The Scapegoat

Well, I had a feeling this would happen but I must admit I didn't think it would happen so quickly. The "insiders" from the McCain Campaign have begun to join their counter-parts in the MSM to destroy Sarah Palin. Not even 24 hours had elapsed after the defeat of the McCain/Palin ticket that the vicious attacks began to emerge. "She didn't even know that Africa was a continent", "She spent more money on her family than she should have and she is quite the diva when it comes to clothes", "She treated the staff very badly and she threw temper tantrums when she saw the bad news coverage". These are just a few of the allegations that have been leveled at Governor Palin but there are many more. The elite, liberal media has gladly accepted this "red meat" offered up to it by the "insiders" and have run with it. There is now a full blown campaign to destroy Sarah Palin and make sure that she will have no chance to run again as a national figure. Interestingly enough, this has only shown to increase her support amongst the conservative base that STILL loves her. The more they attempt to smear her the stronger her support gets. So why is that? Let's look at a few reasons.

First, many of those who supported McCain did so because of her. The simple fact of the matter is the McCain Campaign was in deep trouble before she joined the ticket and the election would have been more of a massacre (it's already kind of ugly) had she not been there to energize the conservative base. I went to 3 political rallies here in Florida: 2 for Palin and 1 for McCain. She outdrew him 2 to 1 every time! She is the reason why so many, like myself, decided that we needed to do more than just vote to help the McCain Campaign. Because of her the volunteer ranks swelled overnight. Another thing that I can tell you since I have seen her up close and personal is she is a better public speaker than ANY of the other candidates, period. Joe Biden, well we already know how well he does in public, is no match for her. John McCain is not inspiring even though he attempts to be and he does NOT connect with the audience. Obama is HORRIBLE when he doesn't have a teleprompter in from of him (uh, um, uh, um, I um, think, um) but Sarah Palin is incredible. She is funny, articulate, engages the crowd, goes off script and then back again with no problem and she is natural. People love to hear her speak and they love her.

Second, many people connect with her because she is US! We are just Americans going through our day trying to do the best we can for our family. That's what Sarah does. She is just trying to do the best she can to make things better for her family and now here constituents. She doesn't have a "messiah complex" like Obama where it's all about her. She hasn't spent her entire adult life "inside the Beltway" like McCain and Biden. She is a regular American who loves her family her country and her life. I think the reason people who DO hate her, especially the MSM elite, is because they recognize that unlike most politicians on the national level she doesn't care what they think of her. She is her own person, not a media creation (see Obama). There is this sense about her that if she decides to do so she will be a major player in national politics but if she chooses to just live her life up there in Alaska and spend it with her family she will be fine with that too. She doesn't NEED the limelight like most politicians do.

Finally, the main reason that she enjoys support from the conservative base even after the MSM has assailed her as an idiot is because we know she is a TRUE conservative. John McCain tried to pass himself off as a conservative and he probably would have governed from the center but he would not have been a conservative on most things but mainly a moderate. Sarah Palin believes in and has put into practice true conservative principles that the base identifies and agrees with. She has been DOING this in Alaska for over a year and will now have much more time to get more done. The others have been talking about doing things but they have done nothing. Sarah is now and will always be a true conservative because she believes in the principles that make conservatives what they are: lower taxes, free trade, less government, etc. I predict that these attacks will begin to subside as many will see them for what they are; a thinly veiled attempt to discredit her for a run for the White House in 2012. if she decides to run myself and MANY others will gladly work for and support her in that quest. She would be a breath of fresh air in Washington and she would certainly shake things up. In the meantime she will go on being exactly who she is: Sarah. Palin 2012!!

