Common Sense: Inaction Speaks Louder Than Words

August 31, 2011 by 5 Comments

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the new darling of the Republican presidential nomination field, likes to talk a good game on a wealth of issues that resonate with the party’s conservative base.

But, as the governor of a “border state,” one issue where he seemingly has an advantage over his rivals is immigration, or better stated, illegal immigration. And, the record of his rhetoric would seem to support that notion — for the most part.

As early as 2001, Gov. Perry was insisting the federal government should be solely responsible for criminal repatriation (deportation) of illegal aliens. He also said the cost of illegal immigration should be shared between the federal government and the states.

But, he also thought it was perfectly OK to import farm workers from Mexico, so they might perform menial labor no American worker would want to do. And, he bragged about Texas being the first state to grant in-state tuition breaks to the children of illegal aliens who went to a Texas college or university.

“Educacion es el futuro, y si se puede,” he said. “Education is the future, and yes we can.”

But that statement is largely overshadowed by contrary statements he has made, particularly those he made during his “State of the State” addresses to the Texas State Legislature, in the years that followed.

In 2007, during his State of the State Address, he said: “I am proposing a $100 million investment in a more secure border. There is no such thing as homeland security without border security.

“It is not hyperbole to say terrorists view our international border with Mexico as a prime point of entry — that is the conclusion of the U.S. intelligence community.”

That all sounds very “textbook conservative,” almost “Reaganesque.” But that isn’t all Gov. Perry had to say on the issue.

“While the vast majority of people who come here illegally are economic immigrants simply seeking a better life…”

It’s the very small comment that gets missed in the rest of the statement, which sheds an immense amount of light upon his true views on immigration. More on this later.

From there, Gov. Perry quickly gets back on a conservative tack, hitting the key phrases his base wanted to hear.

“…the small percentage seeking to cause us harm don’t dress differently. Nor do they put out press advisories in advance of their arrival. They don’t want us to know they are here until they have done mortal damage to our people,” he said. “I support strategic fencing in urban areas along the border. But I also believe, like border sheriffs, that the best solution involves added manpower, not unmanned walls.”

To which the record shows he received a standing ovation.

Fast-forward another two years, and Gov. Perry is once again addressing the Texas State Legislature, this time with an agenda steadfastly opposed to “sanctuary cities,” where illegals flock in droves because local authorities refuse to enforce federal immigration laws. Once again, his rhetoric is largely textbook conservative.

“As we continue to strengthen our border, we must also consider the essential role that federal immigration policy, or the lack thereof, plays in the safety of our citizens and the integrity of our state,” he said. “I also support an end to the notion of sanctuary cities. Local government sends the wrong message when they pick and choose what laws they want their peace officers to enforce.”

Gov. Perry went on to pledge his support for voter identification laws, and tracking the citizenship status of those receiving state-funded services. He argued these efforts were “common sense approaches to protecting our citizens’ lives and resources, as well as our state’s integrity.”

Once again, he played it up for his base. And, his base responded by making him the longest-serving governor in Texas history. So, it’s probably pretty easy to see why he might try that same tactic in his current run for the White House.

So, let’s fast forward two more years, to just this past month, when Gov. Perry made his first campaign stop in Iowa at the Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo. Once again, he was speaking to his “base,” in this case, members of the Black Hawk Republican Party.

“Two months ago, the President of the United States came to El Paso, Texas, to give a political speech, stood on the border and said that the border between Texas and Mexico was safer than it had ever been in its history. Now I don’t know what history books he’s reading, but it’s not the ones I know and it’s not the border I know.

“We’re spending $150 million-plus in our two-year budget in Texas to supplement the Border Patrol, to supplement the local sheriffs, to supplement state law enforcement. I put our Texas Ranger Recon teams on the Rio Grande to assist with what is, on many places along that border, a war zone. We are outgunned.

“There are places on the U.S.-Mexico border where the drug cartels have operational control. We’re starting to see that violence is washing over into the United States. We know there are transnational gangs that are operating in the State of Texas.”

The gist of the comments was there cannot be a conversation about immigration policy until the border is secure. He pledged, if elected President of the United States, he would mobilize the military, until such time the Border Patrol was adequately trained, to secure the border.

He also pledged to sit down for talks with whomever the new president of Mexico will be in 2013 to strike a dialogue of “cooperation” regarding the border and the drug cartels.

“Frankly, if they don’t work with us, Mexico has the potential to be a very, very big problem,” he added. “But we can, and we will.”

The irony that this speech took place mere feet from where the trials in the biggest immigration raid in U.S. history took place is only overshadowed by the irony of Perry’s own record on cracking down on cross-border crime and violence. To date, he doesn’t really have one.

In 2005, Edwards County deputy sheriff Gilmer Hernandez found himself in a situation in which a border-crossing truck attempted to run him over. He fired his weapon, shooting out two tires of the truck to bring it to a stop.

He was arrested, tried by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, convicted, and sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison.

