As the Poll Numbers Drop…

It seems that there are endless numbers of polls out there that tell us whatever the talking heads want us to believe. I take them all with a grain of salt. So when the new poll numbers came out from Pew, I wasn’t surprised. I had already seen about 30 different polls claiming that Obama’s approval ratings were dropping. It brings to light an interesting conundrum for the far left in America (and remember I speak of the far left, not all the left). For they have been rubbing this last election cycle in the faces of conservatives and Republicans for quite a while now. So as we see the changes occurring in public opinion, what are we to make of it? I know there will be some out there who simply say the polls mean nothing. But those same folks sure thought the polls meant something 6 months ago. I was reading over at CNN and Jack Cafferty, someone I have a healthy respect for, offered some thoughts that I will share below. But I am interested to hear what everyone thinks on this subject.

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Let’s Just Clear A Few Things Up Shall We…

You know, I found myself arguing back and forth with Ray and Todd yesterday, trying to make my point. At some point I crossed a threshold and realized that I was writing another damn article just to make my point. That isn’t to knock those two. I love to be challenged. They were doing exactly what I want people to do. But there seems to be some sort of misunderstanding about where I stand on the issues and where I lean politically. More important, there seems to be some misconceptions about this site in particular and what I created it to do and what I hope it will become. So let’s just take some time to address those particular questions, shall we?

Third Party Viability…. Scene 3, Take 2

I covered this topic once upon a time. In fact it was the 4th blog post that I wrote way back when I started. I covered the topic OK then, but I think I can do better this time around. More importantly, the last time I covered it I only had about 3 readers, lol. I got 3 responses other than my own, one was Revolution, whom some of you have become acquainted with, and another was my wife. I would say we have grown a bit with a couple thousand page hits a day. It is hard for me to tell how many people actually come to the site, but I am sure that the number is significantly larger than it was the last time I talked about this. When I started writing this blog, I was disgusted with the outcome of the elections and disgusted with the Republican party. Those two factors in the equation have not changed. I was also in the firm belief that moving to a third party, possibly the Libertarians, was the absolute best move for me. So let’s talk about a third party and whether that is a viable move in today’s political climate…

Guest Commentary – One Argument To Abolish The Political Party System In The U.S.A.

So here we are again on another Friday night at Stand Up For America. And we all know that we have turned Friday nights into guest commentary nights! I have to say that I really do enjoy the different articles that I get from people. They are well thought out and often have a different take on the issue than the one that I would have provided. When I did the first commentary with BlackFlag, I was skeptical about having others having such a voice on what was “my” site. What I have realized since is that this is not my site at all. It belongs to all of you. I post an article and you all have discussions. I get into them when I can, but the site is really about all of us learning, debating, compromising, and hearing differing opinions.

So What is All This Tea Party Hoo-Ha?

Being the informed readers that you are, you have already heard about the planned tax day tea parties that are being planned across the country. Over the last week or two I have seen several comments about them. Some feel that they are a good idea. Some feel they are a bad idea. Some feel that while a good idea, they will not be all that effective. In reading it all I came to the conclusion that many people simply don’t know enough about what is happening to be able to either support or oppose them. So I figured that maybe it was time to bring in an expert who would be able to answer the questions, both yours and mine. Fortunately for all of us, we have a subject matter expert on the subject right here in our readership….

Good… Now Both Parties Have Lied to Us Equally

I was perusing the news again tonight as I often do when I a) don’t know what I want to write about or b) Have some subjects in mind but don’t have the time to fully research those and write them so I have to find something with a little less research. Tonight was B. I have lots to say but not tons of time to research tonight and I wanted to point out this little piece of heaven. I felt it was a lie when John McCain said it back in September. So the Republicans were lying to me then. Now, after mocking Republicans for it on the campaign trail, the Democrats are now telling me the same lie because it fits their current agenda. The point is… I think they are both lying rather than Democrats finally admitting Republicans were correct.

