Taxpayer Rally 2013 Highlights from Jeremy Griffith on Vimeo.

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann

Michele Bachmann, Jason Lewis and Grover Norquist headlined Saturday’s Taxpayer Rally on the Mall of the State Capitol in Minnesota. Here are some of the highlights of that event. Complete video of Bachmann and Lewis’s comments can be found at my blog at AmericanMillenniumOnline.com here. 

 I was listening to him on the Sean Hannity Radio Show today and it reminded me of why I rarely listen to that political hack (www.mediaite.com).  Rep. Akin explained himself, AGAIN, and said he was staying in the race.  Hack Hannity complains daily about the double standard in the media yet he is the first one to dive into the double standard, urging Akin to get out because he will “hurt the Republican Party”.  Hack Hannity must have “suggested” he step aside a dozen times in the few minutes Akin was on the radio.  How does one whine about a double standard and then jump right into the middle of that same double standard?  Isn’t that being a bit hypocritical?

Republican National  Committee chairman Reince Preibus and a whole bunch of former Missouri “moderate” RINO cowards are urging Akin to get out and let someone else run against Claire McCaskill, one of the most liberal of senators and an Obama doormat.  I heard today on the Hannity hack show that the “moderate” Mitt Romney is also urging Akin to step aside, “for the good of the party”.  What a bunch of slap fighting sissies!!! 

The reason Republicans can’t win is people like me are fed up with the cowardly actions of the party establishment.  Every time some liberal hollers boo they go hide under their beds and cry for their mommy.  Akin is a staunch supporter of the FairTax, has voted against all of the big spending Democrat legislation, voted no on raising the debt ceiling (http://akin.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1641&Itemid=88), against the wishes of John Boehner and the other RINO’s in the party, and has voted against the party leadership on many other occasions because he values principal over politics.  AHA!!! I think I just struck on the problem Akin has today.  He actually shows honor, integrity, and backbone so he must be thrown to the wolves by the cowards of the party establishment.

I have said before, and I will repeat here, that I have more respect for Harry Reid, Dingy Harry Reid, than I do for John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and a host of others in the Republican Party.  Harry Reid will stand up in your face and say “SCREW YOU!!!“ when he has a different opinion.  Republicans, on the other hand, cower and beg for someone to let them do a little bit of what they want to do.  Reid has refused to pass a budget for 3 years because John Boehner doesn’t have enough backbone to force the issue.  Boehner the traitor passes one Continuing Resolution after another to keep Harry Reid, and fellow Republicans, from being forced to take a vote on a budget.  Boehner doesn’t want the budget “to be an issue right before an election”.  So much for the resolve needed to solve the financial problems of our nation. He will let Democrats go right on spending like there is no tomorrow because he doesn’t have the courage to take a stand.  And we ousted Pelosi for this wimp?  I don’t see a gain here.  The spending hasn’t dropped one iota since Boehner took over the speakership, and Akin is the one who is destroying voter confidence in the Republican Party?  I don’t think so!!

 And now to Mitty the Poo Romney.  I never thought he was the one America needs, until he picked Paul Ryan for his VP choice.  Finally, I thought, Mitty actually found a spine.  Then today comes and he is back to his cowardly “moderate” ways of throwing anything or anyone conservative to the wolves (http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/08/21/Romney-Calls-For-Akin-To-Step-Down). 

I have lived for 24 years with the “vote for this guy and we will get a conservative next election cycle” story.  It isn’t going to happen as long as We the People rely on the Progressive Republican Party to represent our conservative views.  Conservatism gets hammered by Republicans every time it sticks its head up.  Once again we see the lack of backbone that has kept Democrats in power, for the most part, over the last 60 years.  I saw this in 2010 when Charles Thompson, a staunch Constitutional Conservative, was running for the Oklahoma 2^nd Congressional seat held by Democrat Dan Boren.  Charles refused to sell We the People out for his own benefit and the RNC refused to help him at all.  Charles lost the election by about 6% in a race that had not been closer than a 70%-30% split since Tom Coburn left for the Senate.  This is the attitude of the Republican establishment towards conservatives.

As long as we conservative voters rely on meeley mouthed cowards to represent us we will never solve the problems facing our nation.  Republicans have been a huge part of the problem because they lack the courage and the integrity to stand up for what they say they believe in.  They are real good at criticizing and back seat driving but they lack the fortitude to govern responsibly.