The following year, Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean intercepted drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila (a repeat offender as a “mule” for the drug cartels) who was attempting to cross the border at El Paso with 800 lbs. of marijuana in a van. When the agents attempted to take him into custody, he fought with them and tried to run away, back to Mexico.

In his attempt to flee, Aldrete-Davila pointed a gun at Ramos and Compean, who returned fire. He still made it back across the border, but apparently was hit by one of the BP agents’ bullets in one of his buttocks.

When the Mexican government complained, the USA for the Western District of Texas once again prosecuted, winning another conviction (even though Aldrete-Davilia had once again been arrested for drug running at the border) and 11- and 12-year sentences for the BP agents. President George W. Bush commuted their sentences after they had been incarcerated for more than two years.

Given the aforementioned rhetoric, how do you suppose Gov. Perry — the Governor of Texas when both of these incidents happened — reacted? It would probably be most enlightening to look at the case of one more defender of our national liberty: Border Patrol agent Jesus Diaz.

Diaz, otherwise known as “Chito,” was on duty during the early-morning hours of Oct. 16, 2008, when he responded to a call in the Eagle Pass area that a group of illegal aliens were attempting to cross the border into Texas. He was not alone on the call, but when the illegals scattered, he apprehended one, while his fellow agents tracked down the others.

It was quickly discovered this was yet another group of “mules,” each loaded with about 150 lbs. of marijuana in their backpacks. As his colleagues pursued the other drug smugglers, Diaz was left to deal with a very unruly suspect who became uncooperative and was resisting arrest.

So, he did what he was trained to do. He “lifted” the handcuffs, applying upward pressure as means to subdue the subject. Once again, the USA for the Western District of Texas prosecuted, and so far, Agent Diaz has been spending 23 hours of the day in solitary confinement, seeing his wife — who also is a BP agent — twice a week for 20 minutes at a time, separated by a thick piece of Plexiglas.

He has yet to actually be convicted of a crime, yet the treatment he’s endured would qualify for most people as certainly “cruel and unusual.”

So, Diana Guadarama-Diaz, Chito’s wife, did what any Texan would do in this situation. She asked her governor who has talked tough on border security and supporting the Border Patrol, Rick Perry.

The response from his office is nothing short of heartrending.

“Thank you for contacting the Office of the Governor.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal agency over which Governor Perry has no jurisdiction. Additionally, in accordance with provisions of the Constitution, Governor Perry has no authority to intervene in legal or judicial matters such as this. Any attempts to address court-related issues would therefore be more appropriately directed through legal and judicial channels.

“We wish you and your family the best. Please write to our office whenever we can be of assistance.”

Now, granted, the letter was written by Dede Keith, director of the Constituent Communication Division in the Office of the Governor in Austin. But, this is an expression of the Governor’s position on the matter and, ostensibly, other cases like it.

There once was a man many people still consider to be great, who suggested Americans, regardless of the color of their skin, should be judged by the “content of their character.” As we vet our candidates for President of the United States, perhaps this is one indicator of character we should consider.

For in the case of Gov. Rick Perry, it would seem actions — or, in this case, inaction — really does speak louder than the words of his rhetoric.

 

If you’re reading this, thank a teacher. If you’re reading it in English, thank a soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine.

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UPDATED–Common Sense: Pragmatic Humanism… meet Undeniable Truth

August 31, 2011 by Leave a comment

There’s nothing more heartbreaking than when a parent has to bury a child who has passed before them.

Earlier this week, I attended the funeral of Melody Aurora, the daughter of one of my employees. She passed away while still in the womb; a miscarriage, if you will. But, that didn’t stop her family from celebrating her life, however brief it might have been.

I’m sure some have rolled their eyes at the idea of a funeral for an unborn child. Some might not even consider it a child: “It’s just a fetus.” For them, a child isn’t a child until he or she exits the mother’s body breathing and with a heartbeat.

In a very real sense, these folks seem to think “close enough” isn’t close enough.

Yeah, that’s a pretty morbid view of a preborn child, the truth usually hurts, particularly for those who are on the wrong side of it.

Speaking of truth, or better stated, The Truth, the family’s pastor made perhaps one of the strongest arguments for the innate personhood of every child, born and preborn, that I have ever heard. It’s an argument you rarely hear preached from the pulpit — which is where Pastor Dudley began his defense of life.

He leveled an indictment against the Church for failing to defend the humanity and salvation of the preborn. The counterarguments of personhood opponents, he said, were “absurd.” So, he stated his case, the only way a Christian can.

He read scripture.

First, he established the basis that children count in the eyes of God by quoting the most oft-quoted verse in the entire Bible: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Then, he reinforced that with a quote from Jesus: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

But, at this point, we’re still talking, generally, about living children. Where does the Bible — written in an age long before doctors performed abortions — make any statement about the preborn?

For that, we must turn to the story of Elizabeth, a kinswoman of Jesus’s mother, Mary, and mother of John the Baptist. If you’re reading along with me, turn to the Gospel of Luke, where you will find the following passage:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:43-45)

In this piece of scripture, we discover that the preborn child of Elizabeth, the eventual John the Baptist, is so overwhelmed by being in the presence of his preborn Lord and Savior that he leaps for joy in the womb.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But, then so would also be the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth at that time, given the eventual significance of their respective sons to world history.

