You lie.

September 26, 2008 The First McCain-Obama Presidential Debate

“And the point that I originally made is that we took our eye off Afghanistan, we took our eye off the folks who perpetrated 9/11, they are still sending out videotapes and Senator McCain, nobody is talking about defeat in Iraq, but I have to say we are having enormous problems in Afghanistan because of that decision.

And it is not true you have consistently been concerned about what happened in Afghanistan. At one point, while you were focused on Iraq, you said well, we can “muddle through” Afghanistan. You don’t muddle through the central front on terror and you don’t muddle through going after bin Laden. You don’t muddle through stamping out the Taliban.

I think that is something we have to take seriously. And when I’m president, I will.”

October 7, 2008 The Second McCain-Obama Presidential Debate

OBAMA: I’ll be very brief. We are going to have to make the Iraqi government start taking more responsibility, withdraw our troops in a responsible way over time, because we’re going to have to put some additional troops in Afghanistan.

General McKiernan, the commander in Afghanistan right now, is desperate for more help, because our bases and outposts are now targets for more aggressive Afghan — Taliban offenses.

The New Approach: What Change Could Be

by Chris Herzberger
http://www.rightheaded.wordpress.com

Another economic stimulus package will be on its way soon, new government programs and initiatives are bound to take shape in the coming months, and the incoming President has made it very clear that he will not stand on the sidelines and watch an economy in peril.

Are we reliving the Great Depression? Do we need a New Deal? Or is that a visceral response rooted in shortsighted solicitude? Questions that no doubt will be asked as we move into the new year, and questions that matter.

The New Deal was implemented with great urgency. People were struggling, families were hurting, and patience for action was not a reasonable expectation. What resulted most certainly showed its haste; some of the New Deal programs were poorly run, and others ran in direct conflict with others. Some, like Social Security live on today and others, like the National Recovery Administration, were deemed unconstitutional.

There was no time to discuss what might work and no time to think about possible consequences. There was panic, and what the American people wanted more than anything was action.

The ultimate effect of the New Deal by no means yields a consensus from modern day historians. Whether or not any part of the program made an actual, lasting impact or if the true end to the Great Depression was the result of increased war industry production in the early 40s, remains an object of debate.

What we know is this: today, the US Government is faced with a similar crossroads of possibilities that will no doubt have important implications and definite consequences for the American people.

We must go about the steps we take with certainty and care and a respect for those they’re meant to assist.

But what does that mean? What should Washington look like in 2009? How does it work? How do we get things done? How do we make sure that the government is on the side of the people and that it doesn’t overstep its boundaries and that it doesn’t abuse economic fear to accomplish unrelated agendas?

Let’s step back from the economic crisis for a moment and talk more generally about Washington.

Here’s what I think:

I urge bipartisan reform and activity in Washington D.C. but condemn an approach rooted in the premise that concession is the only path to progression. Too often, our legislators take the floor with so little confidence in the strength of their own ideas, that when faced with partisan gridlock, and when faced with an electorate demanding accomplishment, they simply fall back on their words and slaughter their own integrity. What we need in Washington are leaders who so fear the destruction of their ideas that to stand up for them with unwavering specificity is not just a job responsibility, it is a personal responsibility. And we need leaders who so firmly believe in their principles, that winning the hearts and minds of others is a challenge worth facing.

We also need leaders (particularly on the conservative side…) who believe that the implementation and acceptance of their ideas is more than a sport, but rather a necessary good. I get pro-life. I get small government. I get preemptive foreign policy. But I am beginning to believe that those who have fought for all of these things hardly believe the very words they speak.

Where is the leader who articulates a position against abortion that doesn’t see success as measured by the number of laws passed, but rather by the number of hearts changed? Where is the leader who can express that while small government is best, without advocating personal responsibility, it will never work; and that if it doesn’t work, then we’re left with big government, which will always fail? Where is the leader who isn’t afraid to describe foreign policy as not just a set of principles that guide us through the here and the now so that we feel good temporarily, but rather a long-term worldview that will protect us and define us for tomorrow and beyond?