I was told a few weeks ago that there is no place for me in the Republican Party because I am critical of Mitty the Poo and the Republican establishment. I was told I need to either get behind the establishment totally or get out of the Republican Party and go Independent.  I told this person that I am exactly what the Republican Party needs, a person with the courage to stand up and tell Dingy Harry “SCREW YOU!!! we will do it right and bury you under public support”.  Maybe the man was right; maybe there isn’t a place in the Republican Party for a conservative with the backbone to stand up and speak boldly for true conservatism.  Courage and straight talk doesn’t seem to be appreciated in the Republican Party, nor does there seem to be a place for forgiveness.

 I say “crapola” on this hurting the Republican Party.  To me Akin’s show of repentance, courage, and the resolve to fight through this is refreshing.  I want to see men and women who will stand up for America and conservative values.  We the People need men and women who we can count on to stand up for us.  Look at what the establishment has done to Michele Bachman over the Muslim Brotherhood thing.  She and a few, a very few, others stand up for liberty and our way of life, and look what happens.  These same “moderates” that now throw Todd Akin under the bus castigated Bachmann for having the temerity to care about American values, American ideals, and the liberty guaranteed by the Constitution.

It is time for the Republican Party to show We the People they deserve our votes.  This whining about a “double standard in the media” just doesn’t cut it any longer, especially when they participate in such behavior themselves.  It is time to go out and find a spine.  Mitt Romney is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.  Why not spend some of that money on spines for all of the establishment elites of the party and give We the People, the conservative people, something to hang our hats on.  If they can’t stand with us now they don’t deserve our votes in November. 

Todd Akin is the sacrificial lamb Republicans will use to explain away any losses, just as Sarah Palin was McCain’s scapegoat in 2008.  America is going down the tubes to dictatorship because Republicans either don’t have the courage to change our path or they are complicit and desire to see a Third World toilet dictatorship established here.  Which is it Republican Party establishment?

I submit this in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, in faith, with the responsibility given to me by Almighty God to honor His work and not let it die from neglect.

Bob Russell

Claremore, Oklahoma

August 21, 2012

This shows the utter stupidity of European countries that are so welcoming of people who want to destroy Europe, European culture and the last vestiges of European Christianity.  As in: muslims.

http://muslimmedianetwork.com/mmn/?p=11072

Who cares if she is pregnant and in the OIympics?  Within the bigger picture, that is so trivial it is ridiculous. This is a taquiyya based PR move on the part of muslims and their “progressive” western co-conspirators.

Thanks to the suppression of women in muslim countries where sharia law is enforced, women are not allowed out of the house without being accompanied by male relatives…or to drive, much less allowed to shoot a gun.

Most muslim countries are still sickeningly misogynistic.

Should Tabili decide to stay in London after the Olympics she would be just another pregnant muslim woman helping to overthrow another European country by outbreeding “politically correct” natives who themselves refuse to reproduce because doing so would lead to overpopulation and “harm mother earth”.  In a couple of decades muslims will complete their centuries old quest to conquer Europe.

This is exactly the same type of “progressive” multicultural diversity politically correct “tolerance” gobbledygook nonsense that led the American Ft. Hood shooting incident to be officially classified as “workplace violence” and to unwarranted attacks on Michele Bachmann and other Congressional Reps who courageously called for an investigation into the infiltration of America’s government by elements sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood.

When it comes to “political correctness”, “progressive” Americans are not far behind Europe.  If you ask a typical college grad who has recently been released from the indoctrination camps known as American college campuses, they are oblivious to the fact that over the years, communist regimes have killed 100 million of their own people.  If you ask them what country is the greatest force for evil in the world, they will tell you it is the United States.  These are the same brain dead “progressive” lemming useful idiots that will give you the kneejerk, propaganda based response that islam is “a religion of peace”.

Consider this exchange found on Jihad watch:

This death threat came in to ABN after I interviewed Pamela Geller in a show on “Islamophobia” last Monday night. I posted an expurgated version of this death threat already, but the unexpurgated version gives the full flavor of the opponents we face in fighting for freedom and human rights. Pamela Geller has the full audio, plus a transcript:

Now listen to me, a$$hole: if you ever disrespect my belief, I’m going to personally find ya, ok? If you ever disrespect Islam ever again, I’m going to personally find you all, ok? Take what I’m saying very f**king seriously, ok? And I f**king mean it. I’m going to personally find you all, ok? Your life will be a f**king nightmare. Take what I’m saying very f**king seriously. And start to learn how to respect other people’s belief system. This is not freedom of speech. You’re being a f**king d*ckhead. I’m going to personally find you, if I ever see your f**king a$$. Don’t be disrespectful of other people’s belief system, ok? F**king a$$hole d*ckhead. I’m gonna find you. You’ll see it. You’ll f**king die.