But it is important, because Luke — a well-versed early Christian historian — considered the moment so important to the story of Christ’s earthly mission that he included it in his Gospel. That God would move Luke to include this small piece of the story is perhaps the “proof” we need that it is indeed important to our current time and place.

And that’s really all you need to know to know that preborn children are just as human — and just as saved by the blood of the Lamb — as any one of us.

In the argument over the personhood of the preborn, some have suggested there is a magic date during gestation when a “fetus” suddenly becomes a person. This date, the “20th week,” is argued by those who take a scientific, humanist approach to the issue of personhood.

There’s just one problem with this “magic” date. Doctors usually determine an estimate of the length of gestation based upon the last known menstruation of the mother. But, time and again, it has been documented this method is not foolproof.

Melody Aurora had not yet reached the 20th week of gestation. But, her parents lovingly published a photo of their daughter in the obituary folder that was given to those who attended the funeral.

She had two eyes, two ears, a nose, a mouth, and two hands and two feet — each with five digits — just like most of you reading my words right now. She looked like a little, tiny — perhaps a little underdeveloped — little girl.

I don’t know how you can get more “person” than that.

If you’re reading this, thank a teacher. If you’re reading this in English, thank a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine.

 

UPDATE

   Yesterday, I briefly talked about a little angel by the name of Melody Aurora, who never spent a day in our world, but who was loved by her God and her parents.

   Last night, I got a chance to talk with her mother, Mandy, who is one of my employees at the newspaper I run inSouthwest Iowa. I gave her a chance to unload a little bit of the grief she has been carrying, and I also let her express her frustrations over a perhaps little-known situation inIowa.

   You see, as far as the State ofIowais concerned, Melody Aurora never existed.

   “Since we lost Melody at 19 weeks, we aren’t entitled to a certificate of birth resulting in a stillbirth, even if Iowahad a law offering them. By medical standards, because she died in utero at 19 weeks, though delivered at 20 weeks, she is considered a miscarriage,” she said. “I don’t care what any medical term says, she is our daughter. At 20 weeks, they are required to file for a death certificate but you cannot get a birth certificate.”

   Mandy has decided to channel her grief and frustration in a positive way, contacting a mother in easternIowawho lost her daughter at 37 weeks 10 years ago. Mandy volunteered to work to getIowa’s laws changed to allow parents to receive a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth.

   “These children matter,” she said. “More children die from stillbirth than SIDS — I had no idea — and until we acknowledge them and work to find answers, more parents are left to grieve.”

   The World Health Organization estimates 2.6 million third trimester stillbirths occur each year worldwide. Each day, 7,300 stillbirths occur, somewhere in the world. In theUnited States, stillbirth claims the lives of 30,000 children every year, more than 10 times the number of deaths caused by Sudden Infant-Death Syndrome.

   These are births that happen at that vulnerable time when parents are joyously awaiting the arrival of a new family member.

   “The death of a baby to stillbirth is devastating to families, and we haven’t
done enough, historically, to understand its etiology,” said Joanne Cacciatore, a researcher on the psychological effects of stillbirth atArizonaStateUniversity and president and founder of the MISS Foundation, an international organization that cares for families facing infant and child death.

   The MISS Foundation understands firsthand how traumatic the death of a baby — born or preborn — can be for families. That is why it is spearheading efforts to pass legislation in all 50 states on how stillbirths are recorded, and how mothers are treated in the process.

   MISS Foundation director Kathy Sandler said the organization has been successful in 31 states. But,Iowais not one of them.

   “The time has come for this public health problem to be recognized, explored, and eventually to reduce the numbers,” Cacciatore said. “This is a clarion call for attention to a much-underserved group.”

   Some states have a certificate of stillbirth, but they still don’t recognize a child ever existed. Mandy said that’s the key: if one is going to the trouble of filling out a death certificate, wouldn’t it make sense to have some certification of birth?

   “I haven’t called (Rep.) Rich Anderson (R-Clarinda) yet, but in talking to the mom from southeastIowa, they were going to start a letter writing campaign again,” she said. “Once you can get someone to sponsor a bill, bring in other families to tell their stories as well… I would venture a bet that, in every representative and senator’s district, there are grieving families who have lost children to stillbirth or miscarriage.”

   In states where the MISS Foundation has been successful, receiving a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth won’t bring a parent’s little angel back. But, it will give a sense of dignity and an acknowledgement that these children existed, and that a life was lost.

   It also means the public is a little closer to finding the causes of these tragic deaths.

   “I read somewhere that if you looked at these deaths like plane crashes, and say there were two crashes per day per state, you’d be certain the FAA would be doing something about it,” Mandy said. “But these deaths aren’t looked at like that. So there isn’t a national tracking to fully understand how many are lost and to work on ways to prevent such deaths.”

   In most of the states where the MISS Foundation’s proposed legislation has been passed, a request for a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth is optional for parents. But, if one is requested, state officials must provide it.

