personally, it doesn't hurt having to watch 2 hours of hot hockey players tussle on the ice either!]

Have any recommendations? Share 'em if you got 'em!

Obama's Staffing Wage-freeze

So I still haven’t heard Obama’s inauguration speech and I probably won’t bother to check it out. I heard it was very glib - intended to alleviate some of the pressure of expectation I'm sure. The day after his speech though, I did hear some clap-clap-hoorahs in and around the office over his “firm-footed” decision making after promising a wage-freeze on White House staffers making over $100k. According to an article published in the Washington Post, the freeze is expected to save the government ~$440k next year. Note: I only have a hard copy but I’m sure you can find the article on their website at washingtonpost.com

A savings of $440k…Whoop, whoop!

*more like clap-clap-clap THUD*.

Obviously Obama is trying to set a tone at the start of his administration by making an example of his own staff. Clap-clap-clap for Obama’s PR skills, but we already knew he led smoothly in that category anyway. What exactly does this accomplish? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing good anyway. I’m not balking over a government wage freeze, but hailing this move as a bold stroke from our new, fearless leader seems egregiously underserved, especially considering Bush already increased salaries via executive order on December 18th. DOH!

Did Obama forget to mention that? * Obama says, “My bad.” *

During Obama’s campaign, his economic plan for getting the country out of a recession was essentially government supply side economics. When private enterprise isn't able to stimulate the economy, the government steps in with new spending and government programs to keep money afloat and people in jobs until the country is out of recession. When that happens, government spending takes a backseat while the free market economy flourishes.

And so when government steps in with all these great things, where does the money come from? Tax payers..duh. And this of course, leads us to the conservative argument that increasing taxes during an economic recession is well, stupid.

To stimulate the economy, you want people to spend.

Nevertheless…I guess that just means that the extra taxes off the $440k we might have otherwise received to help pay for Obama’s spending programs, will not be coming from his high-seat government staffers – just everyone else.

Lobbying is Democracy in Action

Oh here we go…

As many know, my blog posting has been in hiatus for nearly three months now. **What can I say, I’ve been in mourning since the dismal outcome of the elections** And I suspect the next two weeks will be nearly as painful as I’ve already started receiving “woot-woot all hail the mighty ‘Bama” messages from many of my liberal friends and family – folks who, if they aren't already, are quickly moving to my “adoringly disillusioned” friends list ;-)

We love them, despite their objectionable political leanings. :-)

So, I’ve been idling my time the last two weeks trying to avoid thinking about the upcoming inauguration, and I started playing catch-up with the pileup of Newsweek issues blocking my doorway (not really). I hit the December 22nd edition on Sunday and came upon this beauty of an article: Lobbying is Democracy in Action.

The underlying premise of the article is, “If people can’t organize to influence the government, then Democracy is dead.” Everybody get that? Ergo, without the lobbyist environment, Democracy is dead. If the author’s intent was to induce a physical reaction, then bravo, it worked. There are so many things wrong with this article; I’m not even sure where to begin but my fingers are twitching violently even as I type.

First: The definition of a Democracy does not hedge on one point. In short, a democracy encompasses all of the following attributes: a form of government that supports free and fair elections, active participation of the people in government and civic life, rule of law that applies equally to all citizens, and protection of human rights for all citizens.

Second: Given that our form of government is not a Democracy, which hinges on a controlling government predicated on ‘majority rules’, how is this article even relevant? Fact: we are a Republic, and yes, there is a distinct difference. **If you didn’t know this, well….** That said, I’d expect a Newsweek author to know better. People frequently mis-apply the term Democracy when talking about our government but it is just that – misapplied.

Third: even if we were a Democracy (which, again – we’re not), since when do lobbyists ever represent the majority? Assuming their intentions are always on the side of ‘the people’ (which - they aren’t), lobbying is the only way to influence government? Really?

And finally: how much success has the lobbyist environment ever really had on “influencing” government anyway – campaign contributions and political briberies aside. On the last two points, I’m sure those are talking points best swept under the rug anyway.