Pamela notes quite rightly: “If Daisy Khan or Huma Abedin had received this threat, the police would be on 24-hour guard at their house. But no one will take notice of this one.”

http://tinyurl.com/bu3xs27

That is “a religion of peace”?

Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi’s winning a gold medal then using her triumph to rub it in the faces of her culture’s misogynistic pigs would be an achievement worthy of universal acclaim.

You go girl.

http://mjfellright.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/olympic-invasion/

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is in the news again and under fire for her unflinching criticism of the government for its adoption of Muslims associated with terrorist affiliated Muslim Brotherhood as advisors for Homeland Security.

A scathing letter addressed to the Inspector General of the DHS specifically names three individuals used as advisors to the DHS, granting them high level security clearances as a result, who have direct ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Bachmann calls for the investigation of the matter as well as corrective action.

The Bachmann letter states:

 ”. . . the Department of Homeland Security has utilized in a key advisory role  three individuals with extensive ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, other Islamist organizations and causes: Dalia Mogahed, Mohamed Elibiary, and Mohamed Magid.”

Bachmann doesn’t flinch, but names names and specifics in the letter, co-signed by four of her colleagues in the House Of Representatives: Trent Franks-R Arizona, Louie Gohmert-R Texas, Thomas Rooney-R Florida, Lynn Westmoreland-R Georgia.

Bachmann goes on to say: “The problematic nature of this arrangement is evident. . .” and a cause of great concern. It is of great concern, unless you are the President or his White House staff, who don’t seem to have a problem with any of this.

Bachmann notes in the letter that these members, and others, may be having undue influence on the way law enforcement and the military are trained to identify and deal with extremist Muslim terrorists organizations, noting the softening of the language in regards to such groups and the outreach to these groups that could tip off the enemies of our country before action against them can be taken.

Michele Bachmann and her colleagues in the House might as well be talking to a wall when it comes to addressing this issue to the White House, who seems not to have qualms about inviting these dangerous individuals into Washington for a sit down. But it should also serve as warning bells to those who are listening and keeping score. It should be noted that the politically correct policies regarding those sympathetic to Jihad led directly to the tragic shooting at Fort Hood, allegedly committed by trained psychiatrist and Army Major Nidal Hassan. It should also be noted that the shooter was interested in homeland security issues and attended events for the George Washington University’s Homeland Security Policy Institute during the Obama administrations initial transition into the White House.

Jerome R. Corsi makes the claim in his column for World Net Daily that alleged Fort Hood Shooter, Hassan, is listed on the event’s final report as a uniformed services participant. In his column entitled, “Shooter Advised Obama Transition: Fort Hood triggerman aided team on Homeland Security Task Force” Corsi includes a link to the very document where Major Hassan is listed as a participant as well as video of Hassan at an event. The University acknowledges to Corsi that Hassan did attend, but says it is unclear if he had any direct influence in the committee’s final report. A link to the document in question is no longer available and the document has been scrubbed from the George Washington University’s website, but I have included them here, and here.

The University says it is unclear if Hassan had an influence on a national security report. But, that’s not the point is it? The point really should be that dangerous Muslim radicals are attempting to access high levels of our government in order to influence them in favor of their Jihad against the west; and government officials seem to be unable or unwilling to vet these people properly.

The Army clearly knew about this military psychiatrist’s radical beliefs as I am sure the DHS must know of the affiliation of these radical three. But because of political correctness, or incompetence, they refuse to act to prevent these people from having influence at the highest levels. And Americans have and will suffer as a result.

Bachmann appeared early this morning on the Glenn Beck radio show to outline her reasons for the letter. Her comments can be seen on TheBlaze.com. Beck and Bachmann have been allies on the issue of Muslim extremism, leading Beck to produce a three-part video series on his flaghip Internet TV show GBTV, entitled “Rumors of War”.

Conservative Radio Host Glenn Beck

Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison

The White House isn’t the only ones who would like to ignore this issue. Minnesotan Congressman Keith Ellison piled on recently with CNN’s Anderson Cooper where he called his colleges’ concerns over Muslim extremism infiltrating the government as “nonesense”.

Ellison, the first African-American representative from Minnesota, and the first Muslim to be elected to Congress, admits in the interview that when he asked for proof of the allegations, House Representatives sent him a 16-page document. Ellison poo-pooed the document, telling Cooper, “Sixteen pages doesn’t take nothing and turn it into something, it’s still nothing, and the fact is, I would hope that we would let our saner, more courageous spirit prevail.”