   As a former legislative page, and having crawled through some of the darker corners of the Iowa Statehouse as a result, Mandy is fairly well versed on how state government works. And, she’s no stranger to taking up a cause, even when some people think she’s crazy for doing so.

   In 1997, after learning the grave markers and monuments honoring the sacrifices of Iowans atShiloh,Tenn., during the Civil War were in serious disrepair, she began a letter writing campaign. It took her two years, and a lobbying effort that included all 150 members of the General Assembly, as well as Gov. Terry Branstad, but she finally won $16,500 in funding from the State ofIowafor theShilohNationalMilitaryParkto repair theIowamonuments.

   “I do not wantIowato be the last state to pass this measure,” she said. “I believe our state is better than that.”

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Common Sense: Perhaps Outrage Doesn’t Quite Cover It

August 29, 2011 by 4 Comments

  Like many of you, I sent my daughter back to school this week. Well, my wife did, but you get my point.

Before it was time to go back to school, however, we decided to do some end-of-summer fun that included a little bit of miniature golf and some go-karting. We had a blast, but on the ride home, I couldn’t help but think about Jesus Diaz.

He certainly wasn’t enjoying an end-of-summer fun. And, he probably won’t enjoy anything like it for a long, long time if the U.S.government has its way.

Jesus, who goes by the nickname “Chito,” spends 23 hours of every day in a 6-by-12-foot cell in a federal prison. Twice a week, he gets to see his wife, Diana — separated by a thick piece of Plexiglas — for 20 minutes at a time.

Obviously, he’s an illegal alien, right? No.

Chito, an eight-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol, is sitting in solitary, without human interaction, because he seemingly did his job. That’s right — he was just doing his job.

“Agent Diaz is facing 10 years in prison for ‘violating the rights under the color of law’ of an illegal alien drug smuggler,” Andy Ramirez, president of the Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council, said. “He is being incarcerated for merely lifting an uncooperative suspect by the handcuffs, as he was trained to do.”

Between the hours of 1 and 2 a.m. on Oct. 16, 2008, Chito discovered a 16-year-old Mexican male crossing the border illegally. The boy was carrying a load of narcotics, destined for the streets ofAnytown,U.S.A.

“During the trial, they said this kid was trafficking drugs just to make money to take care of his poor family,” Ramirez said. “But, if that was aU.S.citizen in that courtroom, you know what would happen.”

When Chito attempted to apprehend the young man, the illegal alien resisted, and Agent Diaz responded by following his training. He applied pressure to the handcuffs he had placed on the boy — a technique known as “lifting” — that is meant to subdue an unruly prisoner.

Chito never struck the boy, and he never fired a weapon — charges that have been leveled against Border Patrol agents in similar incidents in the past. But, that didn’t stop then-U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Johnny Sutton from prosecuting the case.

Court transcripts show the illegal alien in question wasn’t harmed by the incident. And, Chito was cleared by two separate Internal Affairs investigations into the incident. Court transcripts also show the illegal alien in question perjured himself during testimony in the case, but was granted immunity from prosecution by Sutton.

So, why is he in a federal prison, locked in solitary confinement — for his own safety — 23 hours of the day?

“The judge in the case, Alia Moses Ludlum, was supported by the open-borders group LULAC during her confirmation hearings in the Senate,” Ramirez said. “Speaking from experience of running for the state legislature in my home state, you don’t get their endorsements unless you stand with them.”

He said Ludlum was a former prosecutor in the Western District of Texas, which created a conflict of interest that was never addressed in the trial. In fact, at one point, she declared Chito was a “danger to society,” hence the reason why he remains incarcerated without bond.

It would be very easy to just blame it all on the Obama Administration, but that wouldn’t be accurate. The current situation for the U.S. Border Patrol actually began during the Clinton Administration, and has continued through both the Bush and Obama administrations, getting worse as it does, right up to the present day.

Ramirez said the problem spans the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the State Department.

“The Department of Homeland Security is giving the Mexican government whatever they want. This is a political prosecution, and nothing more,” he said. “The second Mexico says anything, our border agents know they’re screwed. The consuls run the Border Patrol now.”

Ramirez said Chito was what is commonly referred to as a “dope hound” within the Border Patrol; in other words, he sought out the people who were smuggling drugs into our country. But, increasingly, the message from the top brass inWashington,D.C., is that the Border Patrol’s job is no longer to catch illegal aliens.

He’s not the only Border Patrol agent in his family, though. His wife, Diana, is a 15-year veteran, currently working as a field operations supervisor for the Border Patrol. Ramirez said government officials and the top brass in the Border Patrol are applying undo pressure to Diana, as well.

Compounding the heartache in this case is the fact Chito and Diana have four young children, including an infant son who was born this past March. Four children he doesn’t get to hold, hug, or kiss goodnight. Four children he rarely gets to see, other than in photographs.

Meanwhile, the illegal alien he apprehended remains a free man inMexico, where for all we know, he continues to work the drug trade.

