Why not Sarah Palin?

When all has been written about the outcome of the 2012 Presidential election and all the pundits and prognosticators have "spun" their reasons for being wrong, we will still be left with the gargantuan task of reining in the Federal government. After all, that is the primary task ahead of us.

I will only predict one thing and that is the likelihood of a Republican winner. Barack Obama has done more to destroy our Constitutional Republic than any President in our history. When Obama is defeated, it will allow him to pursue his real goal of leading the United Nations. After his installation as Secretary-General, we can promptly curtail our funding of the United Nations. What a fitting tribute THAT would be!

Amongst the present slate of Republican candidates, who has shown the ability to take on special interests, like oil companies? Who has a proven ability to take on their own party to effect reform? Who has worked in an executive role to break long-existing roadblocks and effect positive change for their constituency? Who has enlisted the support of countless fiscal and social conservatives without once asking for that support? Who has the ability to stand up and state their convictions without fear? Who has a proven ability to "reach across the aisle" to craft bipartisan legislation?

If you can answer those questions honestly, you know who should be the next President of The United States.

Blagojevich goes down!

The court verdict was not pretty today. Guilty on 17 counts, not guilty on one and the jury hung on two others.

You can read the Chicago Tribune's account here.

For the fun of it, here's a great video in tribute to Rod:

Thunder and lightning

As I sit here waiting for a storm to come in, I'm reminded of a metaphor. The same metaphor was applied to my son's football team and the duo that toiled at running back. They complimented one another and became a rallying cry for the rest of the team.

Thunder and lightning!

I'm reminded of this as we approach the 2012 elections. Who will be thunder and who will be lightning? Who will blast forward into the line and who will be the one to run around end, leaving the defense gasping in pursuit?

We have a field of Republican candidates who are wanting to take the ball and run with it. Do they have the ability to succeed? I'm waiting for a flash of lightning. I still haven't seen the thunder that rocks the offensive line.

The season is just starting and I'm waiting to see who the players will be in this first game of a lifetime. I'm holding my breath, because thunder and lightning are still standing on the sidelines.

This political year has just played a preseason game with the NH debate. Will thunder and lightning be called on for the remaining preseason, or will they be held back until the "real" season starts?

If I was the coach, I'd wait until September when the real season starts. Why tip your hand when the season is only just beginning and the pre-season players are just trying to make the team?

Rick Perry's speech to RLC in New Orleans

This speech should be a template for all the Republican candidates for President!

Choices...

Our lives are the result of our choices. Like them or not, they are what they are. We live or die by them, but, most importantly, they define who we are.

When we decide to enter into marriage, we are emboldened by that commitment. When we are forced to end a marriage, we are dismayed by our original choice. Why?

We choose to do what we believe in. In a marriage contract, we assume that the other party believes as we do. Our society delivers the hopeless verdict when we are wrong. It is a societal paradigm that we are unable to escape. Who is wrong, and who is right? Society deems it as unanswerable. The default judgment is both, so neither is guilty.

For a lot of us, we continue to look for the ability to make choices that demonstrate our resolve. It may be multiple choices that present themselves to us, but we recognize that our choices have consequences as we pursue those that we deem to have merit.

When we choose to pursue a certain path, our resolve is the only thing that hinders our achievement. There will always be an end-game that we must accept or reject. It defines our goals.

Do we choose to go half-way to our goal? That is not empowering. It may give us some benefits along the way, but it diminishes us.

Who has the strength to pursue their goals to fruition? Did Thomas Edison give up after countless attempts to create the light bulb? Did Steven Jobs give up when he was turned away from the very company he founded? Did Rush Limbaugh throw in the towel when he was told that his hearing was gone? The vanguard of success is perseverance. Pure and simple.

We all have roadblocks that stand in the way of our goals. What makes us unique is our resolve in transcending those roadblocks.

I have a challenge for Sarah Palin. Continue your quest. I know that you harbored a conviction that you could make a difference. Prove it! Everyone likes a winner and I have a feeling that your goals have not yet been met.

A conservative meme regarding Palin?