We believe Muslims should have a stake in the government of the United States, provided they are properly vetted for radical Islamic or anti-American views!

First, she proved her inability to identify poor budgeting by voting for spending bills along party lines – when BOTH parties have deepened our debt.

Then she voted for the “TSA Authorization Act” in 2009 which allowed the TSA to use nude body scanners that, quote: “creates a visual image of the individual’s full body, showing the surface of the skin”.

Now, Michele Bachmann has solidified herself as a Pure Republican, Pseudoconservative with the following tweet:

Mitt Romney is just as far from being a Conservative as Barack Obama is.  For Bachmann to endorse his candidacy furthers her resume of non-conservative decisions.

Bachmann, like Allen West, must go.

—

.

“Defeat The Left!”

“Get Obama Out!”

“Support The GOP Nominee At All Costs!”

.

These appear to be the battle cries of Republicans – and apparently Conservatives – in 2012.

.

After all, electing whoever ends up being the GOP Nominee is the main goal, right?

.

If you answered “yes” to that question, then you are a part of the problem.

Correction — you ARE the problem.

“Holy crap, did he just say that?”

I sure did.

Why would I say that, you may be asking?

The answer is because conservatives need a wake-up call.  I don’t mean a gentle shaking of the shoulders, either.  Conservatives need a sledgehammer on the ankles, a la Kathy Bates.

Why?

It wasn’t but a few short years ago, I could actually tell you what the differences between a Republican and a Conservative were:

Smaller government, abiding by the Constitution, and cutting government spending are just a few examples.

.

These days… not so much.  

Those self-professed “Conservatives” are out supporting Mitt Romney, Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum.  These same “Conservatives” were, at one time, begging for Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan to jump in the Presidential race.

Yes…. The same Paul Ryan who thinks that running deficits for another 30 years is a good thing for America!

But wait… Michele Bachmann?  What’s wrong with her?  She’s VERY Conservative!

Sure…. if you call voting for the TSA Authorization Act in 2009 a Conservative vote.  You know – that bill which gave the government the authority to use machines that, and I quote: “creates a visual image of the individual’s full body, showing the surface of the skin”  In other words, the TSA Nude Body Scanners.  Yep, the “conservative” Bachmann voted FOR it.

….WOW…. How is that representative of a Conservative?

.

I am ‘exposing’ (used very loosely here) the problem with The Right that The Left has known for years: and what they have used to defeat Conservatism in this country.

The problem is that The Right impatiently reverts back to the “any Republican” mentality at the first sign of Leftist advances.  On the contrary, The Left is patient.  Very patient.

That patience – coupled with the severe disdain of the Bush policies (also NOT conservative) – brought about Barack Obama’s path to the White House.  That patience also brought about Republican Leftists like Lindsey Graham, Mitt Romney and John McCain.  The Left’s methodology moves at a snail’s pace.  Slow enough that we didn’t see them come into the Republican Party and weaken it from within.

Weaken from within?  How so?

Exhibit A – John McCain
Exhibit B – Mitt Romney
Exhibit C – All Policy since 2000

In 2008, it was Left Vs. Left in the Presidential election.  Should Mitt Romney become the GOP Nominee in 2012, it will once again be Left Vs. Left.  

Regardless of who wins, The Right lost a long time ago.

There has not been a Conservative President since Calvin Coolidge.  That’s right, not even Reagan.  Amnesty, 11 tax hikes, and near tripling of the National Debt (among other policies) disqualify The Gipper from being Conservative.  Sorry folks, Ronnie was just another Republican.

 (send all hate mail to hatemail@tjthompson.com)

.

Before the inevitable, manufactured outrage begins; let’s take a look at what the real difference is between Republicans and Democrats, shall we?

……

Oh, there aren’t any.  Big surprise.

• Both parties have spent taxpayer money like drunken sailors (no offense to sailors), and engaged in inter-generational child abuse by yoking our children with over $50,000 of debt on the day they are born.
• Both parties have started or continued undeclared wars that kill young Americans, and hundreds of thousands of civilians in other countries.
• Both parties have violated the Constitution by passing/reauthorizing Unconstitutional laws such as The Patriot Act, The TSA Authorization Act, and The NDAA.  Now, our bipartisan government is pushing bills like SOPA, PIPA, CISPA, and the ACTA Treaty.
• Both parties have expanded the National Debt.
• Both parties have instituted policies that sent American jobs overseas.
  (Remember that “Giant sucking sound” Ross Perot warned us of?) 
• Both parties have continued the monetary policy which has systematically weakened the US Dollar. 

