Red State

All libs think alike, looks smurky and complain about everythink. Infact, whatever bad things happens to them in any time,in their view, all of us or others are responsible. They have no balls to support themselves in any situation. jt

Hi every one, I am talking to you,expecially , the elite,far left,socialists. Those who are against, God, gun,religion. Those who oppose the traditional family,right to life...You all were waiting from the year 2000-2008 for this to happen. By the way, I am not against any of your personal rights of freedom of any of your believes.

If any of you think, I am saying because my party may be lost this time or I am afraid to talk about it. Even though I may not agree with 99% of your views, I respect you as a person. Regardless of this time election setback, my faith, belief and love of this great nation and its great fundamentals never ever going to change.

I will assure you, my party will be coming within short time with more force and focused. My party will be going back to its fundamental roots. My party will be embracing the Lincoln, Reagan principles to discredit the rule of bipartisanship and cross party hand shakes and photo ups. Then you will see the new breed of the republican party. jt

With the new election outcome,as a Christian, how concerned are you? Explain why and how? Let's discuss. jt

This country is the best place on earth for so many reasons, but one of my favorites is that the strength of our people will always persevere through anything that the world may throw at us. Terrorist attacks? We'll come back stronger. Recession? We'll build a better economy. War? We'll win and live on. Nothing is going to stop this country from being the best in the world. Not Barrack Obama and not George W. Bush. But, for this reason, I have been very disappointed to hear some comments from a number of Obama supporters and Democrats in general today.

I have heard a number of people already say that they are proud to be Americans again. Some say that for the first time in eight years, they have pride in their country. Others state that they can now claim being American again, because of the presidential election. Michelle Obama got into trouble a few months back when she hinted that she was not proud to be an American, because of Republicans and George W. Bush.

There is a fundamental problem here. These people are insinuating that they can only be proud of America if someone they like is President, or perhaps the political party they want. This also says that if someone they disagree with is in office, then they turn their backs on America, practically handing in their citizenship because of one person. This is wrong; and it is wrong for so many reasons.

I am tired of hearing these people bash the country when they don't like someone, but when they get their way, they are all the sudden proud of what those who have sacrificed for America have done to give them the right to vote and live in the best country in the world. They're basically spitting in the face of our troops who sign up to serve whoever the leader is. They are telling troops, families, workers, leaders, and everyone to take their sacrifice and shove it, until we elect their guy. That's shameful.

This type of rationale is also very hypocritical. For instance, Democrats and liberals will argue that we should accept everyone as they are and give rights to everyone regardless of race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. And we should ... they're absolutely right. But, this country that gives us all our rights is the same country regardless of who is in the Oval Office.

I look back to when Bill Clinton entered the White House, and of course, this was very tough on the Republicans, although there was never any mandate for him. But, Republicans detested this man. I detested him. But, regardless of what was said, Republicans would have never thought about saying we're not proud to be American, because of the lying adulterer living in the White House. That's one man, and even though he is the President, he doesn't depict what our country is about. He doesn't reflect what's great about this country; the troops do, and the families do, and the businesses do, and all of the people who contribute to make it great reflect what this country is about.

So, it's great if you're happy about Barrack Obama. I'm not particularly thrilled, but that's ok. I also think people have become a little to awestruck with Obama, but that will all play out in time. Furthermore, it's fine to be excited about Bush leaving office. It's not like there has ever been a question that he would leave office. And you might not have been proud of your country for the past eight years, but I will remind everyone that he was elected twice, and one time with an overwhelming mandate.

Has Bush been the most effective President in history? Of course not; but, I can assure you he won't go down in history as the most failed President ever. Many people said the same thing about Clinton when he left office disgraced and a joke. Everyone said he will be known as one of the two Presidents who was impeached. He will be known as a liar and a cheat. He will be known as a good political tactician, but a coward otherwise. And pretty much none of that has come true. The same will happen for George W. Bush.

Also, I would encourage people to move on from Bush. It's easy to criticize and be the guy throwing rocks from the sidelines. It's easy to say these things about him when you have no clue what it's like being President; when you don't know what's really going on with national security and defense, because you aren't cleared; when you don't see the big picture of the economy, because you only hear what is said on television. It's easy to Monday Morning Quarterback him to death, but I look back at the challenges we faced over the last eight years, and I truly wonder whether or not Barrack Obama, or Bill Clinton, or Hillary Clinton, or John Kerry ... or any of these people could have handled these challenges any better or at all.