The author must think that the majority of Americans, or those who read Newsweek, are infinitely stupid or just plain ignorant. <>

There’s a reason why lobbyists have a bad rap – and no, it’s not because they represent the 'will of the people' and are therefore every politicians worst nightmare. Sleezy influence merchants who block traffic, clog intersections, pollute the street with useless road signs, spew annoying rhetoric and and touch on your every last nerve? You betcha! Ok, sleezy - not always. But the rest - absolutely!

Clap, clap, clap for Me

OK. Brief post.

Earlier this year I made a bet with another blogger on the outcome of the election races and to C-Nut’s credit, he paid up nicely! Thanks C-Nut!

Click here for more details and to view my singular post . While you're at it, check out some of his other posts – one of my favorites is the post on assisted living/retirement homes.

Top 10 Action Movies [in the last 3 decades]

I absolutely love a great action flick and all but 3 of these are part of my DVD collection. I recently happened upon an interesting top 10 action movie list drummed-up by Entertainment Weekly and it listed Die Hard as the best action movie ever made, and Raiders of the Lost Ark came in third. *Insert twisted face; do a ‘lil head shake*

After reading through the rest of the toppers which even included Spider-Man2 and Desperado (puh-lease), I was suddenly motivated to come up with my own list.

First, the qualifiers:

1) obviously had to be a great action movie with shoot ‘em up, blow shit up, cut ‘em down kind of action.

2) plot moves quickly, the action keeps on coming

3) good storyline told from a unique perspective meaning, no action movies draped in bad clichés made it onto this list. The best action flicks are the result of great action embedded in a great movie.

4) stands the test of time and replays meaning, it’s just as good the tenth time you watch it as it was the first time you watched it three years ago, i.e..

Now,

THE LIST

1. Aliens [What can I say…Ellen Ripley is your definitive badass. This movie has it all: It’s action packed with brilliant explosions, armored marines, non-stop machine-gun fire and cool grenade launchers, exploding aliens that bleed acid, an android that gets ripped in half…. could an action movie get any better? Getta outta here! No contest. It’s hard to believe this movie came out in 1986.]
2. Terminator [This was one of my favorite movies growing up and that still rings true. The gargantuan Schwarzenegger against the thin but muscular Biehn, whose whole head probably equals the width of Arnolds left bicep - great stuff and never a dull moment.]
3. Gladiator [“A general who became a slave; a slave who became a gladiator; a gladiator who defied an Emperor.” Come on, the movie itself knows its own greatness and this line sums up the expectations of the action perfectly. Great movie, great acting, great action.]
4. 300 [My brother recommended this film to me and its pretty much all battle, all the way, through and through. Spears, swords, and rolling heads, this movie is action – turbocharged; makes you want to go out, get your swordplay on and kick some serious ass. And Gerard Butler – so masculine and commanding as the fierce King Leonidis…brilliant, bushy beard and all]
5. Die Hard [It’s MacGuyver meets Rambo’s smaller self. A damn fine action movie that propelled a slew of films into a whole new action film genre. While it doesn’t take the top spot in my opinion, it’s definitely worthy of top-5 placement.]
6. Lethal Weapon
7. Predator
8. The Matrix
9. Kill Bill Vol 2 [Ok, Vol 1 is filled with more bload-soaked action certainly but I chose Vol 2 because I prefer the more natural flow of plot in tandem with some kickass kung-fu acrobatics and ninja swordplay.]
10. LOTR: Fellowship of The Ring [Ugly, foul beasties..dueling wizards..hairy, long-footed midgets and more… Great characters, great story, and great clanking of metal on metal; this is the ultimate action-adventure “fantasy” movie.]