Nancy Pelosi… Embracer of Republican Ideals

I was going to take the night off tonight as I was working on schoolwork and trying to find a way to bed at a decent hour. But I was looking at some news sites and ran across this article and I was so stunned by the headline that I couldn’t stop laughing. Imagine my surprise when I saw a headline that read “Nancy Pelosi denies she is Partisan”. WHAT!?!?!? The queen of the liberal movement is trying to claim that she is not biased? I started to scan the room, looking for the hidden camera. Then I looked for the headline that would read “Black Flag embraces government and their new tax increases”. Surely that had to be there if this ridiculousness was there about Pelosi. Had I stumbled into some alternate reality? Was Bizarro-Nancy now on the loose?

Pot versus Kettle, Part 2

One of the reasons I get annoyed with Democrats today is that they are complete hypocrites. I have to roll my eyes every time I listen to their whining about someone saying something about the President. I mean, Really? You are going to play that game? How dare Rush Limbaugh come out and say that he hopes Obama fails. That is un-American. No, my friends, that is uniquely American. It is what makes us what we are. A country where the opposition is free to voice their opinion without fear of prosecution. And here is the kicker Democrats, you better thank your lucky stars that America is like that. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been enough of you left walking around free to elect this fraud to the White House.

Has the Time Come for Republicans to Marginalize God?

OK, I know that this is upsetting some of you already. You read that headline and the hackles on your back went up. Let me say first of all that I am not saying that the answer to this question is yes. I am also not saying it is no. I am saying I want to have a discussion with all of you smart folks about this. We have been discussing a way forward for the Republican party. I believe the answer may lie in changing the party’s stance in order to re-create the party as one more for the moderate voters in America. And I believe that this question has to be asked as we discuss this subject. It plays into a bunch of platform issues, and the reality is that the vast majority of Americans do not fall into the extreme right or extreme left.

Economic Debate… Without Politicians

I found this article out there and it makes sense to me. The article was by a writer named Marc Rotterman and was called “Let’s Come Together to Save Our Country’s Economy”. It was an interesting idea that he was espousing, that the Republicans in Congress get together with Democrats that think President Obama and Nancy Pelosi are going too far with their liberal agenda spending. I thought “hmm, interesting, a summit to come up with a better economic plan”. In the end I think I have a better idea…

American Revolution Part Deux

You say you want a revolution? Me too. I have used the word early and often on this site because I am good and pissed off. Wait… that sounds a bit too angry. How about this… I am less than pleased with the outcome of recent electoral processes and slightly dissatisfied with the direction of the two primary political parties represented in today’s national political spectrum. Ah, FRACK IT. I am pissed off. Who am I kidding? I am a little bitter, a little fired up, a little less wealthy, a little more kicked around, a little bit country and and little bit Rock n Roll. Those last two would make a great song… nah, it would never work. 

Reducing the Budget… Pelosi Style

So a review of the Chosen One’s stirring speech is coming soon, maybe as a second posting tomorrow night. I already have tomorrow night’s posting written, and it will be a good one titled “American Revolution Part Deux”, but I digress. What I want to pull from last night’s farce is his bold promise amid the economic spendulus bill’s passage that he will “cut the deficit in half over the next 4 years”. That is a pretty bold thing to say just a week after you signed into law the largest spending bill in America’s history, a mere $787 Billion. It is a really bold statement given the White House’s estimate that they will have a budget shortfall of 1.5 Trillion dollars this year alone. That is more than triple last year’s record $484 Billion.

Transparency We Can Believe In

Hope and Change, Hope and Change, HOPE AND CHANGE!!! If we say it enough times perhaps we will actually see some of it. But let’s be honest, we aren’t seeing much hope coming from the new administration are we? I have documented the doom and gloom coming from the President. As far as change, it sure seems like the only change is the party affiliation of those who are screwing us most. We can continue to click our ruby red slippers together and chant “There’s no place like Hope and Change” until our feet bleed, but we have to face up to the fact that the American public got duped again.