I thought the left-wing had a monopoly on creating anti-Palin memes, but it seems that the right-wing has its own agenda.

Per Roderic Deane:

The new, pro-Bachmann conservative meme

We know that the left likes to create false impressions about their favorite media target, Sarah Palin. They create a false idea and then repeat it over and over in the media until it becomes taken as fact. I wrote about a current left-wing meme here. It now appears that certain right-wing elements have taken up the same mission, only in this case it is in defense of a Bachmann Presidential run versus one by Sarah Palin.

Michelle Bachmann commented in an interview with Ralph Reed that she felt it was important to complete your parenting activities before entering public life. I blogged about it in a post titled "Sarah, who need enemies with friends like Bachmann?" I also included a video of Bachmann's exchange with Reed.

It now appears that certain right-wing commentators have taken up Bachmann's cause in portraying Sarah Palin as wrong in pursuing a political career while raising a family. In a post appearing on The American Spectator website, R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. takes up where Bachmann left off. He writes:

Bachmann and Palin are sufficiently charismatic for me, and both have raised families, Bachmann five children of her own and 23 foster children before entering public life. That is the proper sequence of events: raise a family, enter public life.

You can read the rest here.

Current media meme: Bachmann eclipses Palin

We can always depend on the mainstream media to seize on any angle in an attempt to denigrate Sarah Palin. Their new meme is that Michelle Bachmann has eclipsed Sarah Palin due to her performance in the GOP debate held last Monday evening.

According to U.S. News and World Report (a liberal rag if there ever was one):

There are many parallels between Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann—and not simply because they are the GOP’s only serious female 2012 prospects. The two fill the same Tea Party, mama-bear space, and they both love to creatively interpret history. But, as pundits speculate whether the two are friends or foes, it seems that space isn’t big enough for the two of them.

U.S. News’s Whispers column (“Bachmann: The Smart Version of Palin”) pits the two against each other in education (Bachmann wins), family (Bachmann), politics (Palin), fundraising (Bachmann), and other areas. “So how is the nation supposed to choose between Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann if they both get into the presidential race?” Whispers asks. “In a word: smarts. If we had to make a pick based on school smarts and book smarts, Bachmann would win. Because when it comes to picking presidents, the nation has a history of going for the brainy candidates.”

And when it comes to lame-stream media attention, Bachmann has a habit of absorbing the spotlight when Palin fades. When Palin laid low after what many called her narcissistic response to the tragic shooting at Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Gifford’s “Congress on Your Corner” event in January, Bachmann entered center stage with her Tea Party response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech. After the media din subsided from Palin’s to-campaign-or-not-to-campaign New England bus tour, Bachmann came on strong and articulate in Monday's GOP debate and had the media cycle saying, Sarah who?

There is so much wrong with this article.

First, Whispers picks "smarts" as to why Bachmann is better than Palin. Unfortunately, their definition of "smarts" simple relates to the fact that Bachmann received two law degrees. Isn't this the last thing we need in the White House, another attorney?

Second, regarding family, Whispers states that having raised 23 foster children ranks Bachmann ahead of Palin, even though they both have 5 of their own. If that were a true indicator of family strength, maybe we should hold up Osama bin Laden as the ultimate family man with the estimated 26 children he fathered with multiple, concurrent wives.

Third, Whispers picks Bachmann over Palin in fundraising. This in itself is laughable since Sarah Palin actively campaigned for Bachmann during her 2010 re-election bid. Why do you think that was?

But there you have it: the current lamestream media meme.

I wonder what they'll think of next?

Update: For the record, Ronald Reagan attended Eureka College in Illinois, majoring in economics and sociology. Hmmm, no law degree?

Wisconsin State Supreme Court upholds Walker's Law

Score one for the good guys. Stacy McCain has the scoop here.

Law Professor William Jacobson has an excellent roundup at his Legal Insurrection blog.

Is the tide turning?

I don't know why, but I was reminded of this song:

But, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while

Even though I liked Romney's latest ad, this is what I don't like about Mitt Romney, which is the deal-killer for me. He is a Rockefeller Republican. We don't need to go there again.