These are just some of the most blatant of the similarities.  These do, however, beg one very important question:  How can supporting whoever the GOP nominee is advance the cause of Conservatism, Freedom and Liberty?

…and that is a real question – not rhetorical – to which I want answers.

Any REAL Conservative would tell Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum to hit the road, because we have seen that song-and-dance before – and it is completely counter to the Conservative philosophy.

But instead, we have, what I refer to as, Pseudoconservatives – who must get some tingly sensation in the cockles of their heart when referring to themselves as “Conservatives”.  There is no other explanation for using this term.  These people are liars.  These people are Establishment Republicans.  These are the real enemies of Conservatism.

Real Conservatives would never surrender their integrity to support “whichever Republican”.  

Real Conservatives would not sit back and take whatever candidate is chosen for us – we find our own.  

Real Conservatives would not passively watch their nation crumble and still have the audacity to call themselves Patriots.

This Real Conservative spits in the face of Monopartisan tyranny and fights for liberty – even when I’m one man against an entire army.   Stand On Principle… Or Stand Aside!

.

To the pseudoconservatives, I leave you with the words of Samuel Adams:

If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom — go home from us in peace.  We ask not your counsels or arms.  Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you.  May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!

.

To other real Conservatives, remember the words of George Washington as our battle for Liberty continues:

“Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession.”    –George Washington–

.

And finally, to those who will undoubtedly spatter me with hate, anger, and vitriol:

“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”   –James A. Baldwin–

—

According to the 2010 Census, more Minnesotans moved out of the cities and into the suburbs, causing massive shifts in population in some congressional districts.

Gary Gross at Examiner.com breaks it down for us.

Each district must have 662,991 people in it.

District 1: in southern Minnesoat, mostly rural communities, must decrease by 18,204 people, currently held by Rep. Tim Walz (DFL)

District 2: mostly 2nd tier suburbs of the Twin Cities, must decrease by 69,524 people, currently held by Rep. John Kline (R)

District 3: 1st tier suburbs of the Twin Cities, must decrease by 12,806 people
currently held by Rep. Erik Paulsen (R)

District 4: St. Paul, South St. Paul and White Bear Lake, must increase by 48,367 people, currently held by Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL)

District 5: Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Robbinsdale, must increase by 46,509 people, currently held by Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL)

District 6: Suburbs and outlying rural areas, St. Cloud, must decrease by 96,457 people, currently held by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R)

District 7: rural northwest Minnesota, must increase by 37,479 people, currently held by Rep. Collin Peterson (DFL)

District 8: “Iron Range” in northeast Minnesota, Duluth, must increase by 2,649 people, currently held by Rep. Chip Cravaack (R)

Govtrack.us has an interactive map by district here: Congressional Map

Obviously there is an enormous opportunity for Republican candidates to pick up seats in areas outside the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, though Duluth could continue to prove problematic for the GOP.

The new district maps are sure to cause a stir among DFL’ers and GOP alike.
_______________________________________________

THE MAPS ARE COMING!
Map Party in the Twin Cities

Happy hour, panel discussion and Q&A for the general public regarding redistricting maps in Minnesota

When: Tuesday, February 21 7pm
Where: Poor Richard’s Common House, Bloomington, MN
Who: Elected officials, media gurus, bloggers and political activists are confirmed to attend. Everyone is invited!
RSVP: not necessary, please join us!

_________________________________________________

“Dumber than a bag of hammers”, “one peanut short of a snickers “, “dumber than a rock”…  I could go on….  And I will!  “A few fries short of a happy meal”.  “One clown shy of a circus”….

Dumber than a post… a doornail…. an entire sector of the population that doesn’t have to pay taxes and will subsequently vote for the candidate that promises them the world using other people’s money…

We often use phrases like this to describe people or more accurately, people’s actions, as being ill advised, immature, adolescent, persnickety, childish, self-indulgent, knee-jerk, hasty…. In a word – stupid!

For example, the guy who tries to ride his scooter down a staircase – A few beers short of a six-pack.  How about this: robbing a house by attempting to go down the chimney – a couple of cards short of a full deck.  This was my favorite: attempting to dissect, while still alive, a presidential contender to find all of his faults, only to realize that you’ve killed off all the viable candidates and are left with only a couple of duds.  BWAAHAHAHAA!!  Oh! That one kills me everytime!

And, unfortunately, I believe we may have just killed off our country.

