Republican Weakness. Where is it? In the Northeast, across the upper Midwest, and in cities and upscale suburbs. To gain a majority in Congress, Republicans will have to win House and Senate seats in those places. To win the presidency, they’ll have to appeal to voters in those locations.

Republicans in Washington must keep these voters–they’re more moderate than conservative–in mind and avoid alienating them. Republicans don’t need to jettison conservative principles. Ryan, the party’s most innovative thinker, says Republicans need only apply these principles to the new political era, and moderates will be comfortable with the result.

One more thing is essential, according to Ryan. “We’ve got to be happy warriors,” he says. “We’ve got to stop being the angry white guy party.” Otherwise, Republicans will play right into Obama’s hands.

More than anything, we need to stick our principles.  But we cannot be overbearing social and neo conservatives.  We are going to do well in the South.  But what are we doing to win votes in the Northeast and the Northern Plains?  Why haven’t we been competitive in the Pacific Northwest?

These are all valid questions and we, as Republicans, need to start digging deep to find the answers.

The 12% margin of victory for Myers in Ocean County is a joke.

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How do we lose two freeholder seats and the county clerk’s office in Burlington County?

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How do we get swept out in Cumberland County?

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We have a lot of questions.  We need to do some soul searching in the next few weeks.  But know this: our path to victory in 2009 and beyond begins today.  We cannot be looking over our shoulders wondering what we could have done different.  It is time to be proactive.  It is time to bring forth a new generation of young Republican leaders.  We need to rally around Congressman Cantor from Virgina and Congressman Ryan from Wisoconsin.  We need to rally around Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and other young Republican leaders like him nationwide.  And we need to dump Tom Wilson, our illustrious State GOP Chairman.  Our party is in shambles here in New Jersey.  Just look at the selection process for our U.S. Senate candidate to understand my point.

My friends, join me: stand with me as I fight to bring about Republican ideas and values.  Stand with me as I work to rebuild our party from the ground up, so we can retake Trenton and Washington.  It is time for a taxpayer revolution my friends, and it begins today!

                Rider has sought out speakers to come to campus, some liberal and some conservative.  This is to be applauded.  Sadly, this year there has not been a strong presence of dissenting opinion sponsored by the administration.  On Constitution Day, an event celebrating the implementation of the Constitution of this nation, Rider invited Former Democrat Congressman Harold Ford of Tennessee.  While he gave a great speech addressing the political climate of this country, he did not in any great detail discuss the reason why he was invited:  the constitution.  A mere oversight, perhaps, but considering the fact that he was a paid speaker on a topic he should have stuck to it.  This week we are hosting Donna Brazile, a noted Democrat political commentator, as our Unity day speaker.  Unity day focuses our attention on bringing people together and not dividing them apart.  How unifying is inviting only liberal points of view to Riders campus in arguably the most important election in our lifetimes?  Where is the forum for conservative thought about the election?  I do not dispute Ms. Brazile’s expertise as a political commentator; however, I strongly disagree with my Student Activities fee being spent to bring only one side of the political scene to campus.  The administration has the duty to represent all student interests and in my eyes has failed to do that.  It is no wonder Rider is ranked as one of the 20 least politically active campuses in the nation when the school provides a forum for only liberal minds.  College is supposed to be a vigorous debate with all students, asking them to think critically and examine all sides of an issue in order to form their own opinions on a topic.  This has not been encouraged on Riders campus.

                I hope that the Unity day and Constitution day speakers’ political affiliation was merely an oversight.  Unfortunately, considering the left leanings of many in this administration, how can we reasonably expect a fair and unbiased learning environment?  It makes our job, as concerned conservatives, difficult when we fight against the liberal imperialism on campus.  It is our responsibility, as College Republicans, to seek out the truth and bring balance to this campus.  We will be protesting Donna Brazile at 6 pm in front of the BLC.  Join us so we can tell the administration that we are not all democrats.  We have a right to be heard on this campus!

…To Congressman Scott Garrett from NJ’s 5th District for voting against the Bailout. Nice to know that there are some Republicans out there still fighting for our beliefs.

Now for arguments sake, let us stick with what the Obama camp quips, that it is judgment that most matters with the presidency. Therefore let us compare the judgment of Lincoln and Obama on the greatest moral issue of their time: slavery and abortion respectably, after all, the democrats already compare the two men . During an 1858 debates at Galesburg, Illinois Lincoln had this to say regarding slavery “Now I confess myself as belonging to that class in the country who contemplate slavery as a moral, social and political evil…”Now, during Pasture Warren’s faith Forum recently Obama muttered this about Abortion, “Well, you know, I think that whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.”