Romney ad gets it right!

I'm not a big fan of Mitt Romney. He falls too much into the category of "next man up", so important to the GOP elite and so disastrous in the 2008 and 1996 elections. But this campaign ad is great!

Sarah Palin wins the New Hampshire debate

Okay, she wasn't there. But the elephant in the room was the absence of Sarah Palin. This debate was a culling exercise and the GOP field needs it.

Sarah is going to be the biggest benefactor of this debate. Trust me!

Sarah's letter to family, upon Trig's birth

We are witnessing a vast effort to unearth details about Sarah Palin, from the 24K+ emails released on Friday. This one should bring a tear to your eye. It is her email to family, friends and close associates about the birth of her son, Trig, written as if an email from God:

SARAH PALIN'S COMPLETE LETTER TO HER FAMILY ABOUT TRIG

To the Sisters, Brother, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Friends of Trig Paxson Van Palin (or whatever you end up naming him!):

I am blessing you with this surprise baby because I only want the best for you. I've heard your prayers that this baby will be happy and healthy, and I've answered them because Ionly want the best for you!

I heard your heart when you hinted that another boy would fit best in the Palin family, to round it out and complete that starting five line-up. Though another girl would be so nice, you didn't think you could ask for what you REALLY wanted, but I knew, so I gave you a boy because I only want the best for you!

Then, I put the idea in your hearts that his name should be "Trig", because it's so fitting, with two Norse meanings: "True" and "Brave Victory". You also have a Bristol Bay relative with that name, so I knew it would be best for you!

Then, I let Trig's mom have an exceptionally comfortable pregnancy so she could enjoy every minute of it, and I even seemed to rush it along so she could wait until near the end to surprise you with the news - that way Piper wouldn't have so long to wait and count down so many days - just like Christmastime when you have to wait, impatiently, for that special day to finally open your gift? (Or the way the Palins look forward to birthday celebrations that go on for three, four days... you all really like cake .) I know you, I knew you'd be better off with just a short time to wait!

Then, finally, I let Trig's mom and dad find out before he was born that this little boy will truly be a GIFT. They were told in early tests that Trig may provide more challenges, and more joy, than what they ever may have imagined or ever asked for. At first the news seemed unreal and sad and confusing . But I gave Trig' s mom and dad lots of time to think about it because they needed lots of time to understand that everything will be OK, in fact, everything will be great, because I only want the best for you!

I've given Trig's mom and dad peace and joy as they wait to meet their new son. I gave them a happy anticipation because they asked me for that. I'll give all of you the same happy anticipation and strength to deal with Trig's challenges, but I won't impose on you...

I just need to know you want to receive my offer to be with all of you and help you everyday to make Trig's life a great one.

This new person in your life can help everyone put things in perspective and bind us together and get everyone focused on what really matters . The baby will expand your world and let you see and feel things you haven't experienced yet. He'll show you what "true, brave victory" really means as those who love him will think less about self and focus less on what the world tells you is "normal" or "perfect". You will grow and be blessed with greater understanding that will be born along with Trig.

Trig will be his dad's little buddy and he'll wear Carhartts while he learns to tinker in the garage. He'll love to be read to, he'll want to play goalie, and he'll steal his mom's heart just like Track, Bristol, Willow and Piper did. And Trig will be the cuddly, innocent, mischievous, dependent little brother that his siblings have been waiting for in fact Trig will - in some diagnostic ways - always be a mischievous, dependent little brother, because I created him a bit different than a lot of babies born into this world today.

Every child is created special, with awesome purpose and amazing potential. Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed up world you live in down there on earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome. Doctors call it "Down's Syndrome", and Downs kids have challenges, but can bring you much delight and more love than you can ever imagine! Just wait and see, let me prove this, because I only want the best for you!

Some of the rest of the world may not want him, but take comfort in that because the world will not compete for him. Take care of him and he will always be yours!