The Day America Died

Well, it's official: Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States. I honestly thought that the American people were smarter than that but I was wrong. It obviously doesn't matter that he has misrepresented himself and his associations. So what if he pals around with terrorists. No big deal. So what if he wants to "spread your wealth" America, you don't need it do you? So what if he has been endorsed by every major dictator in the world; he'll keep us safe, right? So what if he has absolutely NO experience whatsoever, he has Joe Biden to lean on (insert joke here). The mistake I made was that I thought America was smart enough to see through the illusion that is Obama. You see, we don't really know Barack Obama yet, no one does. Or at least no one that is willing to come forward and vouch for him. Can you think of anyone besides his wife that has stood up for this man? No family members, no college buddies, no clients from the law firm, interesting. Well, America, now you WILL get to know him and all that he aspires to do with his new power. And the best part is in your infinite wisdom you just made the Congress with the worst approval rating in history more powerful as well. Brilliant! Now comes the reckoning.

In the shadows is a true American hero who was up against a powerful symbol and some very bad timing. The fact that Obama is the first African-American President became a story that after time started to write itself. McCain was not running against another man, he was running against an idea, a gesture, a paradigm shift in American politics. Add to that the timing of the financial crisis (which was orchestrated by the very Dems that were re-elected) and you have the making of a crushing defeat. John McCain, more than anyone in this race quite frankly deserved to be President. The fact that the American people decided to pass on a true hero and very experienced military man in the time of war speaks volumes about where we are in this country right now. I only hope the rest of the world gives Mr Obama the time he needs to learn his job as Commander in Chief before they test him. Somehow though I think that might be wishful thinking. Prepare yourselves America for the bloodshed, the fighting and the worry of terrorism here at home because they have only just begun. America, what hast thou wrought?

The wave is coming...

I am going to make a bold prediction: John McCain is going to win on Tuesday and he is going to win BIG! Are you delusional? No. This is based on facts and conditions that I have seen and experienced while working closely with the McCain Campaign in the last few weeks. I believe there is an impending wave of support from a silent majority out there that will soon have it's voice heard. Let me explain what I mean.

First: Oversampling and assumptions by the pollsters: More than any other campaign in history this election has been very challenging for the pollsters. The main reason for this is according to reports up to 80% of respondents are refusing to tell them who they are voting for! Pollsters are having a very tough time getting people to share with them. The reason is the whole "cult of personality" that has been created around Obama and also the "racist" tag that is being applied to anyone who is NOT voting for Obama. People don't want to be labeled a racist and they also don't want to be known as the people that didn't vote for "the Messiah". The fact that Obama would be the first black President is a major consideration with some voters.

Second: Don't underestimate the angry Democrat vote out there. I have met more Democrats in the last months that are extremely angry with what happened to Hillary Clinton and the way that the Obama Campaign treated her than I can recall in recent memory. They are in very heavy numbers planning to vote for McCain. They know that if McCain gets in Hillary can run in 2012. However, if Obama gets in she would need to wait until 2016 and she would be much older by then. I also believe that the Clinton Machine is working behind the scenes to ensure that Obama does not control the Democratic Party in the future which he would if he wins.

Third: Momentum. Simply put, Presidential Campaigns live and die on momentum; the Big MO'! In the past 2 weeks John McCain has surged more than 10 points or more in some of the key Battleground States and the Mo' continues to this day. In contrast, Obama has been hemorrhaging votes and is now fighting to hold onto territory that he thought he had won: Virginia, Missouri, Florida, Ohio. Couple this with the fact that historically Obama is not a great closer and you have the makings of an historical comeback by John McCain. And remember, the polls are skewed due to the 80% non-responsive voters. The lead in these polls could be bigger, much bigger than is being reported now.

Fourth: The nervous media. There has never been a Presidential Campaign that has seen an utter lack of objectivity from the Main Stream Media (MSM) than this one has. Even the latest research shows that the MSM has overwhelmingly gone out of it's way to ensure that Obama has the more positive coverage and that McCain has the more negative coverage. (See the following study: http://www.cmpa.com/media_room_press_8.htm). But the interesting thing that I have seen (that now has been documented) is that virtually ALL MSM media outlets have begun to call the election for Obama in the last few weeks even though people are engaging in early voting as we speak! The main reason behind this strategy is to suppress the vote and make Republican voters depressed and dispirited. They will think that Obama is going to win in a landslide anyway so there is really no reason for them to take the time to vote. In other words: it's a forgone conclusion that Obama is going to win. This is not the first time this strategy has been used however. In the 2000 Presidential Election the MSM called Florida for Al Gore BEFORE the people in the Florida Panhandle, historically Republican-leaning territory, had a chance to get to the polls. By some studies this caused some 50-80,000 voters to stay home and not go to the polls. Florida was won by just 367 votes! The media did their best to help Al Gore and they got caught. Thankfully, the state eventually went to Bush after the Supreme Court intervened. The MSM this time around however is "all in" to use a poker term and they have bet the house that they can pull this off. However, if you start to read between the lines, they are starting to doubt that they have done all they can do and as the research shows the American People have see right through their scheme.