Top 5 very, very close Runners-up [in order]:

Bourne Identity

Braveheart

Bourne Supremacy

LOTR: The Two Towers

Star Wars III Revenge of the Sith [Some might argue here but c’mon, the whole fight scene between Anakin and Obewon? Master Yoda and Darth Sidius? Everyone was waiting for these matched duels and they did not disappoint. A perfect ‘ending’ to an entire series]

Top 10 Most Romantic Movies

Ok, this would be going off my usual marketing/politics/random brainiac blog posts but recently some friends and I got into a most lively discussion trying to agree on the top 10 most romantic movies in “our” lifetime. We each came up with 10 and slowly and painfully voted out movies by rational discussion followed by heated argument followed by majority vote. I’ll have you know that half of my movies made it on the final list (pat pat on the back).

So, after several bottles of wine, a gaggle of oohs and aahhhs, and reminiscing over some very great love scenes, here goes the list with the number one spot of the most romantic movie in the last 30 years going to a tie between the top two movies we split on. OK, so technically it's the top 11 movies....

THE LIST

1. BBCs North and South [The tall, dark, and yummy Mr. Thornton and the sweet, seemingly impervious Margaret Hale – great chemistry – and when they finally kiss at the train depot, trust me - you’ll get familiar with the rewind button. This was one of my top 3; long but well worth the watch. The intensity in the way Mr. Thornton always looks at Margaret Hale – we all agreed - melting.]

1. Titanic
2. Atonement
3. Moulin Rouge [So what if it’s a circus of onscreen ‘bizarre’, the romance between the penniless bohemian writer Christian and his sparkling courtesan Satine brings focus and intensity to the movie. The mushy love duets don’t hurt either.]
   
4. Somewhere in Time [Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, two gorgeous people in a sweet time-travel romance. I absolutely loved this movie the first time I saw it 10-12 years ago on some obscure movie channel.]
5. The English Patient
6. The Notebook
7. Pride and Prejudice (with Keira Knightley) [So it doesn’t exactly stay true to plot but who cares. The chemistry between Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy is still delish. The only real downside to this movie is the absence of a passionate kiss the moment Darcy professes his love for the second time. A hand kiss does this romance a disservice, but it still made my list.]
8. Persuasion (BBC remake)
   
9. Bridges of Madison County
   
10. Pretty Woman [I prefer more drama-based romantic movies but I was over-ruled]
    

Top 5 Runner ups that almost made the list:

1. Dirty Dancing

2. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

3. BBC Pride and Prejudice (with Collin Firth)

4. When Harry Met Sally

5. Ghost
   

Thoughts? Share ‘em if you got ‘em.

You Know You're a Democrat When....

• You believe the NY Times and the Washington Post are iconoclasms of great journalism
• You believe that Bart Simpson would be every parents dream if only his community showed him more love, understanding, affection and support..
• Someone says "count your blessings", and you start making a list of government agencies
• You’re against capital punishment but support abortion (and, upon request, can provide documented research material explaining the rationality of the contradiction)
• The bulk of your economic policy conversations start or end with “It’s only fair….”
• You get your nightly news from Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, or NBC
• You believe that NBC is actually a legitimate "News Station"
• The bulk of your foreign policy conversations start with “I went to get gas and…”
• You are "moved" by the words of a politician
• You favor free speech, except for the ugly words about minorities, the disabled, the poor, "undocumented workers," or endangered species
• You believe the phrase “the glass ceiling” increases the intellectual value of a conversation
• You believe the axis of evil is Bush and his ilk
• You believe Jimmy Carter should be on Mt. Rushmore and Michael Moore is an American hero
• You drive an SUV with a "go green" bumper sticker
• Your answer to every question is "higher taxes" so long as you're not the one paying
• You’ve tried to argue that poverty wouldn’t be an issue if only the rich people would redistribute their wealth
• You’ve tried to argue that global poverty wouldn’t be an issue if only the rich people of America would redistribute their wealth
• You forwarded the email "An Angry American with an Idea" to all your friends and have convinced yourself that it makes perfect sense
• You support PETA and Greenpeace, but still eat beef, fish, lamb, and wear leather garments
• You’ve tried being a vegan at least once and are convinced you experienced enlightenment
• You utter the phrase “There ought to be a law” at least twice a month
• You think Al Gore invented the internet
• You think Al Gore invented blogs too
• You think rich people actually do get richer off people who have no money
• You actually expect to collect Social Security

I only came up with a handful of these and pulled the rest from here and there and around the internet. ;-)

Share 'em if you got 'em!