Where are the voices that aren’t afraid of the truth? Where are the voices that recognize that for some things, there’s no room for bargaining?

Let me be clear: I am not against compromise. I am just against stupid, pointless compromise. I of course acknowledge that if our lawmakers didn’t play a little give and take, nothing would ever get done in Washington. But it is when a strong idea which was never defended gives way to a weak idea which was never refuted that the interests of politics take priority over everything else and we are left with stagnant, worthless elected officials who advocate nothing but their own careers.

It’s time to take it to the people. It’s time for lawmakers on the right and the left to stand up before those who have elected them and defend the things they do. If 700 billion of our tax dollars are going to be spent on a bailout for the financial industry, then give us the why and give us the how, and give us a principled justification for the singularity of that solution. If the federal government is going to offer another stimulus package that will cost billions of dollars in a time when it seems we don’t have billions of dollars, then give us the reason and give us the risks and give us a firmly pointed explanation for the absolute urgency of that solution. And if the pathway to economic security and a steady flow of job growth is somehow rooted in the power of government, then give us the outlook and give us the roadmap, and prove to us that the best hope is this one hope and that nothing else at the given time can compare.

All I ask is that we’re never left in the dark, because to our founding fathers, that would be a great defeat and a resounding tragedy.

Bold leadership won’t always be an easy task, but a politician’s job should never be less than a challenge and his or her performance should never be less than tenacious.

So what about dissent? What about politicians who know a thing to be true but stand firmly at odds with the people they govern?

If the will of the people ultimately opposes the will of the legislator, then let the legislator do one of three things; fight harder to convince the American people that the position they hold is not in their best interests, concede that the American people were right in their own assessment, or reject political security and vote with a bold confidence that the unpopular stance will ultimately prove to be remarkable. Either way, explain the reasons for a decision. What is left is accountability. What is left is a fellow American in an elevated position of power who at the end of the day must recognize that he or she remains there because of you and because of me. There is no room for ambiguity or indecision. The stakes are high. And the challenges are grave.

In a government by and for the people, a people uninformed and uninvolved is a people that has lost control of the basic idea that government is limited to the powers we give it.

They say we voted for “hope” and “change” in 2008; words that no doubt mandate an expectation for significant transformation in Washington D.C. But what do we actually believe change to be? Is it a new team at bat? A slew of new faces? A different voice with a different style? A bi-partisan spirit where everything means compromise? Or is it a fundamental shift in the role of lawmaker from superior to representative; never hiding from a belief, never running from a vote, never giving in to unprincipled pressure, never being afraid to address constituents with the intention of changing their minds, but never forgetting that leadership done best is always selfless.

This benefits no particular party. This benefits no particular politician.

This benefits you, me, and the freedom we cherish.

My Fellow Conservatives (From Your Young, Wannabe Leader)

By Chris Herzberger

So what is a conservative to do?

It was a beautiful image, the Obamas standing on stage together, and I wouldn’t ever dream of belittling the reconciliatory implications of this historic event. I am proud to have witnessed it, proud to have been a part of the electoral process, and absolutely proud to be an American today.

But what is a conservative to do?

Many of us around the country stand in doubt and in fear today. Fear that the most liberal President-elect in modern political history will take us further to the left on issues from abortion to taxation than we could have ever imagined possible. Fear that the Democrat majorities in the Senate and the House will result in an America that we can’t even fathom to be our own because the very social values it has adopted are not at all like ours. Fear that the Supreme Court will be lost to activist judges for an entire generation, putting issues we hold dear to our families and our faith in the hands of those seeking to push radical agendas based on feeling, not the Constitution.  And fear that the America we long for our children to experience will be nothing more than a lasting wish and a quiet reminder of what should have been.

So what is a conservative to do?

Stand up. Get on our feet. Bounce back. And do what we have always done in the moments we have succeeded most; tell the truth.

It would be easy to believe that the movement is over. That conservatism is dead. It would be easy to believe, in the face of this historic wind, that the best thing to do now is to set aside our beliefs and concede to Barack Obama’s vision of the country.