Trig's mom and dad don't want people to focus on the baby's extra chromosome. They're human, so they haven't known how to explain this to people who are so caring and are interested in this new little Alaskan. Sarah and Todd want people to share in the joy of this gift I'm giving to the Palin family, and the greater Alaska family. Many people won't understand... and I understand that. Some will think Trig should not be allowed to be born because they fear a Downs child won't be considered "perfect" in your world. (But tell me, what do you earthlings consider "perfect" or even "normal" anyway? Have you peeked down any grocery store isle, or school hallway, or into your office lunchroom lately? Or considered the odd celebrities you celebrate as "perfect" on t.v.? Have you noticed I make `em all shapes and sizes? Believe me ,, there is no "perfect"!)

Many people will express sympathy, but you don't want or need that, because Trig will be a joy. You will have to trust me on this.

I know it will take time to grasp this and come to accept that I only want the best for you, and I only give my best. Remember though: "My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts... for as the heavens are higher than the earth, my ways are higher than yours!"

I wrote that all down for you in the Good Book ! Look it up! You claim that you believe me - now it's time to live out that belief!

Please look to me as this new challenge and chapter of life unfolds in front of you. I promise to equip you. I won't give you anything you can't handle. I am answering your prayers. Trig can't wait to meet you. I'm giving you ONLY THE BEST!

Love,

Trig's Creator , Your Heavenly Father

I'm sorry, but I don't have words to express how touching this is!

The wonders of technology

I spoke with my wife's eldest daughter today and she told me that there's a new app in town. In this instance, it's Chase Bank. You can download an app to your Android phone or iPhone and actually deposit checks without going to the bank or ATM.

I just tried it. You enter the amount of the deposit via the app and then take a picture of both the front and back sides of the check with your phone. It then registers your deposit.

I just went online with my laptop to confirm that it was there. Yep, there it was!

Absolutely amazing!

It's Saturday Night!

No, I'm not auditioning for SNL. Today has been epic for me, for reasons that wouldn't interest SNL.

I just had two teenagers graduate from high school. My son and my step-daughter.

I'm sitting here now trying to wrap my brain around the fact that my kids are growing up. Sitting through graduation ceremonies today was surreal. There were 712 kids in their graduating class! I had only 102, but I still remember it.

There will be many more "defining moments" in their futures. They both plan to attend college and my wife and I are scrambling to make sure that finances are available.

I just feel proud today.

I love both my son and step-daughter and want only the very best for them. They've reached an important milestone in their lives and the look on their faces and their friends' faces during the graduation ceremonies were priceless. They were proud too.

Do you remember when you graduated from high school?

What hangs in the balance?

A simple statement. A major issue. What hangs in the balance for the 2012 election?

Our freedom, our way of life? What hangs in the balance?

Do we succumb to the elitists or do we forge ahead with our Constitution, all naysayers be damned?

Do we respect individual enterprise, or do we relent to the collective?

Do we cast aside the freedom to choose, or do we rise to the occasion as individuals? And in doing so, do we take others with us? Are leaders important to our progress, or can we do it on our own?

Are we ready to take responsibility for our own success? Or do we relegate our future to a bureaucrat in our town, state or nation?

Shall we continue down the path of Europe, or do we claim to be exceptional and forge our own way?

What would our Founders say? What would they think about the issues of today?

What would you like to see in your day to day? What would you vote for to maintain it that way?

Run, Sarah, run!

A fitting video about Sarah's bus tour

Rush is on to something

For the last 5 days, Rush Limbaugh has dedicated a significant part of his show to Sarah Palin. Why do you think that is?

Rush is a smart man. He knows what his audience wants to hear. His audience is DYING to hear him pick a Republican candidate. He won't do it and he reiterates that on every show. He'll wait until the Republican nominee is named.

However. However.

Rush has dedicated the last week's worth of shows to Sarah Palin. Why?

I remember when Sarah was named as John McCain's running mate. Rush was ecstatic, and for good reason. Sarah Palin embodied the conservative cause on multiple levels. She elevated the McCain campaign to a point ahead of Barack Obama. It was only McCain's idiotic decision to suspend his campaign during the economic meltdown and return to Washington that torpedoed his campaign. Sarah was not to blame.