Fifth: The Independent vote: Historically when things are bad people choose the "sure thing" rather than roll the dice on the unknown. With the uncertainty and volatility that exists in the world these days people are looking for their "baby blanket" to make them feel safe. John McCain is that blanket. (Now that's a visual) They KNOW McCain, they trust McCain, they have witnessed his record over decades and they know that he will not take us off a cliff while the world is searching for answers. He might not be an exciting candidate but he is the "sure thing" this time around. They know that out of the two he will do LESS damage if things go awry.

Finally: Obama has failed to close the deal. If the American People really thought that things were so bad that they needed to drastically change things then why hasn't Obama put this thing away? He should be 20 points of more ahead in the polls and yet he is more like 2 or 3 or 5 points ahead. That does not bode well for him as it suggests that there is a large segment of people out there that still don't trust him and are reluctant to swing in his direction. As I said before he is a bad closer and it shows. The truth is people have second thoughts about this guy and they don't think he is the best choice at a time of such uncertainty in the world. They understand that he will have many more chances to run again and this will give them time to get to know him a bit. For now he is an unknown commodity and it makes people nervous. This, I believe will show, come November 4th.

Extreme Makeover-The America Edition

No, this is not the TV show but rather a look into the future as to what America would look like under a President Obama. I am only going to use his proposals as outlined to demonstrate how radical this man will be.

First, he will destroy the economy. By raising capital gains tax he'll cause people to move their investments out of the stock market. By raising the corporate tax he'll cause American businesses to go elsewhere as set up shop overseas. (China has offered American companies the ability to operate in their country tax free). By taxing the oil companies he will cause them to pass on the expenses of doing business to us and we will pay even MORE at the pump than we do now! We can all afford that right? Lastly, he will cause 1% of the people in America who DO pay taxes to pick up the tab for 80% of people who don't. Thereby stoking the fires of class envy and increasing the animosity between the haves and the have-nots. That should being us closer together huh?

Second, he will weaken us militarily. He has proposed to STOP all further research and development of our nuclear weapons program here in the US. At a time when you have Iran, Russia, Pakistan, N Korea and others starting to flex their nuclear muscles he would have us fold our hand and walk away from the table. He thinks this will being our enemies to see us as a more peaceful nation. The fact is they will see us as weaker and more vulnerable. Does anyone think for one minute that if the rest of the world could bankrupt and conquer the US they wouldn't? President Reagan had it correct: Peace through superior firepower! This is what bankrupted the Soviet Union and ultimately led to the demise of the Cold War. The world is far to dangerous a place to just start "trusting" these aggressive governments and "hope" they will just play nice. Once again, this shows Obama's naivety.

Thirdly, he will make us more vulnerable to another terrorist attack. Obama has stated that he plans to go on a worldwide "apology tour" and tell the world that we were wrong for going to Iraq and from now on we plan to talk more and fight less. Ahhhh, such a beautiful thought. However, this just goes to show his ignorance of the enemy we fight. Arabs see non-aggression as weakness. If you say your sorry once you've attacked them it emboldens them to hit you harder the next time. The only thing the jihadists understand is force. They KNOW that John McCain will not tolerate any attack on the US or it's interests and they will pay a heavy price if they choose to do so. They also perceive the Obama is weak on this issue and that is exactly why they have endorsed him for President. That alone speaks volumes!!

