Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
The little blurb on the right-hand side of this site states, “My politics are conservative, but I am an independent.” I documented leaving the Republican Party in 2007.
In that post I stated:
Today, I became independent once again. That does not mean I have moved off any of my positions. Rather, it is affirmation that no party does a good enough job of representing my positions. I am conservative and neither the Democrats or the Republicans are equally conservative.
Interestingly, there is still no party that represents my positions.
There is little that I can point to with Democrats that I agree with. The approach, the issues, etc. are nowhere near where I am. It feels as though every move is to interject government into my life. I favor instead, for government to leave my life.
One would think the Republican Party would be a better fit. Yet, for six years during the Bush Administration, Congress was Republican-led. What did this one-party rule net us? Spending and corruption ad nauseum. Yes, I agreed with the war, but that was not the only issue during those years. Last year, before he left office, President Bush placed government squarely in the middle of financial markets in a manner that made it easy for an incoming President Obama to pass unprecedented spending.
Last evening Virginia and New Jersey elected Republican governors. Listening to Republicans, one keeps hearing about the Republican revolution, a la 1993 when Newt Gingrich ushered in the Contract With America. I voted for Gingrich for POTUS last year. I would not do so at this point.
As the insidious media-spectacle in upstate has demonstrated, the Republican Party is still a mess. Internally, the old GOP (Gingrich et al.) are battling the “conservatives” (Palin, Malkin et al.) for control of the party. It’s a fight I suppose that needs to occur, but it’s going to be messy and in the end, I suspect the Republican Party will be weaker.
While I am admittedly more conservative than the average bear, putting a party in the hands of the fringe is going to be problematic. Palin is nice as a rogue, but she is not a leader. Malkin is great for focusing on issues, but she should not be guiding the debate.
Like it or not, these “conservatives” are equal to the Move On-Soros crowd on the left. It is easy to marginalize the left by demonizing the groups at the fringe. Shoot, locally that is what is occurring. Associate with Millville First or Track Racket, anonymous hatred will be hurled one’s way. So much will said, the message, no matter how accurate it may be, is lost because regular folks don’t want to sift through the sludge.
I suspect that is what happened with Freeholder Lou Magazzu. Magazzu is the poster boy of what is wrong with New Jersey politics, yet he was the top vote-getter last evening in the freeholder race. Why?
Magazzu Watch is a site that popped up to highlight Magazzu’s flaws or as they state it:
We just wanted to share our concerns about all we felt was wrong with Lou’s county government.
There’s a lot of good stuff at the site. Yet every post is accompanied by inane commentary, most of it anonymous. Those who run the site claim there would be retribution from Magazzu if their names were revealed. Yet when one cowers behind pseudonyms, not only is civility lost, so is accountability. In recent weeks Magazzu Watch has stumbled with its reporting and has been rightly called on it. Furthermore, there is an incident where a contributor revealed personally-identifiable information about one of these anonymous posters. He claimed he was not acting on behalf of the web site, but the web site, as far as anyone can tell, has done nothing to rectify the action. It’s wrong.
Nevertheless, it just goes to show that as soon as organization occurs, the straw man attack is underway. It’s easy to discount Magazzu criticism when it comes through Magazzu Watch as the site is little more than The Daily Journal comment section hosted elsewhere.
I don’t where this leaves me. My views are not represented by (m)any I want to associate with. Even when the state ousts an inept governor, it approves to put taxpayers in further debt, and it continues to elect the local politicians who cause the spending problems to continue.
One of the words I am currently teaching my students is insignificant. It is difficult to help but think as a conservative in Cumberland County, NJ that I am insignificant. The machine is stacked against a single person making a difference. As soon as he organizes, the anonymous cowards begin hurling dung at the fan obfuscating the discourse.
I am sure this is just post-election blues. Sigh . . .
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | 1 Comment »
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
This is too funny. I totally agree with Clinton on this: I can’t believe Bush went there. This routine reminds me of Lemmon and Garner in My Fellow Americans, a dopey comedy that I have always enjoyed.