I think that Rush is on to something. He recognizes that Sarah Palin is the primary candidate for the Republican nomination and he doesn't pretend to hide that fact. He's not spending time talking about Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain or Mitt Romney. He knows what his audience wants to hear. And it's Sarah Palin, all the time.

Trust me, my friends, Rush Limbaugh knows.

And what he knows is going to play out over the next 12 months. And he is setting up everyone for a "See, I told you so!"

I helped Rush with his show today

Rush began his show with a lengthy discussion about his relationship with Margaret Thatcher. He was addressing the issue put forth in the UK Guardian that an aid ally to Thatcher had referred to Sarah Palin as being "nuts" and suggested that Thatcher had no interest in meeting with Sarah. Rush disputed any notion of Thatcher ever using such a word to describe ANYONE, much less Sarah Palin. Furthermore, Rush suggested that Margaret Thatcher would never authorize anyone else to use such a word either.

During the ensuing break, I sent Rush an email reminding him of a Politico piece from last year that reported the fact that Thatcher had invited Sarah Palin to meet with her whenever she happened to be in London.

As I just happened to be watching Rush's show via his "ditto-cam", I was stunned when he came back on the air after the break and said this:

Audio clip from Rush Limbaugh Show (You'll be prompted to open the file or save it. Just choose open or play.)

Glad to be of service Rush!

Comedian incites violence against Sarah Palin

This type of behavior is a major indicator of what's wrong in our country. Why do we allow ANYONE to incite violence against a politician? I am concerned about the degeneration of our culture, where these kind of comments are passed off as "funny".



UPDATE 1: If you want to register your complaint with this comedian, you can do it here.

UPDATE 2: This should have been #1. I've already registered my complaint at his website.

The lure of Weiner-gate...for the Libs

Timing is everything. Now that Sarah Palin has completed her "One Nation" bus tour, the media's attention turns to Anthony Weiner's appalling lack of judgement. In one massive segue, the LSM has gone from following Palin's bus like a pack of dogs, haranguing her for an erroneous lack of knowledge about Paul Revere, to diving into the sordid details of Weiner's sexting habits on Twitter.

Ah yes, Liberals. Let's get off the wholesome message of Sarah Palin's travels to highlight our founding principles and move on to Anthony Weiner's debasement of his election as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives from New York's 9th district. Lord knows that the interest in Weiner is much more in line with your principles than those of our Founding Fathers.

Sarah Palin knows more about Paul Revere than....the media!

Once again, Sarah Palin has shown that the knee-jerk reaction of the lamestream media is to assume she doesn't know what she's talking about.

To whit:

Patterico's Pontifications:

I barely have to write the post this time. Did you hear? Sarah Palin is sooooo stupid. She believed that Paul Revere warned the British.
Think Progress sniffs:

As Mediaite’s Frances Martel notes, Palin’s version “wasn’t exactly the official History Channel rendition.” It’s hard to imagine why Revere would warn the British of anything, or why he’d do it with bells and gun shots.

And as you can see, so did Frances Martel. So did Nicole Belle of the eponymous Crooks and Liars:

Can we all just breathe a collective sigh of relief that this is not the person one heartbeat away from the Oval Office?

And Gawker:

Perhaps we should all brush up on our history of such events should we ever get trapped like this, but this may include some inaccuracies. Revere did not warn the British army.

Greg Sergeant:

Everyone has already had a grand old time mocking this video of Sarah Palin bungling her Paul Revere history, but I actually think it amounts to quite an eloquent statement. It’s as eloquent an argument as anyone could make that this woman really should not be treated by any of us as anything resembling a presidential candidate until it’s absolutely necessary — which is to say, until she actually runs for president.

And another two-fer, Steve Benen quoting another:

In case anyone needs a refresher, Tim Murphy explained, “This is actually the opposite of everything Paul Revere did.”

And Digby:

How can it possibly be that even one person in this country considers this person qualified for the presidency.