Results of the Final Presidential Debate

Overall, the best debate thus far, hands down.

Bravo to Bob Shieffer – great job moderating the debate. He asked good questions (could have done without the VP question again) but he essentially stayed out of the discussion but to ask the questions, allow follow-ups and redirects and he kept the conversation flowing.

OVERALL: Some sharp exchanges tonight but, will the results sway independent votes to the right? In majority, I think not. People needed to see McCain CRUSH Obama on the issues; all Obama really needed to do was stay afloat and respond to the issues. He’s eloquent, he can do that. A lot of effort from McCain that came a little too late in my opinion. By no means was this McCain’s last chance to close the gap but a stronger performance was needed – particularly in the last 20 minutes which is what most tend to remember. Ronald Reagan was behind in the polls during his first term up until the week before the election so, I wouldn’t close the books on McCain just yet. Side note: what a blunder in speaking to Palin and autism when her child suffers from down syndrome. Wowzahs….

AYERS AND ACORN: I strongly disagreed with other Republicans who felt McCain needed to confront Obama with allegations regarding Ayers and ACORN. Not a good strategy. Why? Because the intent of the debate isn’t to solidify Republican votes (already outraged by the allegations) but to sway independent votes and leaning undecideds from the left… and a) Ayers and ACORN aren’t the key issues for these segments and b) confronting Obama on non-key issues during a televised debate gave Obama an opportunity to eloquently and calmly talk his way out of it, which he did. Allegations are just that and now, that card has been played.

SUPREME COURT JUSTICES: I would have liked to hear more on this topic because it bears huge impact on the next four years since the next President will likely be electing more than one Justice to the bench. In fact I don’t believe that enough emphasis has been placed on this issue from either campaign. On elections, McCain said he’s against litmus tests and would elect a Justice based on his/her record of adhering to strict interpretations of the constitution and would not elect based on political ideology. First, I don’t like the use of the verbiage “litmus test.” It’s overused and overplayed; and second, McCain should have HAMMERED Obama when Obama “suggested” that he would elect a Justice who shared the same core values. That is a dangerous relationship and puts the value of our highest legal system at risk.

THE ECONOMY: For the first time, McCain finally said “I am not Bush.” I’ve been wanting him to shout this out to the heavens and the people for quite some time now. It goes without saying: he needed to do this much earlier on in the campaign. I think McCain did a much better job than previously of calling out specifics – specific programs he supported, plans for reform, and specific programs he would cut (I would have been in heaven if he had addressed welfare specifically - screw the hatchet, bring on the blow torch!).

I am a huge proponent of free trade and would have liked to have heard McCain push Obama more on his position with NAFTA and other FTA’s and I also think he should have pushed Obama more on previous statements regarding energy independence and specifically, his shifting support of Nuclear energy.

EDUCATION: On outlying specifics of his education plan – I think this was a slam dunk for McCain. State taxes need to be applied more appropriately and reform is necessary BEFORE federal funding is injected into a broken system. Personally, I’m against having more federal government involved in our education system that state government.

HEALTHCARE: I said this after the first (or second) debate, McCain needed to address DIRECTLY the allegation that 20million will be dropped from their employer based healthcare plans under his proposed healthcare plan. This is a critical point, and again, like a fart in the wind, it just soaked up the air and blew right by him. He missed the opportunity. He needed to say ‘Your 20milliion estimation is completely wrong Senator Obama. You keep wanting to throw that number out there to sway middle class voters but this is why it’s wrong and this is why it’s misleading [dot, dot, dot].” And, he also should have detailed his plan clearly and spoke directly to the large part of his healthcare plan which includes system REFORMS and oversight - two key things that would stem discrimination drops, pre-existing condition drops and help address the inflated 20million number (which btw: INCLUDES a proportion of the people who are CURRENTLY UNINSURED). And also for the record, there is no evidence to suggest that even without reform and oversight, any forced drops (for discrimination or other) would occur under McCain's healthcare plan. Having said that, he needs to remember to talk to his plan outside of refundable credits and a free market. Similar to the housing debacle, free market movement with reform and strict oversight would have steered us away from the economic mess we find ourselves in.