Reps. Steve King and Tom Latham and Sen. Chuck Grassley are all aware of the situation regarding Chito’s incarceration. They each have staff members reviewing the volumes of court transcripts already made part of the public record in the matter.

But, more can and should be done.

“We’re not going to stop until we have the same kind of groundswell of support we had when we were working the [Border Patrol Agent Ignacio] Ramos and [Border Patrol Agent Jose] Compean cases,” Ramirez said. “In those cases, we had Lou Dobbs on our side, and then Walter Jones picked up on it. We’re working hard to let Iowans know about this because they have a chance to question the presidential candidates about where they stand on this issue.”

But in an environment where the good guys have become the bad guys and the bad guys have become the good guys, it’s easy to see why Chito is slowly beginning to give up on the prospect of being a free man anytime soon.

“There’s a good man sitting in jail who has lost hope,” Ramirez said. “He knows if this goes into a courtroom, he’s dead meat.”

What was that phrase about no good deed going unpunished? But, if you would like to send Agent Diaz a card to wish him well, here’s his address:

BPA Jesus E. Diaz

P.O. Box2317

Del Rio,TX 78841

    If you’re reading this, thank your teacher. If you’re reading it in English, thank a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine.

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Mainstream Media: Willful Ignorance

August 17, 2011 by Leave a comment

It has long been asserted that there is a bias among a large portion of the mainstream media. Just this past spring I brought you some pictures and videos from across the country where union members and their supporters not only held up their vile signs that spewed their own particular brand of toxic venom, but I also brought you videos that showed those same union members and supporters attacking those that held opposing viewpoints. And as I pointed to these events, the mainstream media repeatedly and blatantly ignored the rising tide of violence from the left side of the political spectrum.

The left leaning media instead attempted to denigrate members of the Tea Party and the courageous politicians that support them. They took former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to task for what they construed as overheated rhetoric that they claimed was the motivation behind the attempted assassination of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Never mind the fact that the gunman, Jared Loughner, listed the Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf as two of his favorite books. Sure sounds like conservative Tea Partier to me. Indeed it seems that the left leaning media in the US is always looking for something that they can blame on the right without regard to the facts of the matter.

And it appears that the left leaning media is still at it. Take the comments in a report by Chuck Todd on the Today Show this morning. The title of the report was “The Politics of Anger: Tea Party Tactics Change Race for President.” They seemed to take offense to the fact that anyone could possibly have a difference of opinion with the President. And to assert that Ryan Rhodes, the Tea Party leader that had the unique opportunity to question President Obama, was confrontational in any way was disingenuous at best. Both Rhodes and Stacey Rogers were entirely polite and courteous to the President. But the media is attempting to make out like they were physical threats to the President.

And while the media seems to have no problem talking about perceived threats from Tea Party members, you will most likely not hear them report on the real threats from the other side. Take for instance the case of a Toledo, OH electrical contractor that has been harassed for years by union thugs. Unfortunately for John King the harassment that he has received from the union thugs in the Toledo area recently turned violent. According to reports, Mr. King stepped outside of his home when he noticed his security light on. When he stepped outside a man that had been in the process of vandalizing Mr. King’s truck fire a shot at him. Mr. King was hit, but thankfully his wounds were not life threatening.  To the best of my knowledge the assailant has yet to be apprehended, but it is clear that this was perpetrated by a union thug.

I am under no illusion that the media will change it’s biased ways anytime in the near future. That is why I do what I do; I want to make sure that our side is always represented. And while we may not have near the audience that NBC or CBS has, you can rest assured we will always be honest.

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The Iowa Straw Poll: A tale of success and failure

August 15, 2011 by 4 Comments

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the Republican Party of Iowa’s Ames Straw Poll. For those of you that were unable to attend you missed out on an incredible spectacle that is an important step in the Presidential nomination process. You missed the opportunity to mingle with the various Republican Presidential candidates. You missed the opportunity to learn what a wide variety of conservative organizations were up to. And most of all you missed the opportunity to help shape the debate in the election process. And once the dust had settled there it was clear those that had successes and those that had disappointments.

First off, for those of you that do not understand the significance of a non-binding straw poll I would like to explain the significance. The significance of the Ames Straw Poll is that it is the first real test of the various campaigns organizational strength. Basically it tests how well a campaign can motivate it’s supporters to come out and spend the day in Ames to vote for them. At the end of the day it is up to the campaign’s to determine how well they accomplished that task and plan accordingly. Now without further ado I would like to give you my thoughts on the outcome of the 2011 Ames Straw Poll.

Michelle Bachmann – 4,823 votes

Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann emerged from the Ames Straw Poll as the victor. Last Saturday Congresswoman Bachmann was able to lay claim to the mantle of the first woman to win the RPI Straw Poll. This in and of itself is a major success for Team Bachmann, more so considering that it happened in a state that has never elected a woman to serve in the federal government. Despite this symbolic victory it cannot be overlooked that Congresswoman Bachmann just barely managed to hold off Texas Congressman Ron Paul. Most Republican circles began to write off the Texan after the horrid debate performance he had on Thursday evening. One reason for this apparent disappointment could stem from the fact that in the weeks leading up to the Straw Poll many media outlets began to launch a constant stream of attacks designed to diminish her performance. And in spite of these attacks she managed to pull off the win.

