Photo Sharing

I filled in for one of the White House cleaning staff last week and was lucky enough to get this informal snapshot of Obama in the morning before he got his makeup on.

Look at those canines! I tell you, there's something weird about this guy.

Don't miss the tea party!

As I wrote when I kicked off this blog before the election, and reiterated immediately after Obama won, today's conservatives must learn to be activists. Obama's people came around my neighborhood before the election (not once, but twice) while the Republicans and third parties never showed themselves. Conservatives need to be seen and heard--in the streets, with rallies, marches, signs, and slogans. But I was afraid they would never get moving sufficiently to hope of rescuing this nation.

Well, my dream is starting to come true. Obama's communist agenda has stirred up the long-dormant activist spirit in America's conservatives (and some liberals) and they are getting out in their cities to take a stand.

If you haven't heard about it yet, the old melting pot is bubbling with new protests, especially tea parties. There's nothing like an unprecedentedly huge, drunken, debt-fueled socialist spending spree by the government to wake up citizens.

But hearing about other people taking to the streets to save the nation is not enough. No, not by a long shot. This is no time for complacency. Your freedom, values, and way of life are at stake. They need you out there too.

Knowing the mainstream media, if they play by the usual rules they may be seeking to either avoid mentioning these events altogether or portray these peaceful, patriotic, pro-America rallies in a negative light. (The media is understandably afraid of losing their grip on American minds and politics.) But if enough of us show up at the rallies, we can't be ignored or slandered.

Thanks to many local tea party groups and a big recent boost from the American Family Association, there will be a tea party near you. Be there!

You can find lists of rallies at Tea Party Day and WorldNetDaily. Patriot Depot and other conservative vendors have gear for the occasion.



Finally, don't consider this a one-time effort. We'll need more tea party days throughout the year, and we'll also need other types of activist demonstrations to promote life, liberty, and the freedom to pursue happiness in our nation. It will be exciting, but it isn't going to be easy.

Never give in

We see the headlines: stimulus package, health care reform, embryonic stem cell research, gun control, fairness doctrine. Liberty, life, decency, and the fruits of our labor are all under assault, but eventually we become desensitized. Don't let apathy or resignation kick in. Remember who you are: a free citizen of the American Republic, not a slave and worshipper of a liberal empire. Protest. Resist. Think. Keep fighting for your God-given rights. When an issue bugs you, don't just complain to your family; try to find some like-minded people and get out in the street with signs. Get some attention. Have a march or a rally. (Or a tea party.) Also, don't forget to let the Republican Party know that in the next election, you want a real candidate to represent your values, not a moderate to appease the opposition.

Liberal fantasies and racial elections

Did you see the exchange between Harry Smith and Ann Coulter? (Smith was incredibly rude, and I was disappointed that she didn't cut him down to size.) One of the topics they discussed especially caught my interest: liberals like Smith are truly worried that Obama will be assassinated because he is black.

Really, some people need to get out more and experience the real America. I know they travel around reporting, but perhaps they are insulated by groupthink, surrounded by their news team members and liberal buddies. Anyway, for those who have never taken off the left-wing hypnoglasses for aeons, here's an update: the horrible tragedy of slavery in America ended in 1865 under our first Republican president, and lingering racism was dealt a blow in the 1960s despite the stubborn opposition of many Democrats in Congress. Maybe it's different where the elite liberals hang out, but in normal America where I live, I don't see a lot of people driven by racial hatred. As Coulter pointed out, much of the violence in our society is acted out by socialists and leftists.

It's funny how "progressives" are all so far behind the times. When they were still busy calling Clinton the "first black president" (how ridiculous is that?) some conservatives were already rooting for Alan Keyes, my favorite during recent elections and the man I think should have been our country's first African-American president, the man I wish were preparing to take office...but that leads me to an important point.

I don't like Keyes primarily because he's black. I like him because he's intelligent, he's moral, and he cares about this country. Unlike some presidents-elect we could mention, he's unquestionably qualified to serve (and presumably descended from slaves). Unfortunately, most Americans didn't notice Keyes--and the liberal media certainly didn't try to draw attention to him.

But here's where I differ from liberals, and here's the idea that many on the Left just can't understand. I like Keyes because he's a good man that happens to be black, not because he's a black man that happens to be running for president. And on the other hand, if a good white or Hispanic or Asian American had won, I wouldn't feel bad because some imaginary Oval Office quota system wasn't met. (I just feel bad because we have Obama.) Conservatives have largely stopped thinking about race, while it seems that liberals can't stop being obsessed with it.

I wonder whether they really understand, after all this time, that there's so much more to people beyond skin color. Can they really understand the concept of ignoring the superficial? At first Democrats were famous for discriminating against blacks, and now they try to be in the spotlight for favoring minority races over whites. Many people voted for Obama because they hated Bush, or they believed in Hope and Change, or they liked his smooth talking, or they wanted his far-left support on social issues. But a substantial number of others voted for him because of his race, and given the fairly close popular vote, that means the popular victory and perhaps even the electoral victory of this election could have been due to racial attitudes. Is this truly progressive? Is it wise? Is it a good thing for America?

Racism is preference or prejudice based on race--whether its manifestation towards a person is opposition or support. And here's the second thing many liberals haven't realized yet, being "progressive" and behind the times--that racism is ugly and wrong either way. Racism is never positive--favoring one group is not only unfair to others, it also hurts the very group that is supposed to be helped. I know, it'll take time--give the progressives about 50 years and they may catch up with the rest of us and finally "get" it.

Before and during the election, liberals were worrying about Obama losing because of racism. Now that he won, partly due to racism, they're worried that he will be assassinated due to racism. In reality, Obama probably has a lower chance of assassination than white presidents due to racial considerations; any attacker would be labeled a racist and sport that legacy in history.