Hat tip to Dan Riehl.
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
Each Friday Wizbang posts a photograph and invites its readers to submit captions for it. I find these highly amusing most of the time. When the contest first began a little more than a year ago, I participated. I soon learned that one needed to be quick because the good lines were taken early. I soon did not even try. More and more, I just check in on Monday to see the round-up of the best responses.
Today I popped over a day early and saw the familiar shot from the Oval Office of the five living presidents (elects). I began reading through the more than 100 responses. There are some good lines. I came up with one early on. As I read on, I kept expecting to see someone use it. Nope. So, I added it.
I doubt I’ll win, but I think it’s a decent caption.
one-termer, one-termer, two-termer, two-timer, one-termer . . .
What is your caption for this photograph?
Posted in Politics | 1 Comment »
Friday, December 19th, 2008
Well, George Bush has assured us all that the United States is not a free market society.
The federal government will enable Detroit’s ailing automakers to survive a little longer by providing $17.4 billion in short-term financing in exchange for concessions from carmakers and their workers.
President Bush said Friday that a bankruptcy was unlikely to work for the auto industry at this time because it would deal “an unacceptably painful blow to hardworking Americans” across the economy.
Hardworking Americans not living in Detroit, however, are left to pay for yet another boondoggle.
Commenter ThatSamIAm over at Michelle Malkin’s site understands what’s going on:
You can't fix stupid.
Can we put GM and Chrysler on the clock to see how long it takes them to request their next bailout?
The over-under before the airlines come looking for their largess is 1 January 2009.
There is no end to this bailout. All those who supported the initial round of funding this year’s Christmas bonuses are to blame for showing the government it can whatever it pleases.
The cash keeps flowing out of D.C. Neither my arse nor my wallet can take any more of this.
Let them all file for bankruptcy.
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 14th, 2008
Back in 2005, New Jersey Governor Corzine ran on a platform to increase our tax rebates 10% annually. He also stated:
I want to restore people's trust in what should be the people's government. We can, and I will, lead this state on the path of honest, open, and effective government.
At the time he ran his operations chief Susan Levin was under federal investigation. Corzine stated at the time:
All New Jerseyans have a right to expect that when decisions are made about government contracts, the only determining factors should be quality and price.
I remind you of these, dear reader, because as soon as the presidential election is over, Corzine will launch in earnest his re-election campaign. I think it is fair to examine Corzine’s performance based on what he said he would do.
Property tax rebates have not increased 10% annually. As a matter of fact, the rebate this year was a pittance compared to what it was when Corzine took office.
Corzine and his former girlfriend are pressing hard to keep their e-mail exchanges that took place on the public dime. Is this what Corzine meant when he stated he would have an honest, open, and effective government? And how can we know that the negotiations between the taxpayers and Corzine’s girlfriend were determined only on quality and price when he will not share the public documents?
Certainly during the campaign the slagging economy will come up. Corzine will most definitely employ the Blame Bush defense. New Jersey’s economy is hurting, it will be said, because of the reckless Bush Administration.
Of course, taking that course will confirm that Corzine does not believe a governor, let alone a governor with Wall Street CEO experience, has the ability to affect a state’s economy. Why then has Corzine proposed that New Jerseyans purchase foreclosed homes?
I am not much for gimmicks, but the state GOP has an interesting proposal, namely to cut the usurious sales tax by half for the holiday season to stimulate the state economy. Politically Corzine is in a quandary. If he supports the tax cut, he admits that raising the sales tax in 2006 is now hurting the economy. If he resists the plan, he isn’t doing what a governor can to stimulate an economy nor providing taxpayers help when they most need it.
Frankly, I’d rather see the sales tax cut in half permanently, but I’ll take the temporary nature of this proposal. Undoubtedly, Corzine will spin this as unacceptable because of the recklessness of the Bush Administration.
At this point, New Jersey may be better off if Obama wins the election and takes Corzine to D.C. with him.
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | 1 Comment »