Ron Paul – 4671 votes

I would categorize Congressman Ron Paul’s performance at the Straw Poll as a success. As I mentioned above, many Republicans that I spoke with prior to between Thursday night and Saturday morning expected his performance to drop after his performance in the Fox News debate. Despite this performance I still fail to see Congressman Paul winning enough support to emerge from the Iowa Caucus victorious. The reason that I believe this is his stance on foreign policy. It remains to be seen if American foreign policy was the cause of the irrational hatred felt by many Muslims toward the United States. However, we do not have the luxury of traveling back in time to change the past. We must live in reality, the here and now. We cannot allow attacks upon our nation to go unanswered. And once we were engaged in Afghanistan and Iraq we could not withdraw our troops until their nations were once again stable, to do otherwise would be irresponsible. And as for Iran, it is the only nation in the world that has publicly stated that their ultimate goal was to destroy another nation. If we were to allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons it would have disastrous consequences for every other nation in the world. And after Congressman Paul publicly announced otherwise, it marginalized him as viable candidate in my opinion. I am confident that very few Iowans’ subscribe to Congressman Paul’s idea of foreign policy.

Tim Pawlenty – 2,293 votes

I would say that the biggest disappointment of the day belonged to Team Pawlenty. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was banking on a great finish in the Ames Straw Poll that never materialized. Governor Pawlenty’s biggest impediment in the race was his lack of excitement.  He just couldn’t fire up the voters the way that Ron Paul and Michelle Bachmann could. As a result of his disappointing finish on Saturday, Governor Pawlenty made an announcement that he was dropping out of the race on Sunday. The expertise and wisdom that Governor Pawlenty brought to the race will be missed, but the Ames Straw Poll succeeded in helping Iowans to vet the Presidential candidates.

Rick Santorum – 1,657 votes

One of the biggest success stories from Saturday’s Straw poll was the emergence of Rick Santorum. Last week I was one of the few commentators to predict that the former Senator from Pennsylvania would jump up and surprise some people at the Straw Poll. And while I did expect him to fare better than Governor Pawlenty, I wasn’t off by much. The reason that I consider fourth place a success for Santorum is because he finished above many candidates that have been in the race longer. The fact that Santorum was able to fire up almost seventeen hundred votes in just a couple of months is a testament to his ability to campaign. I look forward to the next six months as we get closer and closer to the 2012 caucuses. I think that we may see another rise similar to the one Governor Mike Huckabee had post 2007 Straw Poll.

Herman Cain – 1,456 votes

I would also characterize Herman Cain’s performance at the Straw Poll as a success. In my prediction last week I thought that Cain could surprise Iowa Republicans, even though I thought it was unlikely. With his fifth place finish the former Godfathers Pizza CEO has proven to be a tenacious campaigner with the drive to win. However, he still finished in fifth place after having campaigned for longer than most candidates. Perhaps his refusal to answer surveys has held him back. Many Iowans, myself included, have to wonder why he would avoid this free advertisement. Unless it is because he doesn’t want to go on the record in his own handwriting.

Rick Perry – 718 votes

The biggest surprise to me was the fact that Texas Governor Rick Perry who came in sixth with 718 votes. To say that this wasn’t a success would be utter madness. Governor Perry was successful beyond my wildest imaginations. At the same time I find it disappointing that 718 Iowans voted for a candidate that had never campaigned within the state. I find it disappointing that 718 Iowans voted for a candidate that they could know little about. To be perfectly honest I cannot fathom any reason for Governor Perry to finish this high without any campaigning at all. Still I have the nagging feeling that when Iowans begin to actually get to know him, that his campaign will fall back to earth.

Mitt Romney – 567 votes

I know that the defending Straw Poll victor, Mitt Romney, decided not to participate in the 2011 version but I still expected him to do better than Texas Governor Rick Perry. At least Romney has done some minimal campaigning within the state. Furthermore, Romney did campaign extensively in the state during the last caucus. To have him fall so far was hard to imagine. I would say that this does not bode well for Team Romney as we get closer to the 2012 caucus. To say that his performance was disappointing would be an understatement.

Newt Gingrich – 385 votes

I would say that former Speaker of the US House Newt Gingrich suffered neither successful nor a disappointing Straw Poll, although it is still astounding that Rick Perry finished better than Gingrich. Instead, I believe that Gingrich managed to tread water in spite of refusing to participate in the event. We know that he was on the ground in Ames on Saturday, so it is probably because of a lack of campaign funds that held him back from participating in the event.

Jon Huntsman – 69 votes

To be perfectly honest with you, I did not expect Huntsman to fare this well. The man has openly dissed the Iowa Caucus and the Straw Poll. That sixty-nine Iowans voted for him simply astounds me. Due to this I would without hesitation that Huntsman experienced a success at the Straw Poll.