But we have seen his vision of the country. We have seen past the words. We have seen past the rhetoric. And we refuse to give in. We want hope and unity and prosperity and peace and compassion as much as anyone else. But we stand firm in our belief that hope and unity come not from equal concessions, but from common convictions, and prosperity not from handouts, but from work and opportunity. We believe that peace is not simply the absence of war, and believe that compassion is what we do for each other as individuals, not what we have the government do in our stead.

So stand up. Get on your feet. Bounce back. And do what you have always done in the moments you have succeeded most; tell the truth.

Tomorrow brings change, yes. Tomorrow brings history, yes. Tomorrow brings great excitement over barriers that have been broken and a page that has been turned. But we must look closer, because there is more to history than feeling, and there is more to good results than good intentions.

There are times to stand together on policies that are indisputably American and there are times to stand strong against the new establishment and make your voices known. We must not be afraid, we must not be intimidated, and we must not forget what we know to be true.  In the face of enthusiasm for an exciting, young leader, we must not allow what is best for this country to lose way to what is merely ‘change’ for this country. My fellow conservatives, today we must stand up and declare that over the next four years we won’t be silenced. We won’t be still.

The insecure will seek to limit free speech in the form of government regulations, a “fairness doctrine,” which is itself an attack on fairness. But we won’t be silenced. We won’t be still.

The deceptive and the dishonest will seek to extinguish dissenters like Joe Wurzelbacher and Barbara West by invalidating their concerns through destruction of character. But we won’t be silenced. And we won’t be still.

The dreamers will be told a dream must have common boundaries, because a dream too far, a dream too loud leaves too many behind; so dream a little smaller, dream a little fairer, dream a little softer, don’t step out of line, that makes you selfish.  But guilt by false implication will never prevail. We won’t be silenced. We won’t be still.

The promise of hope is easy; but we must deliver the innovation. The talk of change is simplistic; let’s rise to the occasion and make things right. The goal of bipartisanship is noble; but by winning the heart of the challenger, not surrendering to the challenge.

What we believe in; what we know to be right, and true, and noble, and worthy, will always be the single best hope for a future that reflects who we are and where we come from and how we came to be.

We will be told our conservative values and ideals are dead and that our thinking is no longer relevant. We will be told that in a country seeking to progress we represent the failed past of a day less enlightened.  We will be told that to stand unwavering on the things we deem imperative is a selfish roadblock against the tide of tomorrow; the wave of history.  But we know better. Because the tide will rise and the tide will fall. The waves will be violent but find peace once again. And then what we have left, after this new search for fulfillment in the form of revolution, are simple truths that can weather any storm. Dignity. Respect. Confidence. Honor. Faith. Family. Peace. Love. Compassion. Understanding. Independence. Trust. And the belief that each and every human being on the face of this miracle we live on can and must do wonderful, amazing things by the splendor of their God given magnificence.

Today, we must stand up together as the party of Ronald Reagan and say we are better than what we have been. We are more than what we have shown.  We must believe the things we defend and we must fight for those beliefs. We are the party that should inspire. We are the party that should unite, because we are the party that represents what is best for our communities and our children and our freedoms and our opportunities. The task is simple: offer our principles, communicate them in a way technologically reflective of the times and offer the basic message of small government, personal responsibility, family values, and opportunity without restriction. Our ideas are right. Our ideas are best. And if we can learn to live in step unashamedly with the words we speak, then we will succeed in demonstrating to a hungry culture that we do indeed have something remarkable to offer.

The past two years of campaigning were consumed by our opponents doing whatever it took to tear down George Bush and the Republican Party, in any opportunity, no matter the implication, no matter how vicious, no matter how unfair. An America that was united and believed in itself was never to our opponent’s benefit, so they sought to convince you and me that the belief in here and now was embarrassingly unjustified. That nothing good could ever come about until Bush was gone and the Republicans had lost.