So, stop with the "I'm proud to be an American" comments, because we should all wake up everyday and say those words. We should thank God for being able to always be proud of our country. Regardless of who is President or who controls Congress or what is going on in Washington or how Wall Street is doing ... this country is the best place on earth and that will never change.

If you have thought, said or acted otherwise, then I will question your patriotism now, just like I would in good or bad times. Most of the people that I've heard make these comments don't even live in the US. Some of them were not even old enough to remember what it was like eight years ago. And none of these people know what it means to sacrifice for this country. You're a fair-weather American and you have totally missed the point of what this country is all about. Shame on you.

And one final thing. I'd like to remind everyone - on both sides of the political aisle - that this country is not built around one person. As such, there is no one person that can save this country, or bring it down for that matter. We're too strong for that. I know you may be thrilled that Obama was elected and there are so many people out there who legitimately believe Barrack Obama is this country's savior. However, this is not the case. There is no Democrat or Republican who can single-handedly improve this country or protect its people. No one person, regardless of how much you may love and admire him, can win a war. It's the troops who suit up and put themselves in harm's way every day that will win the wars. No one person, not even the President, can rescue us from economic downturn. It's the businesses and the workers that will stimulate this economy.

I agreed with Obama's comments last night when he said this wasn't about him, this is about me, my family, my coworkers and colleagues, my church, my friends, my employees, my bosses, and every other American. This is about us, and you can cry for joy about Obama's victory all day long, but until you understand that he will not be the saving grace of this country's future, you will continue to misunderstand what this country is about.

So, we will go on and Obama will indeed be at the helm. For mine and my wife and daughter's sake, I hope he does well at his job. But, I'm not depending on him to maintain America's strength, just as I never depended on George Bush, Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan to be responsible for my prosperity. That is all about me, you and all of us, but regardless of who jumps on board and who continues to let their fair-weather patriotism fluctuate, this country will always be the best in the world. Now, let's move on.

[NOTE: This was originally published on my blog at www.marktomarket.typepad.com]

We are not alone in our sadness.

The election is over, and the American people have spoken; the results are clear. As expected, Obama is the President-Elect by a fairly significant margin. Now that we have completed this election cycle, it is time to reflect. As many of you have done, I have come to several conclusions about the election and its result. We need to consider where we go from here, what needs to change, and how we should approach a government dominated by liberals.

• Obama will soon be President of the United States. This is an office that demands our respect. We may disagree with him on many issues, on his general philosophy, etc, but he will be President. The Left may have mocked, insulted, and even threatened President Bush, but we do not need to stoop to that level. We can, and will, do better than the likes of Code Pink, MoveOn.org, and their ilk.

• This is a watershed moment in race relations in America. The fact that an African-American has been elected President is a confirmation of the strength of our Constitution. It is a validation for those who struggled through the fight for Civil Rights. I can only imagine how much it means to those black Americans who suffered through the segregation and racial discrimination of the past. This is, generally speaking, why Obama won an amazing 95% of the black vote.

• Obama won by tacking to the center. He ran a brilliant campaign, one of the best we have ever seen. He presented himself as a centrist, and that's how Americans expect him to govern. This is confirmation that we are still a center-right country, though we must be wary in the future (see below). One other great thing, besides the triumph of electing a black president, is that we have regained political capital with many people around the world. I do not consider this as essential as many on the left would believe, but it is still important. This is a global era, and the more good will we get the better. We will always need the support of our allies, and they will always need us. My hope is that Obama doesn't waste what he has gained by embracing protectionist policies and abandoning long-standing allies.

• Despite the hand wringing over this and that, the polls were mostly right. The vote was much closer than anticipated in many states, as McCain gained momentum in the last week. But every poll showed him behind, especially in the swing states. It is important to remember that, although there was a left-leaning bias in the polls, it was not large enough to reverse the obvious trends. This played out exactly as expected, so remember it in the future. The media is a problem, and we will need to fight to keep it from getting worse.

Now we must turn inward. There's a lot of work that needs to be done.

• This was a difficult election for Republicans. President Bush and the Republican brand were impossible to overcome. Yes, the McCain campaign was inept at time, but it was also brilliant at times. McCain did his best, and I was proud to have him as our nominee. Some people are going to criticize the selection of Sarah Palin, but I'm telling you, it would not matter who was chosen, we would not have done better. The moment the financial crisis hit, it was over. Bush was (unfairly) blamed for the crisis, and McCain by association. No one could have overcome that. We could not win.