Lincoln was early on vexed on what to do about the peculiar institution of slavery which had existed for hundreds of years he often did bash that institution seeing it as evil but difficult to end, over 700,000 Americans  perished in the civil war, he feared not, calling evil by its name. In an Letter to Henry Pierce in April of 1859 (notice the civil war did not come to be until April of 1861) he opined his famous line “Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, cannot long retain it.” Lincoln became deeply pained by the Civil War in which cost so many lives. Even though the War did not at first ensue just to end slavery, with Lincoln’s pushing that soon became a battle cry for Union Soldiers who marched into war to the tune “As Christ died to make me holy, let us die to make men free”.

Obama’s Judgment on abortion may be more radical than any democrat in office. He stood with the few opposed to restrains on partial birth abortion, a violent procedure, in which a fetus has their skull cracked and brains sucked out while still in the womb. He then stood virtually alone in voting against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act while in the State Senate. The born Alive Infant Protection Act required that in an abortion in which the baby is born alive, that is a procedure in which the abortionist fails to fully destroy the fetus while it is still in the womb, a doctor must treat it and attempt to save its life. When this bill developed in to a federal law in 2002 it was unanimously passed by the US house and Senate (Obama was still in Chicago at this time) and signed into law by President Bush.

So does  Obama’s judgment compare with one of our nation’s most revered martyrs? I find that harder to believe then Obama’s insistence you can tax people to prosperity.

Newt Gingrich, God in America

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/18/ken_burns_compares_obama_to_li.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rutten19mar19,0,5754610.column

Source: EdgeBoston.com 

However just a vague understanding in economics could makes McCain wise and Obama ignorant. The Associated Press reports that there is an estimated 18 Billion Barrels of oil in which could be extracted. While the annual production of that source will still be pitons compared to United States Annual 6 billion barrel a year thirst (which is predicted to double by 2025) it is certainly much more than the 700M in the strategic reserves Democrats are demanding to be released to the public.

If McCain’s Plan is implemented it would be beneficial in two “psychological” but beneficial ways:

First, it would send a message to OPEC which controls two thirds of the oil reserves, but only about one third of the oil production, along with other large oil producing nations, that if they fail to release more oil or reduce the oppression in which they inflict on their people, we will get it closer to home. Thus, America would send them a stern warning that the “consumer” will shop somewhere else! Furthermore, many nations, which are oil producers and not ran by brutal dictators or oppressive clowns such as in Venezuela, would rather produce more oil at a cheaper price instead of loosing business entirely. America would do what is has neglected for a long time to do, and that is take action against the dependency we are in rather than just talk about it.

Second, it would deflate the current price of oil that seem to rise every day. As with most of economics, oil is no exception to the law of supply and demand: The more available or to become available the cheaper the price. Moreover, the falsely accused “evil oil spectators” would not predict such grim futures on oil if it is actually being extracted rather than locked uselessly in the ground. Lower futures will help stem the rampant fear of $200 oil by the end of summer. Fear is indeed psychological and affects how we behave, but much of economics is rooted in behavior making “psychological impacts” much more than just “Washington- Speak”.

There is no doubt that an increase in oil production will not be the cure-all for our energy crunch, but reverting to cold showers, candles and Priuses are no the panacea ether. The proper innovation will need time and people should not suffer with such high gas prices. Few Vegetarians would choice to starve with a cheeseburger next to them; the American people should not be forced starve because Democrats refuse to drill for oil at home.

Source: Energy.gov

Source: Associated Press

She made me smile this morning. I think she’ll do the same to you once you read her latest opus…

Click here to be entertained…

Let us glean in on Obama’s past before we blindly follow his claim. Obama has been rated as one of the most liberal senators in the United States by both The National Review and CQ Politics. In fact, as a Illinois state Senator Obama received a 100% Liberal voter ranking. Any claim of non-partisanship by Sen. Obama is a farce with these statistics in hand. Obama mealy wishes for conservatives to abandon their beliefs and subscribe to his. It seems quite clear he has no interest in talking to Republicans, but is fine with talking to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Raul Castro.

John McCain however, is well known as a maverick and has made many friends with democrats. It should be noted that McCain has Joseph Lieberman , although himself an independent a democrat at heart, campaigning for him. Few liberals are afraid Obama is not liberal enough, but conservatives who fear McCain is not conservative enough are plentiful. Obama only faced democratic resistance because of a fear he was not electable, a claim which has now been deftly refuted if latest polls are accurate. Conservative on the other hand, have been furious over McCain’s stance on the environment, campaign finance reform, water boarding, immigration and other issues that are more inline with liberal ideology. Would it not seem to be, that John McCain would be the best candidate for uniting America?

But when I ask these people about the policies Sen. Obama supports or the votes he has made as a U.S. Senator, they simply do not know.  This is a scary thought: blind devotion.  While Obama and the following kinds of men are worlds apart, people followed dictators in Germany and Italy for the same reasons.  People are simply attracted to a “rock star” allure that emanates from him.  People must remember that we are voting for a president, the leader of the free world – not a homecoming king.

Kyle J. Battaglia,

Hamilton

(Letter to the Editor, Trenton Times, 1/20/08)