But as we go forward, remember that we are better than that. We must never play games with our confidence in this country in order to win elections and get more power; not in 2010, not in 2012, not ever. We don’t have to. The belief in our country and our pride as Americans should never be based on a leader or a party or the state of our economy or the reputation we carry around the world. It should be based on the simple fact that over 200 years ago, men stood together and said, “We won’t be silenced. We won’t be still.” These are things we understand and things we respect, but things we have inexcusably forgotten.

Today, we begin anew. Today, we begin to heal. We offer our support and best wishes to the new administration and the Democratic Congress, but vow to stand firm in our beliefs and show confidence in our ideals. No pressure can stop us. No rhetoric can distract us. The American people are searching for something to give them hope and give them confidence.

Let’s show it to them.

Death Threats and Crazies

From Jim Geraghty at National Review.

_______________________________________________

Death Threats Sent to Pollster

After releasing this morning’s numbers showing McCain ahead in Ohio and Florida, the Strategic Vision polling company received several death threats through the contact e-mail on the company’s web site.

David Johnson, the CEO of Strategic Vision, shared the messages with National Review Online.

One of the messages stated:

My goodness, your polls stinks. There are 3 polls that have Obama by double digits and only yours has Obama down. WOW!. How come your poll is the only one giving Palin high favor ratings? I think you nee dto be careful tonight when you get in your car and might want to check underneath your car. SCRAP YOUR IDIOTIC POLLS OR ELSE!

Another stated:

A poll that gave Sarah Palin and Barack Obama the same favorability rating is wrong off the bat. Be careful going outside tonight because you might not see tomorrow.

A third message stated:

Why would your presidential election poll results be so drastically different from every other reputable poll taken over the same time period? Are they that dumb or are you guys that smart? Smart guys wind up dead.

The company has contacted the FBI and appropriate authorities, Johnson said. There was, thankfully, nothing in the messages that indicated that the sender had actually sought out the location of the company or its employees. Johnson noted that while the messages came from different addresses, they all came within a short period of time, and that it was possible they were from the same person.

Johnson said he’s not fearful, but taking appropriate measures.

“It’s probably just a bunch of nut cases, but this is first time we’ve ever experienced something like this,” Johnson said. “It’s highly, highly unusual. We get messages in the vein of ‘your numbers are wrong, the other guy’s numbers are right’ all the time. But this has never happened before.”

Powerful McCain Video

From his days as a POW. Watch the whole thing. The ending is powerful.

A Comprehensive Case Against Barack Obama

Check this out — a convincing case against Barack Obama in his own words!

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/10/21/the-comprehensive-argument-against-barack-obama/

Sarah Palin – Most Accessible of the Four Candidates???

http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/10/if_sarah_palin_held_a_press_co.asp

Sorry for the down time folks — have been TOTALLY swamped with several projects I’m producing here in Hollywood.

Check out this article, though. And be sure to forward it on to your friends who seem to think Palin is hiding from the media!

Obama by 2% According to AP Poll – AP Forgets to Mention

Amazing. The new AP/Yahoo Poll shows that Obama leads McCain by 2 (44% to 42%). Download Poll PDF

The headline for the AP article? “Voters Souring on McCain, Obama Stays Steady”

This headline is based on a finding that the enthusiasm of McCain supporters has deteriorated.

The interesting part of the AP article? Well – they forget to mention the finding from their multiple page poll that actually gives the general election results. You’re hearing me correctly. The AP decided to completely omit the 2% finding altogether and instead focus on the bad news for McCain. Literally no mention WHATSOEVER of the fact that this race is a statistical dead heat.

Stunning? Yeah.

But not surprising.

Poll Watch 10-16-08

Rasmussen – Obama +4 (50/46)

Zogby – Obama +5 (49/44)

Hotline – Obama +8 (49/41)

Gallup – Obama +2 (traditional – 49/47) Obama +6 (expanded model with more young and 1st time voters – 51/45)

Battleground – Obama +6 (50/44)

Yeah, I know that Obama is ahead. But this idea that somehow the race is over when all of these are either within the margin of error or close to it is a FALSE MEDIA DRIVEN NARRATIVE INTENDED TO DEMORALIZE YOU!!!

Don’t buy it, folks. This thing is NOT over!

Genius.