There you have it. A good debate but I felt myself reaching for more and the "more" never quite came.

So, who won?

Well clearly....Joe the Plummer!

The Fate of General Motors

Interesting article in BW about GMs current financial crisis and the fate of its future. Particularly within the last 6 months, the books have gone from really bad to frighteningly scary. Some see a potential merger with Chrysler – a monopoly in my view (of financial and managerial failure) – others wonder of a GM bailout, some just see GM as we know it, going the way of the do-do.

The GM 5-point [failed] Plan:
Goals:
- Increase GM US Market to share to 33%
- Improve customer satisfaction as evidenced by points of market share, not fractions

Strategy:
- Implement innovate and proven marketing techniques
- Raise market share 1 percentage point in each of 5 key areas [customers, dealers, employees, salespeople, retirees]
- Remake corporate image as a leader by acting rather than re-acting
- Change focus of advertising from distress to aspirational

Note: GM adds that loss of market share experiences is the result of diminished image of GM in the marketplace. [no kidding]

Let's briefly talk about the success of it's 5-point plan...Almost every one of GM's vehicle lines has lost market share since 2000 if not earlier (except Cadillac which actually had a lift between 2000 and 2008). While most vehicle warranties have been improved, GM vehicles simply aren’t built as well as Honda, today’s Toyota, or even Ford (while they also have their problems).

GMs non-SUV/Sport utility market share in the US went from 42% back in 1970 to just 22% in 2005, while Honda and Toyota each went up 14 and 11% respectively. By 2007, GM shares sank another 2.5%.

Some would agree that GMs globalization strategies in the last few years, trying to combat the movement of DaimlerChrysler and Ford in Europe and China, have been ‘questionable’ as well and, for many parts, undermining due to poor product lineup.

Looking at the goals and strategies laid out in the 5-point plan, it's fair to say they've fallen short on just about every bullet point (though Hummer and Cadillac divisions did come out with some nice ads thanks to Mondernista and other agencies..). But, 33% market share? How realistic was that given the steady sales decline, changes in environmental concerns, changes in gas and oil prices, not to mention resource allocations (manufacturing warehouse locations, suppliers and parts), management and union-issues bloating the company? Not very. That's quite a list of things prohibiting a flailing company of GMs size from regaining their once 33% foothold in the market. Even the most brilliant marketing tactics won't overcome management ignorance, poor quality parts at higher prices, or the $60 it costs to fill up your tank twice a week.

So how does GM stay afloat?
Can a private equity investor or billionaire financier buy-out the fallen company and turn it around (like Kirk Kerkorian who has knocked on GM’s door more than once already)?

Should GM focus solely on it’s legacy lines and sell-off everything else?

Since the popular thought movement to hybrid-thinking and “green technology”, and growing aversion to concepts like “gas-guzzling” and “air-polluting” vehicles, will demand for SUV’s and sport utilities – the bulk of GMs former cash flow – ever come back?

Finally, who’s to blame? UAW – Rick Wagoner and the GM Board - management at all levels – or, the shareholders?

The Economics of Tax Cuts versus Obama’s Plan to “Tax the Rich”

Obama’s plan is to increase taxes on those who make more than 250k per year, or rather, tax the rich folks who get richer under a Republican tax policy, while the poor get poorer. This is what the democrats sing anyway in order to tug at the emotional strings of middle America and those even less fortunate. But, let’s evaluate this tune.