• President Obama will have the opportunity to tackle several major problems affecting our country. These are problems that cannot wait four years. Republicans are going to have to work with Democrats and with Obama to help fix these problems. That means compromise. When you are the minority party, you cannot push through an ideologically pure agenda. Republicans in Congress have to work day and night to reach acceptable solutions with Democrats. We will be better served if Congress passes bills with votes of 85-15 rather than 56-44. The Democrats are not a monolithic bloc. There are those among them who are conservative in some areas, there we can find common ground. We can only hope that Obama follows through on this rhetoric of bipartisanship and unity because we will lose the partisan battle. There will be times when Obama will choose to pursue a centrist solution against the will of his own party. Those will be the times that we can work together to solve some of our problems.

• It is time to look to 2010. There are plenty of races to fight. We need to go on the offensive. If we hold back and end up losing a couple of seats, we'll really be in trouble. We must take back at least some seats, especially in the House. The Democrat lead is so large that if we don't chip away soon, we won't be able to retake leadership for several cycles. The House is also a source of experience for younger members of our party. The more members in the House we have, the more viable candidates we have for higher office.

• That being said, there will be plenty of talk of 2012. This is to be expected, we have a vacuum of leadership that needs to be filled. Palin, Jindal, Romney, Huckabee, Sanford, etc. will get their names thrown around. Hopefully we will continue to see them in the news as they continue to gain experience in the future. The old guard is fading away, but I have confidence that a new generation of conservative leaders will rise to the occasion.

• Conservatives need to confront the problems facing our nation with bold, conservative ideas. When the economy is in trouble, we need to be able to articulate an alternative solution to the liberals' spend, spend, spend. This is a major problem for Republicans. The Republicans complained about Democratic solutions yet sat on their hands while Rome burned. You cannot be against the bailout if you do not have an alternative. At the same time, conservatives must govern conservatively. From 2000-2008, Republicans governed ineptly. If a "conservative" votes to increase farm subsidies and other pork, he cannot seriously argue that he will control spending in Washington. Americans want to control spending, but they already gave Republicans a 6 year mandate to do it and they failed. Many Americans didn't vote for Democrats because they were more liberal, they voted for them because the Democrats couldn't be any less conservative. In addition, we need to stamp out any corruption in the party. The likes of Ted Stevens, Bob Ney, and Larry Craig have tarnished the Republican image and do not deserve our sympathy. "Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye" [Matthew 7:5]

• As a part of this movement, we need to be a more inclusive party. Now I don't mean that we should become more moderate or less embracing of conservatism. However, we do need to accept those with disagreements with the party line. Very few individuals agree with everything "conservative." There are also many issues where the conservative position is not really that clear. A Republican should be able to disagree with the party here and there and not be considered a liberal or traitor as Lieberman was with the Democrats.

• We have a major demographic problem. The youth vote is heavily liberal and becoming more so. The Hispanic vote is becoming more liberal. The African-American vote is becoming more liberal. The Asian-American vote is becoming more liberal. The Northeast and West Coast are 100% liberal. There are three Republicans north of Pennsylvania. The Midwest is trending blue. The South is trending blue. The Southwest is trending blue. A large part of this is a result of disgust with President Bush, but part of it isn't. We can reverse these trends without abandoning our principles, but we need to speak to the issues most important to these groups. Yes, there are many socially conservative Hispanics and African-Americans, but that's not enough. They, as much as anyone else, care about the economy, urban poverty, education, healthcare, etc. Illegal immigration, the war on drugs, etc. are racial issues. Even though they shouldn't, they disproportionally affect specific populations, and we have to remember that. If we let this trend continue we will be looking at a center-left, or even left-leaning, country very soon.

• We also have to take a look at our rhetoric. Many of you may disagree, but it is an issue that a great number of people have with Republicans. Ignoring it will not fix it. When we say "illegal immigration is taking away jobs from hardworking Americans," to many it sounds like "Hispanic immigrants are taking away jobs from white Americans." They may not be the same thing, but to many Hispanics, they might as well be. When we say "our nation was founded on Christian beliefs" it sounds like "Muslims, Hindus, Jews, agnostics, etc. do not have a role to play in this country." When we say "real America is small towns made up of hardworking Americans," it sounds like we are denigrating urban America and those who live there (many of whom are minorities), which, in reality, is most of us. The left does this to a great extent, and it hurts them in rural areas. We don't need to make the same mistake. Poor rhetoric plays directly into the media's hands, something we cannot afford.