2012 marks the 50th anniversary of our Supreme Court officially telling God to take a hike.  You remember, don’t you?  Back in 1962?  Engel v. Vitale – the Supreme Court case that banned prayer from public schools – was brought by several students from New York State who thought that voluntary (yes, I said voluntary) prayer in public school violated their First Amendment rights. The prayer that was so offensive read like this:

Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country. Amen.

A utilitarian prayer to say the least, this was also one that was not forced on anyone. Yet a group of activist lawyers appealing to an activist judiciary were successful in ripping the right of the freedom to express your religious beliefs from everyone else, just to placate a few who did not believe that way.  One taco short of a combo plate, if you ask me.

Perhaps I do have a different First Amendment than these folks did, but mine reads like this:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, nor prohibit the free exercise thereof……

In the world of common sense, a voluntary (for those educated in the public schools, that means you don’t have to do it) prayer is not the equivalent of Congress creating a law that establishes a national religion. Furthermore, in this increasingly shrinking world of common sense, one could arguably state that banning a “voluntary” prayer would tend to stomp on that last part of the First Amendment, “nor prohibit the free exercise thereof.”

Yet because we did not want to anger a few, we ripped fundamental rights away from the vast majority. Out goes God, in comes political correctness.

It’s been downhill from there folks.

I recently checked out a book from my local library. I needed to show them a photo ID. I recently took a test for teacher certification in a specific subject area. I needed to show them a photo ID. My wife and I just swapped out a Christmas present for another item at Walmart. We needed to show them a photo ID.  I’m going to go vote for my Congressman, a Senator, a President and many other state and local officials on November 6 of this year.  You’ll never guess what I don’t need to show them??  Dumber than salt!

A modern definition of insanity is attempting to do the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Republicans, who started with eight or nine viable candidates for president, all of which would be better than the current occupant, have a macheted their way down to basically one.  Herman Cain rises up (click, click) BOOM!  See ya!  Michele Bachmann does well at the Ames Straw Poll?  KABLAM!  Down you go!  Rick Perry comes out with favorable numbers?  RIP, TEAR, SLASH!  He’s out here!  Newt Gingrich surges from the bottom of the pack.  SUPER-PACK, SUPER-PACK!  He’s done!

Who’s next? We haven’t finished “vetting” candidates yet!…… we have to find someone to go up against Mitt Romney!…….  oh crap!  Only Ron Paul is left!

If you are experiencing flashbacks to 2008 or 1996, take comfort – you’re not alone.  TOO DUMB TO LIVE!!

So I ask the question: Is America now simply just too dumb to live? Have we destroyed every person that could lead us back to our former glory, all in the name of vetting?  At the same time, have we turned a blind eye to the fact that now almost half of the electorate either doesn’t have to pay federal income tax or is on some form of federal aid? Do you think people like that are ever going to vote to make the hard choices that this country needs to make in order to fix itself?  Have fun going down the chimney!

Perhaps Alexis de Tocqueville was right:

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”

Remember some of chants of the OWS protesters, “This is what democracy looks like!”  Yeah, folks, it does.  That’s why our founding fathers didn’t touch democracy with a 10 foot pole. They specifically called for a republican form of government, one that would not run headlong into hasty decisions, but one that would take it’s time, deliberate, debate and then finally decide.

We don’t want to do that anymore as Americans. We want our patience and we want it right now!  That, my friends, is too dumb to live!

If we are to survive as a country, we are going to have to eradicate this type of thought. My question to you is this: with all of the “dumb” we have done in this country over the last 50 years, have we come to this moment – a pivotal one in our history – confident that we will elect leaders that will make the difficult choices to get us back on track? Or have we finally hit that tipping point, where all we can do is watch in horror as a once great nation collapses in on itself?  Have we really become “too dumb to live”?

Whether you are a Ron Paul supporter or not, facts are facts, are they not?

Is Ron Paul a racist? I do not know the man personally, so I cannot say he is or he isn’t. One thing is for certain: this video puts things in perspective.

H/T Williams Tea Party

The question of the moment for Perry supporters is this: Can Perry still win?

If the behavior of the Romney and Gingrich campaigns is any indication, he certainly can.

Pro-Romney PACs ran a littany of attack ads against Gingrich in Iowa, and it’s likely these ads are partially responsible for Newt’s poor performance there. Gingrich will likely retaliate in kind in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

This gives us the prospect of a mutually-assured-destruction scenario: Romney’s been successful at assailing Gingrich, and Gingrich’s ego demands he respond with an even harsher assault. Gingrich’s legendary ability to draw proverbial blood with his comments will force Romney to escalate in turn (remember, this is the same Romney who tried to physically intimidate Rick Perry [PIC], and often tells other candidates “It’s my turn now” in debates). I predict this escalation will go back-and-forth between Mitt and Newt for quite some time.