Pissed Off Yet America? We Need a Change

As part of my daily rituals, I routinely go out and seek other blogs to find out what people are saying. I have been struggling a bit lately with figuring out exactly where I wanted to go with this blog, whether I was going to push Libertarianism, simply give daily reports on current news, or maybe begin writing daily poems dedicated to the trees. I realized that last one might lose me some of my valuable readers, so I ruled it out quickly. But really, how do I want to proceed. I have found one common thread in what I read out there and I think that it may provide me an answer for where I go next….

A Nation of Cowards… or Realists?

I have to say that I was really disappointed by the statements made recently by the first black US Attorney General, Eric Holder. Allow me to just be up front about this… I don’t like Eric Holder in the first place. He was a horrible selection to be the AG. Perhaps The Messiah’s worst pick of the bunch, which is really bad because The Messiah has made some BAD picks, including several who had to didn’t bother to pay the taxes they want to prosecute us for not paying.

The Direction of the Republican Party

By request I have bumped this post back up towards the top of the page. The discussions have been good thus far and I want them to continue. I originally posted this on February 3, but will try to keep it closer to the top as long as people like. As those who have been along for the last four months know, this journey started with my realization that the Republican Party no longer represented to me what the Party used to. I was feeling a bit neglected by my party and embarrassed by their actions. So I left them and began seeking a better way forward because I felt that a better way forward was not what they were interested in. We have explored the Libertarian Platform, which seems pretty solid to me. But I can’t get the Republican disappointments out of my head. The selection of Michael Steele as the new Chairman of the RNC got me thinking…. 

Are Libertarians Up To The Task?

As with the “Direction of the Republican Party” thread, this one has been extremely active so I have moved back up towards the top of the page. This was originally posted February 20. Many of you know that I started this blog as a way to ferret out my beliefs and start providing some viewpoints that I feel are important. The “Direction of the Republican Party” post has been far and away the most read article I have written. So now I want to discuss another option that is out there on the table. The Libertarian party easily has the most solid platform of the bigger parties. So I want to talk with everyone about whether they are up to the task of really operating on the big stage. So far they have progressed only as far as AAA in the minor leagues. They show promise. But will they find that they need a little more movement on that fast ball if they want to make it in the big leagues?

And 3 Senators Who Crossed the Party Line

I have posted the thread on the 7 Democrats that crossed their party lines and voted no on the ridiculous economic spendulus bill. I hailed them for holding to their beliefs in the face of tremendous pressure from their party. It is only fair that I now do the same for the Republican Senators who refused to vote the way that their party demanded that they vote. This is not an endorsement of the stances that they took. I hated the bill. But I do think that these three took a bit more of a chance than even the Democrats from the House did.

7 Democrats Who Stood Their Ground

I started this post a couple of weeks ago. It sat in my rough drafts section as I tackled other issues and offered my thoughts on the stimulus and other topics. The sad part is that when I started it, there were 11 Democrats who had stood their ground and not let the party dictate what they believed to be true. We have since seen the passage of the bill, and the final vote. The good news: 7 stuck to their guns and did what they felt was right regardless of party pressures that I am sure were quite demanding. The bad News: 5 others rolled over and showed their belly to Queen Nancy. But I wanted to put these guys out there so that you all knew which 7 in Congress held to their beliefs rather than their party’s beliefs.

My New Favorite Congressman

As you are all well aware, I am pretty fed up with the representation, or lack thereof, that “we the people” are getting from our elected officials in Washington. Someone gave me a link to a video the other day and I found it hilarious. I will be posting it soon so that everyone can enjoy it. The speech is by Congressman Ted Poe, a Republican from the 2nd District in Texas. Congressman Poe may be my new favorite Representative. He simply tells it like it is and that is a bit refreshing. Here is a sample of his speech on the floor of the house…

Welcoming Michael Steele

On Friday, after six votes, the Republican National Committee elected former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele as the new chairman. I congratulate Chairman Steele on his selection, as he has certainly earned the position. I thought I would post here to offer some insight into this man and where he stands on the issues.