Now let's all take a step back, calm down, and relax. Times are tough, but it is not Armageddon. America has survived more than a liberal president in the past, and we will again. Obama wants to solve what is ailing America, and in that at least, we can find common ground.

Well, before we start all the recriminations and the strategerizing, or even the post-mortems, lets just look at what we're left with; what do we hold from which to plan a return?

The picture here this morning looks surprisingly like the picture in the aftermath of the 1992 election.

Senator Obama appears to have won the popular vote by about five points - it will probably be closer to six when all the votes are totaled. He has won somewhere between 349 and 376 electoral votes, depending on the outcome in Nebraska's third congressional district, Missouri, and North Carolina. Using present vote totals, Obama would take North Carolina out of that group, to finish with 364 electoral votes.

In 1992, Clinton beat Bush by 5.3 percentage points in the popular vote, and finished with 370 electoral votes. Yes, there was a big difference - the presence of Ross Perot - but Clinton almost certainly would have won with or without Perot, and probably by very similar margins in both categories. Bottom line is that Democrats won in 1992 presidential just about what they won in the 2008 presidential.

If fact, even the electoral college map looks quite similar; depending on who wins North Carolina and Missouri, between just nine and eleven states will differ from 1992 to 2008. Most of those were extremely close this year, too, notably Montana and Georgia, which went Democratic in 1992 and narrow Republican in 2008, and Florida, Indiana, and Virginia, which went Republican in 1992 and barely Democratic in 2008.

After the 1992 election, the Democrats held a 56-44 edge in senate seats. After 2008, including the two independents (Lieberman and Sanders) who caucus Democrat, and assuming Republican margins in Alaska, Oregon, Georgia and Minnesota hold, the Democrats will hold a 56-44 edge in the Senate.

After the 1992 election, the Democrats held a 259-176 edge in the House. After 2008, it currently looks like the Democrats will hold about 252 seats in the House - there are a few races still hanging that could add a couple more seats to their margin.

After the 1992 election, the Democrats held a 27-21 advantage in governorships, with two liberal independents. After the 2008 elections, the Democrats hold a 29-21 edge in governorships.

In short, the party split in federal offices and governorships as we enter 2009 will be almost exactly what it was entering 1993.

Of course, there are differences - the Republicans actually gained 9 House seats and broke even in the Senate races in 1992, for example. But my simple point is that Republicans, though we took a thumping last night and are clearly in minority status, retain a considerable base from which to mount a comeback - indeed, a base almost identical to that held two years before the smashing election victories of 1994. And last night was not the complete wipe-out some feared. Most people thought the Democrats would win at least 57 or 58 senate seats. Most predictions I saw had the Democrats gaining closer to 30 House seats, not 20. A slightly better showing in Washington and North Carolina and the GOP could have actually gained a governorship last night. I haven't been able to compare all the state legislative results, but again, it wasn't a total blow out last night: Republicans took control of legislative chambers in Oklahoma, in Tennessee, maybe North Carolina. I don't know where all else we had bright spots, but I'm sure their were many - for example, efforts to target two GOP Justices on the Ohio Supreme Court failed miserably, and the Court remains 7-0 Republican.

We'll save for later discussion of how to best go about recreating a 1994 type win for 2010. Obviously, there are underlying facts that make 2008 different from 2009, some for the better, some for worse. But for now, just use these numbers to take heart. We've been here before, and come roaring back.

As election over, why not come to the reality? Do you have the balls to reject the leftist,liberal,socialist,marxist,communist 'view of your western Capitalism'? If so, let's tallk about it. jt

With the election over I've seen in multiple forums the idea that moderates are the problem - that we shouldn't nominate them or suffer them gladly. If only we were ideologically pure we'd have won and driven off Obama.

I can't abide this. The great failing here was not one of conservatism itself, but nor were the "moderates" to fault, or even the liberals. The greatest failing is a disengagement from the arena of ideas for the arena of conflict. We cannot simply be against liberal socialism as socialism, but must re-engage the public and drag them back to reality.