Fourthly, he will change this country and it's values in a way that will be hard to turn around in a generation. He will appoint liberal, activist judges that will wreak havoc throughout our entire legal system. If you are a person of faith you should be especially nervous as he will allow them to limit your religious rights and will in effect put a muzzle on pastors and priests who speak the truth of God's Word. If you speak out about homosexuality you will be fined or imprisoned. If you speak out about abortion the same will happen. The "progressive" values will take the place of the Judeo-Christian values that shaped this nation and we will become a godless society.

Fifth, he will turn this country into a socialist, European-like state. Is it any wonder that the Europeans love Obama? He is ONE of them! They have lived under socialism for so long they don't even know they don't have any freedom anymore. America is the last bastion of TRUE freedom that exists on the face of this planet and that is why so many people long to come here every year. Once Obama enacts his economic plan and the people have lived under it for a few years they will learn to accept it and we will have crossed the line. More and more people will depend on the government for all of their needs and they will slowly become dependent. Is this what we want for our country? To have to depend on our government for EVERYTHING from cradle to grave? What happens when the government decides that you no longer need something and decides to do away with it? How will you feel then?

There are many other proposals of Obama's that I could go into but quite frankly isn't this enough? We stand on the precipice of history and we have a decision to make. Do we turn back this radical agenda and save our country for future generations? Or do we take the step over the side and free-fall into the future? When we land it will hurt. If you haven't done anything to stop this wave of lunacy from taking place then you need to. If you have then I and an entire nation of God-fearing, patriotic, freedom-loving citizens owe you a debt of gratitude and thanks. Keep up the fight until the fight is won!!! THIS IS NOT OVER!!!

Time to go Nuclear!

For the last 2 weeks I have been, like most of you, absolutely astonished at the treatment that Governor Sarah Palin has been receiving in the media and on the blogs. It is apparent now that she was a VERY wise choice for VP. In the 2 weeks since she was chosen I have watched the mainstream media, the leftist blogs and most of Hollywood lose their minds and slander this woman in any way they can. Some of the statements that have been made have shown the true nature of the dark underbelly of the Left in this country. They are terrified that "their messiah" has faltered and will now lose this election and with good reason. John McCain went from a 6 point deficit in the polls to a 5 point lead! That's 11 points in 2 weeks. He is clearly surging at the right time. People are now paying more attention to the race and they are tuning in more carefully to what each of these candidates intends to do in The White House. With that attention comes scrutiny and so far the American people are not convinced that Obama is the guy to lead this nation. Sure he still has the lead in the traditional "blue states" but even those are starting to come into play and before its all over this could result in a landslide victory for McCain/Palin. Don't forget that most of this will be over on election night BEFORE the mid-west and the west coast gets to vote at all. They will already have an idea by the time they go into the polls as to who is winning this thing and everyone likes to back a winner.

Since these attacks on Governor Palin have backfired and continue to do so I believe that things will soon get even uglier and before it's all said and done there may be a lawsuit involved. Sure, you can say things about your opponent that are slightly untrue in politics because that is the way that the game is played. I wish it wasn't but it is what it is. However, when you start to accuse, slander and frankly make up stuff that you KNOW is not true like some of the media and the lefty bloggers have done, you have then crossed the line. I personally see this getting much nastier and I think the end result will be a huge backlash from women and values voters in this country who are now more energized than at any other time in this race. Remember, it's only September and as of today there are 53 more days before Election Day. October and the inevitable "surprise" that comes with it is yet to come.