Thaddeus McCotter – 35 votes

You might be asking just who McCotter is. Well the best way to describe him is probably as someone that wanted to be able to put candidate for President on his resume when he leaves Congress. If you had been at the straw poll you would have noticed that his tent area had very few people in attendance. In all honesty I was surprised he received as many votes as he did. It was definitely a disappointing day for McCotter.

There you have it, my take on the results of the 2011 Iowa Straw Poll. I am sure that most of you will have your own opinions as to the aftermath, and you are entitled to them. That is the beauty of our great nation.

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Ron Paul: “Santorum is Still a Loser”

August 13, 2011 by 4 Comments

Here in Iowa expect a lot from potential Presidential candidates. We expect them to friendly, thoughtful, and intelligent; just to name a few. Iowans do not tend to respond well to candidates that take on a mean streak. We just do not like it when a candidate engages in personal attacks on their opponents. Because of this I was thoroughly stunned when I found a blog post on Facebook published by one of the many candidates running for the GOP nomination launched a personal attack on one of his opponent.

Earlier this evening the campaign of Texas Congressman Ron Paul published a blog post declaring Congressman Paul the winner of Thursday nights Fox News Debate. And while I would question that assertion it was the short little statement that accompanied it for absolutely no reason that drew my attention. The statement really drew my scrutiny was when Congressman Paul’s campaign asserted that former Pennsylvania Senator and current GOP Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum was “still a loser.”

Then I got to thinking that at last night’s Fox News Debate Senator Santorum excoriated Congressman Paul on the 10th a question about Iran. The exchange between Senator Santorum and Congressman Paul worked in Senator Santorum’s favor by making Congressman Paul to seem foolish and shortsighted. Here is the video of that exchange.

 

 

With the personal attack on Senator Santorum being perpetrated less than twenty four hours after the end of the debate one has to wonder if Congressman Paul is a little thin skinned. Could the fact that Senator Santorum made Congressman Paul look like a fool in a nationally televised debate be the rationale behind the Paul campaigns decision to launch into an unwarranted personal attack. Rest assured that I will attempt to find out tomorrow when I attend the Iowa Straw Poll.

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Straw Poll Predictions

August 11, 2011 by 2 Comments

While I may have been notably absent from the political blogosphere for the last few months I have not neglected to attend the variety of political events that have occurred in the run up to 2011 Republican Party of Iowa Ames Straw Poll. As the summer progressed the candidates vying for the Republican nomination to challenge President Obama have been making the rounds of Iowa in a determined attempt to drum up support for their candidacy.

Unlike four years ago when I attended my first Straw Poll, I am not going in with a candidate already selected. Instead I find myself in the curious position of neutrality toward the candidates. In my honest opinion all of the candidates scheduled to be in attendance have some great attributes in their favor. At the same time they all have some negatives working against them as well. So this year I will walk into the Ames Straw Poll having to as yet make a decision as to who I intend to support. That doesn’t mean that I do not have an opinion as to how each of the candidates will perform once the ballots are tallied. And now without further ado, here are my predictions as to how the poll will shake out.

I believe that Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann will the one candidate that will come out on top on Saturday. I have attended her events and seen an excitement amongst her supporters that I haven’t seen since Mike Huckabee last campaigned in Iowa prior to the 2008 Iowa Caucus. And while Congresswoman Bachmann does have some baggage I do not believe that it will be enough to hold her back.

I firmly believe that Congressman Ron Paul will come in a close second. Congressman Paul was right on almost every count on America’s fiscal policy 4 years ago and that has won him increasing support. However he has several issues that will draw down his potential support. Among them is his continued policy of inserting pork into bills even though he votes against them. Another significant negative that I believe is keeping him from winning the number 1 spot at the Straw Poll is his fanatical fringe of supporters. These are the supporters that are willing to get into your face and shout you down as you attempt to politely debate them on the issues. I saw this fanatical fringe first hand at the 2008 Straw Poll when several of the fringe lined the entry way to the event. One of the fringe got in the face of one of my companions despite being politely rebuked. If Congressman Paul were to somehow manage to gain control of these dedicate, if somewhat socially challenged individuals I believe that he may have had a stronger shot at winning the poll.

Now I am going to surprise some people with my next prediction. In third place I don’t see what some others see. I don’t see former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty drawing enough votes to take third. I don’t see the defending Straw Poll winner, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney pulling it off either. Instead I see a surprise in the wings much along the same line as Governor Huckabee’s surprising win four years ago. I am going out on a limb to predict that former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum will pull of a third place finish on Saturday. Despite the media’s tacit dismissal of Senator Santorum’s presidential campaign he has steadily built upon his solid social conservative credentials and his lengthy track record in the US Senate to build a support base in much the same way that Governor Huckabee did. He hasn’t done it by taking part in a lot of GOP party fundraisers. Instead he has traveled across the state going from one house party to another speaking directly to the voters in Iowa. While he does have the albatross of losing his seat in the US Senate, I don’t think that it will hold him back all that much.