• One of the major purposes of tax cuts is to generate tax revenues – how? – by encouraging people to take their money out of tax shelters and tax-free securities and invest that money in something that will benefit the individual investor, stimulate economic growth and create jobs (i.e., investing in equity capitalization for large institutions, small businesses, startups and new enterprises, etc.). In plain speak, the people with the capital to do so – move their money into company stocks, for example.

When companies have more capital they produce more, they innovate, they expand, they reach further into the market and in turn, create more jobs for the lower and middle classes. All of these things help move our economy and our country forward. So, why didn't the Bush tax cuts move our economy forward(?) you might ask. Because good tax policies need to be part of a strong holistic economic policy package (foreign and domestic), predicated upon strong oversight and strong relationships with other foreign countries, among other things.

• Under the great Ronald Reagan, who put forth one of the largest tax cuts amidst cries from the left of ‘tax cuts for the rich’, tax revenues increased more than they ever had with people in the largest income brackets paying not only a larger amount of taxes than before, but a higher share of all taxes than before.

Wait, the rich had the largest tax cut but then had an increase in taxes?? This doesn’t make sense(!) say the left. Sure it does. First the tax policies of Reagan, Bush (and McCain) do not cut taxes per say but rather, they cut tax rates. Second, income is not a fixed amount during economic change - whether you make 35k per year or 350k per year. Economic change does not simply affect one class of folk for the better and another class for the worse. During an economic downturn, everyone hurts. On the flip side, when economic activity is stimulated and the economy expands, and incomes and employment rise, so do tax revenues. Those in higher income brackets start bringing in more income thereby increasing the total taxes they pay as well. So, they make more and pay even more in taxes despite a tax rate cut. Simple economics.

The real test of an economic policy is whether or not it can produce a rising tide that lifts all boats (Thomas Sowel, a fellow at the Hoover Institution wrote).

Obama wants to raise dividend and all capital gains taxes on those who make 250k or more. First, I don’t know if this is per person or per household but 250k per year certainly does not make one wealthy particularly since most people have to work their way up to that point after many years of hard work and paying off debts (i.e., school loans, business loans, children through college, etc.).

Liberals say that these tax increases do not and will not affect lower income families. Really? I beg to differ. In simplistic terms - every company needs capital. Capital equals investment. Because Obama’s plan to tax dividends penalizes equity investment like stocks and mutual funds and rewards debt investment such as bonds, company stocks are devalued and stocks are devalued relative to bonds. This goes back to the point earlier about the major purpose of tax cuts. Under Obama's plan, accountants and bankers across the country, are going to recommend individuals start moving their money away from stocks and mutual funds in order to maximize their investments. Schwab has already started advising investors as such in prep for an Obama Presidency.

The bottom line: I simply can’t believe that devaluing stock prices (and thereby US stock values) for any American business and its stock holders – is a good thing, either for economic growth and prosperity or for the middle income, working class.

Obama's "Tax Cut" is Income Redistribution

I pulled this from RCP....the reality
*********************************************************
During his Fox News interview with Bill O'Reilly, Sen. Barack Obama responded to one question where the statistics contradicted his position by saying that "there are lies, damned lies, and statistics." He then went on to say that 95 percent of Americans would get a tax break under his economic plan. That's ironic, because his comment on "damned lies and statistics" is the perfect commentary on his own plan. Taken with Sen. Joe Biden's novel definition of patriotism, Team Obama is making an argument that Americans have never bought.

The statistics speak for themselves. Only 62 percent of Americans pay federal income tax, meaning that 38 percent get a 100 percent refund of any taxes withheld. So Mr. Obama's 95 percent that will receive money from the government includes roughly 33 percent of Americans who pay no income tax. One-third of Americans pay no income taxes yet would receive a government check of perhaps $1,000 or more.

That is pure income redistribution. Some pundits argue that this is Keynesian demand-side economics. It is not. Having the government take money from business entities or affluent individuals and giving it to those who pay no federal income taxes is not Keynesian. It's Marxist.

American voters don't buy Team Obama's arguments. A recent Gallup poll shows that 53 percent of Americans believe that Mr. Obama would raise their taxes. A recent Zogby poll shows a majority of Americans understand that raising taxes will hurt the economy.