And I will break the embargo on linking to Politico, to quote Ben Smith:

Palin makes Bachmann look like Longfellow

Joe Gandelman, of the Moderate Voice:

DRAT! Why did I spend so much time studying history at Amity High School in Woodbridge, Connecticut when I could have made up my own version and gotten away with it.

Kathy from Comments from Left Field:

The news would be if she said anything about American history or foreign policy or ANYthing that made sense, right?

—————————-

Sidebar: You know where I am going with this, right? Right?

—————————–

BooMan, who admits he doesn’t really remember very much of the history:

Paul Revere did not warn the British about anything.

Talking Points Memo’s Eric Lach:

Sarah Palin Offers Novel Take On Paul Revere’s Ride

Rick Ungar of Forbes Magazine:

While I had been led to believe that Revere’s historic ride was actually for the purpose of warning our forefathers that the British were coming, it turns out that his midnight ride, complete with ringing bells and warning shots, was really all about letting the English know that we were armed.

Andrew Malcolm of the LA Times just calls it a gaffe. The Hill writes:

She makes history come alive, doesn’t she?

ABC’s The Note’s Sheila Marikar:

Perhaps this week’s lesson in the annals of American history was necessary for Sarah Palin.

USA Today:

Sarah Palin apparently flubbed details of Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride when she visited Boston yesterday.

The former Alaska governor, who may or may not be running for the GOP presidential nomination, thought Revere was warning the British army during the Revolutionary War.

Salon:

Sarah Palin treated her audience to a little American history (“little” being the operative word)

Alan Colmes sniggered. And Dennis DiClaudio writes:

Suck on that, history teachers! That’s how you tell a story about this great land that is called America! You may say that that’s pretty much the exact opposite of what actually happened in real life, but I say that you’re a not-real American and a possible traitor (and maybe a future tenant of Gitmo).

———————

I think that is just about everyone.

And gosh, isn’t that funny how stupid she is. Aren’t all those liberals clearly her superior in both intelligence and knowledge?

Um, really, you know where this is going right?

Well, Professor Jacobson points out that she was right. Paul Revere did warn the British.

Oh, and I saved New York Magazine’s Dan Amira’s snit for last because it is now so ironic:

Many Americans think they have a solid understanding of the country’s founding. No taxation without representation, tea party, Boston Massacre, George Washington, all that jazz. But, not surprisingly, Über-patriot Sarah Palin knows more than the average American. In fact, she may have more expertise on the subject than anybody else. For example, yesterday she revealed some heretofore unknown facts about Paul Revere’s midnight ride. Did you know that he was actually warning the British, through the repeated ringin’ of bells?

But if you have been following this blog long enough, you know I already wrote the post months ago. As I said here:

To pre-judge a person is to literally “judge before.” Before what? Before it is appropriate, before you have all the facts. Of course normally we think of prejudice as being based on specific traits. Racial prejudice is to judge a man by his skin color, rather than getting enough facts to judge him as an individual. But it can be based on anything.

Take for instance, Sarah Palin. Liberals have convinced themselves that Palin is a moron. So when Sarah Palin told a crowd of Tea Partiers that it was too soon to “party like its 1773” liberals freaked out. OMG, she is so stupid. Doesn’t she know the American Revolution was in 1776? As well documented by Cuffy Meigs, Markos Moulitsas, Gwen Ifil (who moderated Palin’s debate with Joe Biden) and others mocked her in that fashion.

One guy, Steve Paulo showed enough introspection to wonder “WTF happened in 1773?!” Well, hey, I was a history major, but I couldn’t rattle off every event of any year, 1773 or otherwise. But I can google. As of this moment the first link I get is this. You only have to page down once to discover that in December of that year was the original Boston Tea Party. You know, the event that the Tea Party is self-consciously invoking with its very name? Yeah, that one.

This is frankly a textbook case of someone believing their own propaganda. They have spent the last few years convincing themselves that Palin is stupid and uneducated and they have forgotten that this simply isn’t true. She isn’t dumb. She’s just a down-to-earth woman with a funny accent. And if you keep acting like she is dumb, you’re going to keep making yourself look stupid.