There is a natural drift in human society towards the current left - to more government control and support. This is to be expected, as it's easy to look at the choices people and societies make and come to the conclusion that "someone should help them", that "its unfair to let them suffer for bad decisions", or that someone "smart" and "intelligent" should help guide them "for their own good". One need only think of the idiots they've met in their own life to see why these tendencies are so strong. Government "solving" problems is a siren's song given the inherent unfairness of the world.

Too many conservatives look at this and call it socialism, and denigrate those moderates looking for a middle ground as well as those liberals who still believe that good people in government can "make a difference". This is a losing strategy. We need to be making the case that the issue isn't intent, but results - government is the highest cost, lowest competence provider of services. We need to be asking the key questions to get people thinking, to work their minds on the issues of the day.

Universal health care sounds good, because who's against treatment for everyone. Easy "feel-good" liberal argument. Conservatives need to push to the next level - note that health care is expensive, and ask what exactly having the government run it is going to do to bring down the costs. Ask if they think dealing with a government bureaucrat is going to be better than an insurance company. Ask what exactly makes you trust Congress more than your doctor to make your health care decisions.

Conservatives must re-engage in the war of ideas in addition to the inevitable political battles. Remember - first you win the argument, then you win the vote.

Red States, Rush, I hope you're listening. There is one thing and one thing only we need to do right now, and for the foreseeable future. It is time for the Operation Chaos Reunion Tour. Remember, according to the polls, there are at least 48 million of us out there.

Now what is the best way to create this chaos? Firstly, today is the day we should start considering what referendum votes we need to get on the ballots in 2010. Consider that this is how we held onto Congress and the White House in 2004. Not only should abortion bans be on the ballots, but also gay marriage bans, tough illegal immigration laws, budgetary constraints for the states, tax ban proposals, and faith based initiatives should be matters that are brought directly to the voter's attention in every state. Let's sign petitions for special elections on every Democrat in the Senate who isn't running for re-election in two years. Let's put all of their seats at risk, and make it impossible for a conscientious conservative to stay away from the polls. Remember, Washington may have gone ultra liberal, but the nation is still a conservative one.

Additionally, the next election needs to be not just a referendum on Obama, but on the entire future of the nation. There were a lot of know-nothings who voted in this election, voting for a young black (I will continue to repeat that he is black, he is not African American...just African) man. They figured "hey, give him a shot, let's see what happens". This was not a vote to save the nation from some great conservative menace. It was a throw the bums out election. Well, Obama is as big a bum as they come. We lost opportunities in this election to warn voters of his wildly radical views, and it was not because the information was not out there. We can all sit around and blame McCain for not calling Obama to the carpet, but it will do us no good. Consider that the video interview with Obama where he expressed a desire to bankrupt the coal industry was on the internet for months, yet we did not hear about, or disseminate this information until two days before the election, far too late to have a major impact on the vote. Let us be a constant voice against the radicalism that Obama represents.

Now let's make one thing clear about what has just happened to the Republican party, we lost a lot of seats in the House and Senate this election, but this was not necessarily a bad thing. For the most part (and I know there were exceptions, such as Elizabeth Dole), the seats we lost were those of the most spineless and liberal RINO's we had in office. God knows I was not sorry to see Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R????? Are you serious? R????) from my home district in Maryland ousted from office. Granted, he was replaced by the liberal Kratovill, but at least we know what we are dealing with in the new Democrat congressman.

We have removed nearly all of the Republicans for whom we have been carrying an enormous amount of liberal water. Now it is time to stop defending their thinly veiled pseudo-conservative agendas, and start pushing the true conservative movement back to the forefront of this nation.

Lastly, it is time to decide who the leaders of our somewhat streamlined party will be, though this is not to say we should start selecting our presidential candidates. That time will come soon enough. We don't need this big tent nonsense anymore. Our tolerance for moderates and even liberals within the party has only brought us to this day. We need not apologize for being conservatives, and nor should our leaders. I should hope that not everyone has forgotten the lessons we learned from Reagan. We have Jindal and Palin who will be good contenders for 2012, and we should support them now as party leaders, in order to give voice to our beliefs in the national forum for ideas.

Originally published by Mike "gamecock" DeVine as Charlotte Law and Civil Rights Examiner for Examiner.com

The American people have chosen a new Chief Magistrate.

Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama.

All Americans of faith should pray for him and his family despite any political differences. He defeated a true American hero and worthy opponent in John McCain. My candidate lost, but We the People have spoken and it is the duty of us all to respect our Republic’s collective choice.