There are many things that can still affect the outcome of this race and they need to be considered. Things like: an Israeli attack on Iran, a Russian stalemate in Georgia, the death of a prominent politician/world leader, a resurgence of violence in Afghanistan or a terrorist attack. All of these things could alter the mood of the country and cause people to sway from one candidate to the next. However, I believe that the momentum is building on John McCain's side and that wave is starting to sweep across the country. There is only one more crucial event/events that will have an outcome on this race and that is the Presidential Debates. I'm not worried about the VP Debates because quite frankly they don't matter. Sure, they will be watched VERY closely this time around but in the end it will be the main Presidential Debates that will cause voters to choose one candidate over the other. Because John McCain is a skillful and experienced debater (that's what Senators do all day) I look for him to shine in this forum. That is also why I think the Dem's will decide to "go nuclear" now so that they can damage him and his running mate BEFORE the debates and therefore slow down the momentum. They know that John McCain will do well here so they need to make him look old, unprepared, like a Bush clone or out of touch with America. Look for the heat to get turned up on both McCain and Palin within all segments of the left in this country: MSM, Hollywood, lefty bloggers, etc. This will be an all out attack on all things Republican. They realize that if they can't win with someone who is so polished and "anointed" for this office than they can't win. My prediction: John McCain will win and it will be by 10% points. Then the fun begins as the left completely unravels in the face of a huge defeat. This could mark the end of the Democratic Party in America as we now know it. What will be birthed in its place will be something much, much worse.

Not so fast!

Just when you all thought that the Obamessiah had arisen to his rightful place and had been coronated as King of....well everything..meet Sarah Palin! In one masterful stroke of political genius John McCain just reinvigorated his base, his party and this race. Never forget that Mr McCain has prior military experience and longevity in the cesspool of Washington, D.C. politics. He understands strategy better than most people. Obama on the other hand knows very little about the way things work in Washington and even less about military strategy. That's what allowed McCain to set this trap for him and as expected Obama took the bait. Now, he is caught and he has nowhere to run. McCain's pick of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin was the work of a master. It was HIS pick and no one knew about it except him. McCain keeps his secrets close to his vest until he is ready to reveal his decisions and he loves to surprise people. In Sarah Palin he managed to unite all of the major voting blocs of the Republican Party AND he is now poised to take from other blocs that usually vote Democratic.

Obama's biggest mistake so far was to NOT choose Hillary as his VP choice. Sure, it would have been hell to have her down the hall for 4 years but look what it has done now. Sarah Palin is going to step into that void and some, not all, but some of Hillary's supporters, mainly women, will switch to McCain. Not to mention that now Hillary is very unhappy and feels betrayed by Obama. It will be interesting to see how "vigorously" she campaigns for him now! With this pick, McCain now has the following people in his corner for November: Christians, women, gun rights folks, Pro Lifers, Pro Energy backers, anti-global warming believers and most importantly: Conservatives. He now has enough backers to take this race. Focus on the Family's James Dobson has now endorsed the ticket and that is big because of his enormous influence with the Christian Right. Today there is new energy in the race and it is all thanks to Sarah Palin. Sure, she's not that experienced but either is Obama and that's exactly what the talk will turn to. Hence the trap set by McCain. Once the Obama supporters start talking about her lack of experience McCain can just simply remind them that Obama has LESS experience and he is on the top of the ticket. This is will not play well with people in middle America and will cause many to doubt his eligibility in these dangerous and uncertain times.

The other thing that this pick did was completely kill any energy or enthusiasm about Obamessiah's speech on Thursday night. It completely took the wind out of their sails and virtually EVERYONE was talking about Sarah Palin. Did Obama give a speech? Really? When? Oh yeah, the night before McCain chose that pretty lady from Alaska to be his VP. I remember now. Nice move, Mr McCain! And now the GOP convention kicks off and any "bump" that Obama might have enjoyed in the polls will be short lived because of the coverage that will surround the McCain-Palin ticket now. Curiosity will cause many people to tune in to hear her speak and that is exactly what McCain wants.

Lastly, the differences between these two candidates could not be more apparent especially after the Obamessiah's speech the other night. I watched the speech that was supposed to be about "specifics" and a "plan" and all I heard was promise after promise after promise...no plan. We are going to become energy independent from foreign oil in 10 years! Really? How? Even if he does win the election and has 2 terms he'll only be there for 8 years. Not to mention that if the balance of power in Congress shifts it won't be a guarantee that anything will be done according to his plan. Over-promise and under-deliver. The truth of the matter is that that speech was all about HIM. It had nothing to do with America. It was a show. "Look at me", "Look where I have arisen to". McCain's campaign slogan is "Country First" because he gets it. Obama is an empty suit that enjoys the attention and the celebrity status that he has cultivated and could care less about you and I. Look deeper into this Mr Obama and you will be shocked at what lies beneath the surface. But that story is developing even now and will have major implications on the future of Mr Obama and his aspirations. I knew that if they dug deep enough something would emerge and indeed it has..stay tuned!