Energy prices have pounded the U.S. economy. The recent woes on Wall Street have further shaken our weakened economy. Certain pillars of our economy, such as productivity gains and American ingenuity, continue to be powerful economic assets. But the current debt situation, spending trends, the cost of combating global terrorism, along with the energy crisis, leaves our economy in a truly precarious position.

Most credible economists warn that raising taxes during an economic downturn only makes the situation worse. Given our current economic situation, Mr. Obama's tax plan is the equivalent of pouring gasoline on a fire.

Then we come to the Team Obama fantasy that the Obama plan would cut taxes for most Americans. Yes, Mr. Obama says he will cut rates for lower-income Americans, but will more than offset that by raising taxes on dividends, capital gains, higher incomes, corporations, estates, and payrolls. But most Americans own stock, either directly or through their IRA, 401k or union pensions. Those Americans on Main Street who own mutual funds, own a house or have other investments will be punished by a capital gains tax increase.

Businesses and corporations do not pay taxes; we do. Businesses don't have huge piles of money sitting in the closet that they simply turn over to government when taxes increase. For every dollar that you increase taxes on a business, they simply increase their prices by a dollar. Who then pays the tax? We do. We do, when the product that we bought last week for $20 suddenly costs $21.

Mr. Obama's plan for universal health care and increased spending on just about everything costs hundreds of billions of dollars. To keep his promises to provide those things while eliminating the deficit and giving checks to lower-income families, he will have to raise taxes by hundreds of billions of dollars. But if lower-income Americans receive a check for $1,000 under the Obama plan yet have to pay $2,000 more when buying food and clothes, they are worse off.

Affluent Americans have not had a tax holiday during the Bush administration. Most analysts agree that the affluent pay more under Mr. Bush. In 2000, the top 1 percent of earners paid less than one-third of all income tax; now they pay 40 percent. The affluent already carry more of the burden.

The Debate Drinking Game

On a separate, more fun note: my friend Dan sent me a ‘drinking game’ on Tuesday in prep for the debate and sadly while I had class, had I been able to play I would have ended out the night stone sober…

The Rules:

Take a drink when McCain says...

• Doesn't understand
  
• Unrepentant terrorist
• Get off my lawn
• Bear DNA
• Make them famous

Chug if McCain manages to look Obama in the eye.
Buy the bar a round if he looks Obama in the eye and then doesn't punch him in the throat!

Obviously he's not a McCain supporter....
Now….if I had had time, I would have devised my own drinking game:

The Rules:

Take a drink when Obama says...

• Rich get richer
• Golden parachutes
• The great depression
• The Republicans did it OR McCain did it
• Out of touch
• I wrote a letter
  

Chug if Obama manages not to stutter following a question on foreign policy that doesn't involve Iraq. Buy the bar a round (or chug twice) every time Obama repeats exactly what McCain just said when answering a foreign policy question that doesn't involve Iraq.

Getting ready for the next and last debate, share your thoughts or post suggestions for any new "drinking rules" ;-)

Round 2 of the Presidential Debates

I just finished watching MSNBC’s online video stream of Tuesdays debate and I have to say: not all inspiring, much of the same (but with more detail), too much party jabbing from both sides, few questions that were new, and Brokaw’s constant reminding of the “time contract” was very annoying.

New revelations: McCain is obviously much more comfortable speaking in a town hall format and the McCain ‘my friends’ colloquialism has got to go.

Some believe that McCain needed to engage Obama in a "character debate" of sorts. Subtly done, I think it could have worked but Tuesday night’s forum just wasn’t very forgiving there - too personal, too close to the audience,...and so McCain was smart to leave that off the table.