Those of us that love America must understand that we have only one Executive leader at a time and, especially only one Commander-in-Chief at a time. He will be the face of America to the world, friends and foes alike. His foreign policy will be America’s foreign policy. If his doesn’t succeed, none will, and especially in this area, I urge (just as I did from Reagan-Bush 43), that we try and present a unified front to the world, so long as the United States remains the beacon of Liberty.

He deserves the benefit of the doubt during the transition and after Inauguration Day. There were many good reasons to oppose his election based on his past record, but his Presidency must be judged on what he does from this day forward.

Despite my great disappointment in what I see as a mistaken choice on the part of the majority of Americans last night, I must admit one point of great pride in my country.

As I discussed before the election, one of the driving forces of my life has been the civil rights struggle, especially in my beloved South.

In the early 70s I endured taunts from racists due to my family’s integration efforts and my close black friends. My dream was always that of Martin Luther King’s, (even if it hasn’t always been Obama’s) which was that people of all races could achieve the American Dream through character and hard work.

I watched America and the South slowly but surely achieve that dream many years ago despite the refusal of many to surrender the race victim label under a false definition of civil rights.

So, it is with great pride for me that my chosen Party of Lincoln elevated Clarence Thomas, and Condoleezza Rice. And though I left the Democrat Party after 18 years of activism in 2000, I was overjoyed when my former Democrat friends in the Palmetto State proved their color-blindness and gave Obama victory in their primary earlier this year.

The scene and picture (see above) last night prove what I have known for at least 20 years. America has lived up to its creed. In America, it is self-evident:

All men are created equal, and his policies on civil rights and executions of the law in the years ahead will be equally examined with those of his predecessors as Chief Magistrate, here at the Examiner.

All Presidents are also created equal.

"The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." – The Chief Justice of the United States, John Roberts

Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer and Minority Report columns

"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson

I want to start off this morning by acknowledging Barack Obama's moment in history. His victory is not to be demeaned or degraded. America spoke clearly and it said it wanted change and was not happy with its current economic situation.

It is okay to be discouraged, frustrated and even scared a little given President Elect Obama's past legislative history and Constitutional beliefs.

The election was closer than believed and there is no mandate for a radical shift to the left. Voters agreed with McCain on every issue except for the economy and were burned out on President Bush.

Obama's people know this and if they care and want to stay in power for any length of time will be forced to legislate more toward the middle than what members of his base want to believe.

Similarly, I refuse to follow the Democrat model of defeat. I refuse to wish America ill and pray for bad economy and hope for mounting casualties in our confrontations abroad. To do so, from my perspective, would be twisted. I love America and want to see her succeed.

We need to honor the position which Obama is elected to. For those of us who are Christians, we must follow God's word and subject our selves to lawfully unto the government. God expects us to obey the law and pay taxes, regardless of their nature or fairness.

God does not mean for us to necessarily be silent, though. As Noel Smith spoke in 1966 (I would ask people to reread the sermon)- we should vote, talk and write. We must not roll over and play dead and stamp legislation which embodies evil.

Today, Like Erick Erickson posted today at Redstate.com, time is now that we should rest and try to regroup.

This was emailed to my friends and family this morning, thought it would be good to post here as well.

Good morning everyone.

It would appear I will not be getting that Vice-President's Chief of Staff position I wanted so badly.

I wanted to take a moment to congratulate President-elect Barack Obama on becoming the first black American president-elect. It is truly a significant achievement to be elected to the highest office in the world. It put a period at the end of a long story on black people in this country.

George Washington once noted that America will ultimately have to deal with slavery, but his time wasn't the right time in order to preserve the fragile, fledgling Union. Abraham Lincoln successfully abolished it. As one black lady I talked to this morning said, "Blacks were the backbone of industry that initially enabled this country to prosper." I believe there is much truth in that statement. I hope that blacks now feel like the psychological barrier is broken and that they have the same hope and ability to succeed that whites have always believed should be afforded to every American.

I reminded some folks at work today that while his election is significant in terms of race, there are some major issues and policies that are dangerious for America:

• Punishing success through taxation and redistribution
• Unchecked abortion/infanticide
• Corruption and fraud that overshadows the political process
• Tax cuts and lower spending myths
• National security
• Energy independence
• Immigration reform
• Punitive trade policies
• Destruction of American exceptionalism

It is in consideration of the above that Pocket Change has posted it's final blog - Farewell.