Behind The Mask

I have already gone on record as saying that I think John McCain will win in the November election and I have not changed my mind. I mean the fact is in most major polls Obama only has a 4-5 point lead. If you add in the margin for error that's a tie! If, as the media claims, things are SOOOOOO bad and the American people are so disgusted with the direction of the country, then why is this race so close. Obama speaks of change and heading in a new direction. If most people were truly buying that he would be running away with this thing...he is not. That leads me to believe that his support is not as strong as some might think and therefore he is vulnerable.
In light of this however, his demeanor has not changed since he was running for the nomination in the Primaries. Obama struts around like he has this thing in the bag and that John McCain is the underdog. Once the debates start he is going to get a taste of reality. Off script Obama is a terrible speaker. When he is reading a teleprompter he is quite eloquent though. The debates will show this weakness and the whole world will be watching. McCain on the other hand has been a U.S. Senator for decades and he is used to debating and giving speeches when it counts. I predict a big win for McCain in the debates. The problem is going to become when Obama is actually going to have to present to the people who he really is. As of now, nobody knows who this guy is or what he stands for. He has shown the remarkable ability to be on ALL sides of any issue at the same time! He said the Surge did not work, now he says id probably did. He said that he would take public financing for his campaign, he opted against it. He said he wants to pull out of Iraq immediately, now he says we may have to "keep some troops there for a while". In 2004, when John Kerry started to change his position he was called a flip-flopper and it cost him the election. Obama is flipping and flopping daily and the media won't cover it. They have their man and they plan to make him President.
At some point, very soon I think, the truth will be revealed and people will begin to see who Obama really is. That is the point that he will start to lose support. The media will do everything in it's power to minimize anything that will make him look bad while at the same time using their power to "crown him king". Just look at the coverage he is getting on his "magical mystery tour" of Europe and the Middle East. The People will ultimately choose who will lead this country in these times of crisis both here and abroad and I am confident that they will choose John McCain. But in politics as in life...anything can happen!

Free...but for how long?

I just returned from a wonderful boat ride where we anchored in a harbor to watch the Independence Day fireworks display. Just before the show began, for us and for the hundreds of others in boats and on land, the local radio station played one of my favorite songs in order to get everyone in the mood: "Proud to be an American" by Lee Greenwood. Not only is it a great song but it also holds a special meaning to me as it was THE song when I returned from the Gulf War in 1991. It's a great song and the lyrics truly speak to the pride that I feel as an American who has had the great privilege to fight for this nation and that freedom. As we used to say in the Marines: Freedom isn't free. As long as we are willing in this country to fight for and defend that freedom we will live under it's protection if we choose to lower our guard we will lose that freedom and never get it back. At least not without another bloody conflict that gave it to us in the first place in 1776.

I believe, however, that we are in trouble in this country because we no longer hold that freedom as dear as we used to. Instead we use it as an excuse or a catch-all that allows us to abuse each other and claim that we have the freedom to do so. How many times have we seen absolutely disgusting art or movies that we KNOW are just plain wrong but instead of doing the right thing and refusing to show these examples of filth we say "It's protected by the First Amendment." Somehow, after reading many of the writings of our Forefathers, I doubt very seriously that they would approve of how badly we've abused this "right." Their intent was solely to allow other people to be heard rather than just those in power. In their day if you spoke out against the king he had you beheaded. This obviously was meant as a deterrent so that the king could rule with an iron fist and nobody would question him. The great men who started this country knew that the only way you could truly be free is if you allowed other opinions to be heard even if you didn't agree with them. Somewhere down the line some lawyer took that to mean that anyone could say anything and it was all protected speech. I'm quite sure that our Forefathers knew that there was a limit as to how far one could take this and they never could have imagined what is going on today.