[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]

Theme from Pirates of the Caribbean

My daughter's high school orchestra just performed their last concert of the 2011 school year. It's also her final concert since she's a graduating senior. They've played this many times in the past, but this one has to be their best. They added elements of the high school band to what is normally only a string orchestra.

Enjoy! BTW, the video isn't great, as it was recorded on my Droid X, but the sound is what matters most, no?

From Sarah's back yard...

The coming employment shortage

We've been inundated with unemployment numbers for the last several months. There's one thing that has not been mentioned in the press or by any of their economic "experts". The baby-boomers are retiring in vast numbers. They are collectively saying they've had it with current working conditions and the numbers don't lie.

Why do we continue to hear about the unemployment rate fluctuating because of the number of people leaving the work force? Are they coming back? Doubtful. The baby-boomers are electing to retire.

And why not? Their pensions have been frozen, if they still have one. Their 401(k)'s are under assault by the Obama administration and their social security payments are in question because of the exploding Federal debt.

Who do you think is driving up gold and silver prices? Speculators? The baby-boomers are caught in a vice and they are responding by trying to protect their life savings. Whether it be by investing in gold, silver, or, God help them, real estate, they are just now beginning to move their investments to cash flow their retirement.

So, what does that portend for our economy? It signals vast underemployment. Graduates with degrees in music will be applying for accounting jobs to fill the void. Employers will be forced to develop remedial classes to re-educate the vast number of applicants that they hire to fill positions that don't fit their degrees.

On the blue-collar front, we will see a revival of journeymen programs to train the masses of people that are willing to do anything for a job.

We will see the final implosion of the higher-education boom. College educations will mean nothing as people scramble for well-paying jobs in the so-called, blue-collar sector. Unions will scramble to enlist these newcomers into their midst, but will be cast aside as people refuse their membership to accept a new job without strings attached.

Major universities will begin the forced-retirement of tenured professors, because of their salary's impact on shrinking budgets. This will lead to a major renaissance in our higher education system that promotes free-market principles to attract new students AND educators.

We are on the cusp of a major restructuring of our economy, but one that is driven by the economy. Education, government and social engineering programs will give way to market-based solutions that create a new paradigm to challenge our future politicians. There is not a politician alive that will be able to hide from the impending changes and their weaknesses will be exposed for all to see via Facebook, Twitter and other Internet-driven media.

We are only just now beginning to see the shift. Hold on to your hats. This is going to be a fun thing to watch, as it plays out over the next 10 years.

Grand Rapids...a dying city?

Not!



This is a tremendous testimonial to what happens when a city is put on an "America's Dying Cities" list by some irrelevant publication. I don't know about you, but Grand Rapids looks like a great place to visit! Maybe Sarah Palin was right about her disagreement with the 2008 McCain campaign about writing off Michigan!

Hat tip: Hot Air

Is the bloom off the rose at Fox News?

I read a very interesting article today at Conservatives4Palin. Sheya wrote a great piece titled: With Friends Like Fox News Palin Is Better Off With Her Enemies. As much as I'd like to agree with Sheya, I have some nagging concerns.

My primary concern is in regards to the equal time rules in broadcasting.

This provision of the 1934 Communications Act (section 315) "requires radio and television stations and cable systems which originate their own programming to treat legally qualified political candidates equally when it comes to selling or giving away air time."

If any licensee shall permit any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any political office to use a broadcasting station, he shall afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office in the use of such broadcasting station.

"Legally qualified" means, in part, that a person be a declared candidate. Timing of the announcement that someone is running for office is important because it triggers the equal time rule.

Fox News may be walking a very fine line in this regard. Including Sarah Palin in their online polls regarding the Republican nomination might be construed as an acknowledgement that she is a candidate.

I suspect that Fox News is currently in the same position as Sarah Palin's many supporters in that they are being forced to tread water until Sarah make a formal announcement about her plans. I would further surmise that once she does, her relationship with Fox News will improve considerably, although without a contractual arrangement between the two.