Blaming Republicans For the Economic Crisis is a Partisan Mistake

I spend a fair amount of time on other blogs and news websites, reading comments and finding out what people are saying. I have noticed a pervasive falsehood that continues to be a mainstay in political discussions. It is that willingness to blame one party for the mess that we are in. Every time I read someone saying that, I want to scream at them for 1) being so stupid as to not realize the truth, and 2) falling into the strictly partisan game that the politicians are doing their best to make sure they fall into. Time for a little reality check you partisan children…

Using Fear to Get Government’s Way

So how many of you read that headline and said, so he is going to write about Bush and his use of terrorism as a fear mechanism to take our rights away? Well he did, but there is no point in writing about him now. Instead we are going to talk about how Barrack Obama and his party are doing the same. Using your fear around the economy to get you to buy in to the economic stimulus plan. This is a sham and should have Americans rioting in the streets. Unfortunately too many of you will be hearing this for the first time. Shame on you… now pay attention class. This will be a long lecture….

Living in Their Own Reality….

Democrat Leaders, that is. I got a comment today that made me sit back and evaluate whether I was being fair for judging the Messiah’s actions so quickly, before they had a chance to succeed or fail. It was a fair comment based on what I had written in the “RUSH” post. But what I really started thinking about was the alternate reality that the Democratic Leadership is living in. So I figured I would open it for discussion.

Holding Barrack Obama Accountable

I saw this news story the other day and I knew immediately that it fell right into the wheelhouse of what I have been discussing on this site since I began: Government Accountability. It seems that an editor of the St. Petersburg Times decided he would research, document, and track every one of the 510 campaign promises that Barrack Obama made during his campaign for the Presidency. I initially thought, “yeah, right. Some newspaper will realistically track this…”

Where Do Republicans Go From Here?

I had some good comments on yesterday’s post, but one commenter really struck me. They were angry, but wanted to have hope, and wondered “where do I go from here?” This struck me because so many people have asked me lately what the next step for the Republican Party is. They figure I am more politically active than most so I will have an answer. I don’t have an answer offered by the Republican Party. But I do have an answer for where I intend to go from here. So I figured I would share it and hopefully help others sort their own feelings out as well.

Won’t Global Warming Lead to Global Cooling?

Just a thought here…. If global warming is all that they say, and the earth continues to heat up, won’t we all find ourselves in a position to no longer need to use our heaters in the winter? And won’t a lack of heater use eventually bring the temperature down? I know that is a ridiculous idea, but no more ridiculous than the madness that I call global warming hysterics. I am beginning to worry about this again based on the reports coming out of Al Gore and the new President Elect.

Stuart Smalley versus the People of Minnesota

Another article that I have tried my best not to write, but I simply cannot help myself. And the pictures below are simply too good to pass up. You guys all remember Stuart Smalley right? Stuart was a character on Saturday Night Live played by comedian Al Franken. He had no self esteem and would talk to himself in the mirror, affirming that he was “good enough, smart enough, and gosh darnit, people liked him”. My favorite skit was when Michael Jordan hosted the show and he had Michael look into the mirror and say the self affirmation speech. Jordan could barely keep a straight face. Well it seems that Stuart thinks he is good enough for the United States Senate…..

Libertarian Party Act VII

As promised, we move directly into Act VII of dissecting the Libertarian Party Platform. That last part was fairly tough for me. I had been cruising along and starting to think that maybe I could get behind this party, and then I hit a financial roadblock. That hasn’t ruled them out, but I certainly need some convincing that those parts can work.

Cabinet Positions are Too Tough to Keep up With!

I had a request tonight for a running update on the selections for the President Elect’s Cabinet. Initially this looked like a good post topic, as I have had a lot of people calling me to ask about the people selected. While others have no idea who I am talking about when I mention one. However after some contemplation, I have decided to not do separate posts for these picks. They would simply be too long and update too often. I have instead decided to have a page up there at the top of the blog where the picks will be updated as they are announced along with my thoughts and analysis on each one. The page will be titled “Obama’s Cabinet Picks”. We can have discussions there around the picks and it will keep that page right up here near the top where it needs to be. So Check it out as it gets updated over the next couple of days and learn who these folks are that are being chosen to be in Obama’s new Cabinet.