The other timely issue that I see as a dangerous sign of our impending doom is the takeover of the Supreme Court. There are supposed to be three "separate but equal" branches of government. The Executive Branch (The President and Vice President), The Legislative (The House of Representatives and The Senate) and The Supreme Court. This model was designed so that there would be "checks and balances" so that one branch would not rule the others and be corrupted by absolute power. However, we are at a dangerous point in America these days where The Supreme Court and other "activist judges" have begun to legislate from the bench. Basically they have decided to usurp the power of the "people's representatives" in Congress and make their own laws. When we have judges making AND interpreting The Law they they have tipped the balance of power in their direction and there are no more "checks and balances." Thankfully with the seating of Justice Alito and Chief Justice Roberts we have started to see some semblance of sanity coming back to the Court. However, the next President will have as much as 3 or 4 nominations for the Court and that could have wide reaching repercussions for generations to come. McCain will seat somewhat conservative judges and Obama will seat ultra-liberal ones. The Court will swing either way to the right or way to the left and the country will follow suit. This, for me, is the MOST important issue of the upcoming election and I will cast my vote for McCain for that very reason.

America is a wonderful experiment in freedom and we have fought hard to get to where we are now. However, there are many enemies of America that are now planning our destruction and we better be ready for the fight. Whether the threat comes from abroad through something like Islamic terrorism or a conventional war with another country of from within by extremists on the left and their socialist views. We MUST be ready, as Lee Greenwood's song says: I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today. America is free today but without her People to defend her and keep her free she will fall. For those of us who are blessed enough to live in America we need to be ever vigilant for those that would take this freedom from us. We must remember that "We the People" are America and we carry the responsibility to keep her that way. A charge given to us by thousands that have laid down their lives and spilt their own blood so that future generations may enjoy the freedom they did. Are we going to ignore their sacrifice and just let this country be taken away from us while we sit idly by and do nothing? As a Marine, an American and as a Citizen of these great United States I state here and now: Not on my watch...NOT on my watch. E Pluribus Unum and In God We Trust!!!

A House Divided

Don't look now but there is a major earthquake coming and it will take place right here in America. Am I talking about a seismic shift of land masses that will cause major destruction? No. This will be similar but it will take place in the world of Presidential Politics. You see the earthquake that's coming is the split within the Democratic Party. The cracks are visible now but the fissures are beginning to widen and once Obama gets the party nomination those cracks will explode. This fight between Obama and Clinton has become so nasty that the sides have become absolutely polarized. In other words Clinton's supporters don't like Obama's and the feeling is mutual. What I find interesting is the fact that the whole race is starting to divide along racial lines. But wait a minute, isn't this the Democratic Party? Aren't they the ones that preach that they are the MOST INCLUSIVE political party out there? Certainly they wouldn't let the race for their Nominee become a race about....RACE...would they? Take a closer look at the exit polls and the demographic analysis from the primaries. Clinton gains most of her support from the elderly, women and from WHITE people. Obama virtually has a lock on the African-American voting bloc and he also pulls the youth/college age kids as well. I think that this fight will go on for a few more weeks before someone is actually NAMED the nominee but look for the support for that person to fall away in the General Election in the Fall. In poll after poll Clinton supporters have vowed they would not vote for Obama and vice-versa. Simmering below the surface is an outright distrust and hatred for the other side and they are so polarized now that I cannot see them coming together in time to challenge McCain. The MOST interesting part to me though is the fact that despite all of the so-called inclusion that the Democratic Party claims exists within their party the reality is they are split along RACIAL lines.

And the winner is.....