Attack ads from both camps could have two effects: 1) Souring primary voters with the negativity of both campaigns; 2) Souring voters on both of their records.

This leaves the door open for a candidate who can distance himself from the schoolyard fighting and, by comparison, ‘look Presidential’. Who could be that candidate?

I think it’s safe to say Jon Huntsman won’t be the nominee at this point. Michele Bachmann has dropped out. Rick Santorum, despite his win in Iowa, doesn’t appear to have the organization or fundraising to last beyond Iowa. And once the closed-primary states start voting, Ron Paul is finished.

By default, it would be Rick Perry.

In order to succeed, Perry needs to rework his campaign. As Erick Erickson pointed out in this post at RedState, Rick’s reboot must include removing the under-performing people in his staff who are handicapping him.

This also means Perry’s people need to be better at disseminating information to pro-Perry bloggers, who make up the backbone of his messaging. This ties in to fundraising, too: the more the Perry message is spread, the more money comes into the campaign. It’s a simple numbers game.

If Rick Perry is the candidate we believe him to be, we’ll soon see a big turnaround in his campaign.

After a contest that had more lead changes than a NASCAR race, we get what amounts to a tie between Mitt “please vote for me this time” Romney and Rick “the last un-Romney candidate who hasn’t been shot at” Santorum. Reynolds Wrap spokesman Ron Paul comes in third, followed by a limping Newt Gingrich and three other candidates that just should whip out the hari-kari sword and get it over with.

And what does it all mean in a post-winner take all style of delegate allocation caucus? NADA, ZIP, ZILTCH, ZERO! Did I mention it doesn’t mean diddly??

Here’s what you need to know about Iowa and the campaign season so far, especially if you are a conservative – circular firing squads kill people!

Perfecting the technique that worked oh so well in 2008, Republicans, in their attempts at “vetting” the candidates have once again shot down every viable prospect leaving only whack jobs and moderates who know when to duck. This brand of head-hunting left the dead political bodies of Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and the like strewn along the side of the road to the White House and paved the way for John “back to Mordor with you conservative Hobbits” McCain to fight the man, the myth, the manufactured legend – Barack Obama. Given the sentiments and economic woes of the time, only a conservative could have defeated the “change” machine and anyone who even resembled one was splayed out on the side of the road.

Nary a week into 2012, we have run from the same playbook, thinking this time it will work. Need I remind folks of the famous definition of insanity?

So, here’s what you really need to take from Iowa, what we should do about and what will probably happen:

Santorum & Romney tie, but Romney will win New Hampshire in a wash (Santorum may be a teeny bump, but nothing big) and that will propel him to likely victory in South Carolina. Santorum has NO shot in New Hampshire and will likely split the South Carolina vote with Gingrich, both with lose to Romney. Paul will do well enough in each contest to convince himself to stay in the race, but he will not win ONE state, ever. But for an ego like his, this will be fuel for his third party fire, which will pretty much secure the general election for Obama. Perry, Bachmann and Huntsman are done and should all suspend their candidacies now (looks like Bachmann is doing this as we speak), coalesce around either Gingrich or Santorum, shoot the other candidate and hope the anti-Romney chosen one can prevail.

My prediction: egos won’t let that happen, the conservative vote will again be split, Romney is nominated, Paul runs under the “Tin Foil” Party flag, Obama wins second term, America loses.

I have never been one to proclaim himself as a prognosticator and these are indeed dangerous times to even be in the business, but this isn’t really hard to call.

We made this bed folks! In the name of vetting, we slaughtered every good candidate, thinking we could survive a circular firing squad. In all likelihood, we will reap the harvest – Obama in the White House until 2016 and worse, Obamacare truly getting its meat hooks into the economy, never to be expunged.

There is one last shot: Put Reagan back in his coffin and let him rest in peace. Re-evaluate the living with the realization that NONE of them are Ronaldus Maximus and pick the closest one to him. Restore Reagan’s 11th commandment and immediately push anyone who violates it from this point forward off the political cliff. Bottom line, if your guy can’t win without having to pull down another one of his fellow Republicans, he doesn’t deserve to occupy the office.

We’ve got about a week to do this folks so quit pointing fingers, throwing rocks, put the kool-aid down and take off the tin-foil hats. Vote with conscious and confidence with visions of Reagan’s morning in America dancing in your heads. Only then will this road truly lead to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and not to Perdition.