On Obama's performance
Strong lead, but he seemed to come apart a bit in the second half particularly during the discussion on Iran, Israel, and Russia. With regard to meeting leaders of enemy territories, he held his ground very well. *blasted* Good rebuttal on his healthcare plan and tax policies (though I’ve read that the touted financial benefits of his healthcare plan is all a lot of hooey and I'm totally against his tax policies). Still, he spoke to them well and sounded convincing – and let’s face it, that’s really the crux of winning elections: who sounds more convincing, who sounds more knowledgeable, and who appears to have the stronger character.

Surprises of the night
I was surprised to hear Obama mention 9-11 and before the Republican candidate; usually 9-11 is a key talking point for Republicans since it is a tie-back to our foreign policy platform and National defense.. I was not happy to hear Obama talk about how Bush could have rallied the people better; frankly, that just pissed me off.

I was surprised at Obama’s show of clear support for investing in Nuclear power plants – I specifically remember Obama stating that he was not a supporter during the party races. I suspect that he truly is not but recognizes it is a necessary component of a solid alternative energy plan and that it sits well with the majority of alternative energy supporters.

I was annoyed by Obama’s insistence that oil drilling is somehow the entirety of McCain’s plan for energy independence despite the list of alternative fuel sources McCain had already espoused.

And finally...
I am sick of hearing Obama and co blame the Republicans for the state of the economy. First, I believe Clinton before Bush, signed off on deregulatory legislation. Second, McCain didn't just support flagrant deregulation but rather open market movement with, key ingredient here, strict oversight, among other things - much of which was voted down by Democratic leaders. McCain also voted against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac exemptions.

And I'll also note that Republicans lost majority seats in both the House and Senate two years ago when supposedly Obama touted the dangers of deregulation. A) De-regulation was in progress long before then and b) obviously Obama did not have the leverage or the political weight to pull his own party as a Senator.

On McCain’s performance
He seemed much more relaxed than he was two weeks ago: his talking points were more succinct, he introduced one or two new things, he answered the questions that were asked, he was direct, he defended his positions more clearly and had some decent rebuttals for position on policy. Overall, he did a better job of connecting with the audience.

But he still falters on one key area – his facts. And no, Obama-ites - I don’t mean misstatements or lying – I mean utilizing more facts in his talking points. Forget about the finger pointing, use numbers and specific examples – and lots of them! McCain needed to be more engaging with regard to specifics – heathcare policy (he did OK here), tax policy – the specifics (he started out well but Obama got the last word and essentially wiped out his efforts), economics (the crisis, the bailout, the result). The people need to hear specifics – numbers and specific examples citing economic cause and effect.

With regard to voting record: on almost every issue where Obama pointed to McCain’s record of voting against a position (insurance for children, stricter institutional regulations, alternative energy, etc) – McCain needs to be very explicit as to why he voted the way he voted. He’s running on a platform of pork spending and earmarks and he needs to speak to those “specifics” when it comes to his voting record - i.e., funding for a new bicycle path(?) and others like it that Democrats slipped into the bailout bill. In this case, obviously McCain couldn’t vote down the bailout bill but he needs to point out those specifics and not just talk to it. A good strategy would be to have 2 or 3 for one debate and 2 or 3 more for the next debate.

And finally...
I’m also tired of hearing McCain and co blame the democrats fo...wait, nevermind. I actually can sit and play the blame game against the Democrats ALL DAY LONG. ;-) I know - how one-sided of me...

Road to the White House – Electoral Vote Predictions

Less than one month to go until election day and it's time to make our predictions. Time sure does fly doesn't it?!?!

Here's where the EVs currently stand:
Republicans:
have 163 Electoral Votes
need 107 Electoral Votes

There are:
9 undecided States
115 Electoral Votes up for grabs

Here are my predictions.....

Best Case:
Elephants [274]: winning swing states CO (narrow, narrow margin), FL, IN, MO, NC, NV, OH, VA,
Asses!! [264]: NH

Worst Case:
Elephants [213]: winning swing states IN, MO, NC, VA
Asses!! [325]: CO, FL, NH, NV, OH

And of course, my fingers are crossed for the Best Case scenario. In fact, this will likely be my final prediction pending results of the next round of debates.

Share your thoughts and post your predictions.