Predicting the candidate that will come in fourth place on Saturday was really the toughest prediction that I have made thus far. This really was a toss up between two candidates in my honest opinion. This slot could have gone to either defending Straw Poll winner Mitt Romney or former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. After careful consideration I came to the prediction that Governor Pawlenty would be the one to take fourth place. The major difference here is that Governor Pawlenty has been tirelessly crisscrossing the state in a concerted attempt to win the support of Iowan’s. Despite his relentless campaigning I don’t believe that he will be able to inspire enough support for him to place higher in the Straw Poll.

As I am sure that you can surmise, I believe that Mitt Romney will come in fifth in Saturday’s Straw Poll. It is not that I believe that he could not do better than this. It is more that I believe that most Iowan’s attending Saturday’s event will take offense to the fact that Romney has not really campaigned in Iowa this time around. Furthermore there are a large number of Iowa Republicans that will not vote for Mitt Romney under any circumstances. So this coupled with his lack of a campaign presence in Iowa will hinder his chances this weekend.

In my honest opinion positions six through nine are too fluid to really predict. However with that said, anyone of these candidates could provide a surprise on Saturday. For instance former Godfathers Pizza CEO Hermann Cain’s campaign started out with a bang. He picked up rapid support due to his status as the outsider, the non-politician candidate. However his campaign quickly lost steam when it began to hemorrhage staffers. Today Cain’s campaign is just a shell of its former self. Another candidate that held promise early in the campaign season was former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. However after some of his staff left over differences in opinion on campaign strategy the Gingrich campaign quickly lost steam. Michigan Congressman Thadeus McCotter will be a non-entity on Saturday due to the fact that he really hasn’t been campaigning. No one in Iowa really knows much about him and I don’t believe that he will have the time to rectify this problem. Another candidate that I believe will be a non-entity at the Straw Poll will be Jon Huntsman due to the fact that he has decided to bypass Iowa.

With a few days remaining until the Iowa Straw Poll the political situation is volatile. Anyone of these candidates can break their campaign with some entirely avoidable gaffe. And at the same time a candidate has the ability to elevate their status through some shrewd and effective campaign strategy. Essentially, until the ballots are cast on Saturday the outcome of the Straw Poll is entirely fluid. But it is fun to make predictions isn’t it.

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A Long Awaited Return

August 10, 2011 by 12 Comments

First of all I want to apologize to our loyal readers for my long absence. I unfortunately have had some personal hardships to attend to. I don’t want to get into the specifics but my friends will know what I am alluding too.

With that said, the political intrigues do not subside when life intrudes. And while I did not have the wherewithal to publish any of my political musings I have nonetheless been attending a wide variety of political events during my long sabbatical. While I don’t believe that I will publish any of my thoughts on past political events at this time, I may refer to them during further analysis of Iowa politics in the future.

And let me reassure some of my more liberty minded friends, I will remain extremely fair minded when tackling political issues. I will attempt to hold both Democrats and Republicans to the same intense scrutiny. I will give no quarter to any politician in regards to the freedoms and ideals that has made both our country and our state great. All politicians will be held to the same standard.

Thank you for your understanding.

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Huckabee homecoming in Ames

August 10, 2011 by 1 Comment

The Ames Straw Poll will be a homecoming for Gov. Mike Huckabee.

The former Governor of Arkansas is returning to the state that gave him a caucus win in 2008 and prompted him to write in his book Do the Right Thing “I love Iowa!” The good news is that many Iowans continue to return that love in the form of involvement in politics and causes that are important to them, including volunteering for Huck PAC.

While at the Ames Straw Poll Governor Huckabee will be visiting various tents to “jam with bands” and will do his FOX show live. The Governor knows how to have a good time and keep Americans informed. For many supporters who will not have the opportunity to travel to New York, Huckabee’s show in Ames is an added bonus to the straw poll events.

Huck PAC will have a booth at the straw poll with Team Huck members from numerous states on hand to give out information and answer questions about Huck PAC endeavors. The Mission Statement follows:

Huck PAC is founded on the principles that make America great: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Our Republican Party embodies these ideas and is best suited to lead America forward.
Huck PAC is committed to helping Republicans regain control of the U.S. Senate, expand Republican control of the U.S. House and support conservative principles around the country.
Huck PAC will support Republican candidates who are passionate advocates for tax reform, a strong national defense, real border security, life, the family, less government, and individual liberty.
As part of our effort to support strong Republican candidates we have formed Team Huck. Team Huck is a grassroots volunteer organization devoted to helping Huck PAC find, endorse, and elect Republican candidates who share our principles.
Huck PAC will identify candidates who hold firm to these principles, promote their campaigns and financially support their efforts.

While it is a homecoming for Gov. Huckabee it will be a reunion of sorts for his supporters who will gather at the Huck PAC tent west of Hilton Coliseum. In terms only Huckabee supporters may understand, we will meet, greet, and celebrate being the somebody, doing the something. Our guy may not be a candidate at this time but it won’t stop us from savoring being at the same place with the man we have come to admire, respect and continue to support with our time, energy, money, and most especially, heart.

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