I am going out on a limb here to predict who I think will be the next President of the United States. After careful consideration I believe that John McCain will win The Presidency and by a wide margin also; 60/40. Now let me explain why I think this will happen. First, I believe that the nominee for the Democratic Party will be Barak Obama. Regardless of the fact that Hillary Clinton just won the Pennsylvania Primary by 10 percentage points I STILL think that Obama will be the nominee. He brings a new message to the race and he is doing very well with some key demographics such as African Americans, College Students and moderates. However, I still believe that this is John McCain's race to lose. Do not underestimate the wartime situation that the US is in and who the American people will ultimately want as a Commander-in-Chief. By a very wide margin most people think that the Iraq War is going in the right direction and that the troops should come home........when the job is over. That is the difference. Obama wants to bring them home immediately and Hillary would slowly draw them down but the effect will be the same. Without our help, Iraq will be unable to combat the aggressive Iranian onslaught that will pervade the country and will be worse off than it was under Saddam. Speaking of Iran, they will also be a main factor in the voter's decision making process. When the American people go into the polls in November there will be 2 major concerns and one of those will be security. Iran has not minced words in what it's plans are for Israel should they acquire the power to destroy them...they will. They have also taken every opportunity to slander and provoke the US at every turn. Even the Arab countries that DO NOT like us fear Iran. They know that a nuclear Iran in that region is a very bad thing. John McCain will not treat this as just another diplomatic issue. He will be direct and forceful and if necessary use the military option to stop Iran. Obama wants to "sit down with Iran's leaders, look into their eyes and reach out to them on a human level". Are you kidding me? No offense Mr Obama but that will only come across as weakness and will encourage more provocation. Iran must understand that they will be dealt with harshly and swiftly and there must be no mixed signals.

The other major issue will be the Economy. Obama is going to raise taxes just by merely repealing the Bush tax cuts and that will in effect amount to the largest tax increase in the history of the United States. Is that the best thing for a stagnant economy? Doesn't it make sense that if people have MORE money they will want to spend it rather than less? McCain has already stated that he will make the Bush tax cuts permanent which will win him great praise. The truth is slowly starting to trickle out about Obama's real intentions and it's not pretty. Basically he is a re-distributionist. He believes that money should be taken from the rich to be given to those less fortunate. Well, that's the American Dream after all. Right? Why should you get a job an education and work hard to achieve your goals when you can rely on the government to provide for your needs? Yes, that will definitely NOT go over well come November. No matter how you slice it most Americans WANT to work hard to make their dreams come true. If it's handed to you it doesn't have the same appeal.

The third issue that I think will have a very profound effect on the outcome of this race is the judgement issue. Recently it has come to light that Obama has some very shady and even criminal "friends" that have raised the eyebrows of even the most hardcore Obama supporter. Let's just look at the Top Three: Tony Rezko, Reverend Wright and William Ayers. Tony Rezko is currently on trial for his shady real estate dealings in Chicago and will probably be found guilty. Reverend Wright has been shown to be an anti-American hypocrite who talks about "the evil, rich white man" and then buys a multi-million dollar mansion in a neighborhood know for rich, white men. And last but not least and the most concerning is William Ayers. He is a former member of the Weather Underground terrorist group who along with his cohorts declared war on the United States and made, set and detonated explosive devices that took the lives of 3 people in the 60's. Mr Ayers is unrepentant to this day and actually believes that his group "did not do enough". The fact that Obama hangs around with these folks cast serious doubts on his ability to apply good judgement in sensitive situations. If he distanced himself and condemned their actions he might get some credit for doing the right thing. However, he has remained friends with these people and refuses to disavow his connections with them. THAT is a serious breach of trust and judgement and the American people will not take it lightly.

Obama has shown that he has the intelligence and the charisma to ignite enthusiasm in people all across this land. That will ensure that he will be a fixture on the political landscape for some time to come. However, his inexperience, shady connections and radical ideas will cost him this election. We just don't know who this guy is and most people will not put a stranger in The White House. We know John McCain. We might not necessarily agree with him on all issues but under the circumstances we don't have the luxury of a second choice. These are the choices, for better or for worse. John McCain will be a good President. He will most likely serve one term and then his Vice President will run. In the meantime, Barak Obama will be establishing a record for himself and he WILL run again. That you can bet on!! This will make him a very powerful Senator and if my suspicions are correct he will relish that role almost as much as being President. In fact he could be MORE dangerous as a Senator than President and that might be his overall plan. One thing is for sure; regardless of the outcome this November Barak Obama is here to stay. But this year belongs to John McCain. At least that's what I think.