The final part of this issue that liberals have difficulty comprehending is why anyone out there in fly-over land (the derogatory way elite coastal lefties have traditionally viewed the regions that hold some of America's more sensible citizens) might oppose the Anointed One in the first place. In their inability to grasp what the liberal establishment never spoonfed them, they turn to desperate explanations such as racism. And since liberals have control of the biggest part of our mass communications system, unfortunately they can effectively spread such ridiculous notions.

But making it ubiquitous doesn't make it true, of course. Just for the record, the actual reasons that people oppose Obama include his radical stance on abortion and other social issues, the government policies he favors, the ideology and viewpoint suggested by his background, the political party he represents, his level of experience, his behavior in the Senate, and even his Constitutional eligibility.

But liberals have to live out their fantasies--and unfortunately, we'll have to live in them too for a few years. Better play to win in 2010 and 2012!

(Updated 1/11/2009 7:25 PM)

So now it's time for unity?

Were you touched by the calls for unity we heard after the election?

Not me. As someone who always views where society is going with some skepticism anyway, I felt no sentimental surge. Is it time to feel unity and forget our differences? To stand behind Barack and whatever change may bring?

To any on America's Left who call for unity now, I have to ask, where was the beautiful unity and brotherhood all this time during the last eight years? I noted how Obama characterized those who disagreed with him as divisive in campaign speeches, a clever rhetorical tool. But can anyone say with a straight face that conservatives are divisive compared to liberals? That liberals have not been divisive?

Aren't we forgetting about "Bush stole the election" and "Bush is not my president" along with many other lines not so kosher to print? About frenzied protests throughout the years, including protests at thought-suppressed campuses against well-known conservatives simply being invited to speak? The threats of riots if the media-Anointed One lost? The "bitter" people clinging to guns and religion?

Of course they're all for unity--when they are in charge! Then, of course, it's time for everyone else to fall right in step with their big plans. (Rather than fight an all-out guerrilla political war as they did.)

The truth is that conservatives have usually been more politically correct than the champions of political correctness when it comes to dealing with the opposition. We see pretty good sportsmanship on the whole after a political loss, which is admirable. However, conservatives mustn't forget what it takes to win a culture in the long run. Maybe this is a good chance for them to learn, by watching the Democrats in 2009, because I think we may see a powerful lesson.

Furthermore, it wouldn't hurt to contemplate the enormous gains liberals have accomplished for their causes during the last few decades. Step by step they have been literally remaking our society to fit their ideals, finding a multitude of effective ways to gain power and influence and create change. And all this before the current Agent of Change even took the stage!

The problem is that when Republicans were in charge, they held back on transforming the nation and the culture. Imagine abortion never being brought to a standstill, despite Reagan, Bush, and the Republican Revolution. In contrast, Obama has indicated his plans to enshrine the right to abortion and sweep away all restrictions, without delay. Which course of action is more effective? Obama is fighting to win. (He also outlined a simple plan to win more minds and thus bolster the culture as well as the law on this issue.) Conservative leaders have been putting up only a half-hearted fight in comparison.

Liberals (the supposedly pacifist folks) know that wars are won by relentless and clever fighting, not by negotiating, talking, or hoping; by winning minds, not by passively respecting other viewpoints.

If you're the type of conservative that wants to win (in other words, you believe that the issues really do matter, there is a great deal at stake, and you want culture and politics to change) then now is the time to start thinking about 2010 and 2012, and even more importantly, how to influence society--something that transcends election years.

Otherwise, just sit back and watch the show. Oh yeah, and don't forget to be part of the new big happy family of unity! (At least until the rhetoric from the "uniters" turns nasty again.)

Conservatives don't really understand elections

It was a painful week, wasn't it?

The pundits are all yakking about what went wrong--funny how hindsight does that--but here's something I was honestly thinking before election night, because it was hammered in by what I saw daily during the time running up to the vote.

Conservatives are brilliant on the issues. But I think they just don't "get it" when it comes to winning elections, pursuing activism, and getting out the vote.

The Obama people knocked on my door--twice. They were hanging around everywhere. Posters, flyers, signs, you name it.

I said before the election that the conservatives could win if we got out the vote. We made up 48% of the popular tally, so this wasn't a small minority by any means. It was about even--but the liberal half got the word out and got everyone off the couch (and some out of the grave, etc.) to get out there and vote. And they won.

Yes, Obama had a ton of money, but there's more to it. Liberals are making ideas mainstream today that represented only a small fringe radical minority in the past. A small activist portion of the population keeps guiding our culture and our country in their extreme direction, and as they do so, they make sure that their beliefs are adopted by a larger part of the people. Then they repeat the process.

Meanwhile, those with conservative values tend to be a marginalized majority, with various issues gradually shifting to minority status as liberals create culture change with their effective and ruthless tactics. We've had many advantages over the years, but too often we've let them slip by, as have our elected officials. There's no excuse for this, people!

If conservatives want to win in the current environment, they must learn to be activists.

(Of course, there's much more to learn from this election. Such as: the Republican Party leadership doesn't really understand conservatives.)

Obama's "price signals" plan to raise your energy bills

Obama hopes to force Americans to use less energy by raising costs. For example, making electricity bills higher so that people keep lights turned off. He calls this "sending price signals."



If you're anything like me, you've been celebrating the $2 gas trend and cheering every time you pass the filling station signs. Good for us, good for our economy. Meanwhile, this media-anointed apparition is willing to raise prices on energy to further the never-ending goal of Holy Climate Change.

I hope you're planning to send a "signal" on Election Day. And if that doesn't do the trick, we must keep fighting for the side of sanity afterwards. Keep the light of our civilization burning...literally.