Bachmann came in last out of the six viable candidates and among the GOP candidates with active campaigns, she only bested Jon Huntsman who had spent no time in Iowa and had slighted Iowan’s approach to the nomination process.

With less than 6% of the vote in Iowa, Bachmann’s campaign was in serious trouble. Considering that she was polling dismally in New Hampshire and is not eligible for the ballot in Virginia, she was on a long, dark road to nowhere.

Rick Perry also suffered disappointing results in Iowa and headed back to Texas for a few days to consider his next steps. Perry was also intending to skip New Hampshire and focus on South Carolina.

With 41% of Iowa voters answering that they had not made up their minds yet, election-watchers could be up for a wild ride. Take into account that Iowa is also a partial delegate state which means that the candidates will receive a number of delegates proportional to the number of votes they get, and it begs the question – why only three tickets?

With seven candidates in the race, should we expect that four will be finished once Iowa’s precincts report?

Romney, Santorum and Paul are widely expected to top the results, but Iowa has had surprises before and many in Iowa are still undecided.

Lately, Santorum has been soaring in Iowa polls and Perry has been retaking some of the ground he had lost during the fall debates. Judging by Gingrich’s stellar crash, it would appear that Santorum and Perry are benefiting the most from Newt’s fall.

So who might get the lucky three tickets out of Iowa? Rep. Bachmann says she already has her tickets, Romney isn’t predicting a win, Santorum is hopeful and Paul is hosting some rather large gatherings.

My prediction is that Santorum will pull out a surprise win with Paul close behind.  Romney and Gingrich will be fighting over what the election analysts insist is the crucial 3rd spot – I see Romney winning that spot. The 4th spot will be the actual watermark so there will actually be four tickets out of Iowa – a seat Perry or Gingrich could take.

If Perry takes the 4th spot, Gingrich will likely not have the funding to continue. If Gingrich takes that final seat, Perry might have the funds to continue for a bit, but a projected poor showing in New Hampshire and no chance for delegates in Virginia means it wouldn’t make much difference. That means Huntsman and Bachmann will be left to hitchhike or give up along with either Perry or Gingrich – we are but hours from finding out.

follow the Iowa Caucuses live blog for results and news

Folks, it’s time to break out the crystal ball and predict what will happen in Iowa tomorrow.

(Just kidding.)

While there’s no clear leader in Iowa, Mitt Romney might be considered such, since he has led the polls the most consistently. However, the horse-trading nature of Iowa’s process means that Romney has no guarantee of success. In addition, the politically-attuned Iowa caucusers may reconsider support for him, since Romney recently expressed support for a national VAT tax.

Then there’s Ron Paul. The nature of the Iowa caucuses gives Paul an advantage: 17-year-olds can participate, independents can register Republican the day of the caucus, and active-duty military personnel registered to vote in Iowa but stationed elsewhere can’t participate as absentees. These demographic ‘slivers’ taken together could make a big difference for Paul. On the other hand, Paul’s racist, bigoted, and generally loony newsletters may make him too toxic for good-natured midwesterners.

Rick Santorum has seen a recent surge in polling. Whether this is an aberration or a genuine swing of support to him is anyone’s guess; personally, I’ve stopped giving serious weight to polling, since the frequency with which the results change leads me to believe recent polls are unreliable.

Newt Gingrich has fallen slightly in polling, now in fourth place according to some polls behind Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum. If one is to believe the polling (see above), this would indicate that caucusgoers are growing wiser about Mr. Gingrich’s poor Second Amendment record, long history of supporting socialized medicine, admiration of big-government historical figures, and his track record of poor leadership, and have decided to favor a more stable candidate.

And then there’s Rick Perry, ostensibly in fifth place. Rick could have an excellent showing tomorrow, given the nature of the Iowa process: Iowa is a state where second choices count almost as much as first choices. Once a candidate is disqualified in the caucus process, that candidate’s supporters can re-negotiate to back another candidate. Michele Bachmann is likely to be disqualified first; and if the “Santorum surge” is an aberration, and Santorum doesn’t perform well, his supporters and Bachmann’s supporters will most likely end up backing Perry as a second choice, which could push Perry above Gingrich.

As I noted a few days ago, things are changing among Republicans in Iowa, even the generally-accepted support for ethanol subsidies.

Whatever happens tomorrow, one thing is certain: It’s going to be a nail-biter for political junkies.

(Image via Wikipedia.org)