No worries, there is plenty more to come. The Pocket Change experiment was hugely successful for a one guy operation. Now I begin work, along with many others, of restoring conservatism in American governance.

I left a comment on Hot Air blogs last night stating that America was just name and that it meant nothing without the ideals America was founded upon. I'd much rather change a name than change the ideals.

It is with that notion in mind that I embark upon the laborious act of restoring conservatism over saving a Republican brand. Revolution is coming.

Regarding Sen. John McCain, he is an honorable man with conservative principles. However, he is far too willing to compromise with liberals and that is his ultimate demise. McCain-Feingold, his very own campaign finance reform, secured his own defeat. He ultimately failed to understand the differences between liberals and conservatives and by trying to split the difference, only managed to have his supporters split.

We must remember this lesson in 2012. I thank Sen. McCain for his valiant effort and trust he will continue to serve well in the Senate. I salute you, sir.

Regarding Gov. Sarah Palin, she will likely become the pariah of the failed McCain campaign. However, she was the only high-profile conservative in this fight. To be honest, there are some with quite vile comments towards her and rumors that there is more to come.

Let us be clear, we will not blame the woman or scapegoat her. A true conservative understands that she is to be respected and honored for her efforts. She has done no wrong and much that is exemplary. She should not be exiled back to Alaska, her potential and her conservatism are both far too great. She is welcomed in the lower 48 anytime. The more the merrier.

You could see it in her expression when last night. She was choked up and nearly in tears. It was heartbreaking to watch. I'm not sure if it was because she lost and could not help but think about what might have been or if it was her gratitude to those who appreciate her. It is probably a combination of both.

She will be back. She understands us. I say she should run again in 2012 for VP or for the Senate when her term is up as Governor. Maybe now we have a few years to get to know her better after the media has only mocked her. We can only hope for more authentic people like her.

It was a hard battle and I'm completely exhausted. Tomorrow, I get to see and hear my kid for the first time. Please pray for us. We hope for a baby that is healthy and strong and for Cara to stay healthy and strong.

Pretty soon, at least I have confidence, that you will be hearing from me again. There are 55 million voters who said, "No" to Obama's policies. Many of us are planning to restore conservatism with or without the Republican party and its present elite membership and leadership.

Now is the time of greatest hope for conservatism because we know that liberals will abuse what has been given to them. 2010 and 2012 will be very good years. Rest, prepare, and reorganize.

The best is yet to come.

I am Mike Parrish and I approve of this message.

It is a privilege to fight!

Mike

In 2004 121 million people voted.

Yesterday... 118.2 million.

In 2004 Bush got 63 million votes Yesterday Obama got 62.6

Blow out?

Hardly... our people stayed home

The electorate voted for change yesterday. Now we will see what kind of change they will get. We will also see that with change comes opportunity.

First, a mea culpa...

I have been blogging away about how how the voters, given the choices they had, should have chosen John McCain as the nation's 44th president. They obviously had other ideas. Most voters were aware of how deep in the tank for Obama was the country's media and how far off were some of the polls. They voted for Obama anyway. They either didn't perceive the arrogance of Obama's campaign and the danger of his radical associations, or they did not care. The PUMAs failed to materialize in the numbers they led us to believe existed in their ranks. A center-right nation elected as its president the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate, hoping that he will govern from the center, unlike the way he voted as a Senator. Voters believed that John McCain, a Senator who has always voted against higher taxes, would raise them anyway. They either didn't know or didn't care that their new president believes in wealth re-distribution. Same goes for the higher energy prices that will result from Sen. Obama's determination to impose "windfall profits" taxes on the oil companies, his record of blocking offshore drilling and his cap and trade policies which he admitted will bankrupt the coal industry. Although the voters believed that Sen. McCain would be the better candidate as commander in chief against terrorism or in some other major crisis which threatens our nation's security, they voted for the man who pledged to cut vital weapons systems out of the military budget, stop production of new nuclear weapons to replace our aging ones and refuse to weaponize space, despite the intentions of other nations to do exactly that.

Are the American voters stupid? No, just ill-informed. They didn't do their homework, and they went ahead and elected a president who is short on experience, accomplishment and, judging from his past associations, judgment. It was all about hope and change. Voters are hoping that the change Obama and a Democrat congress will bring to this nation will be good for it. That is an incredible roll of the dice, especially at such a pivotal time in the country's history, and with so many dangers which threaten to arise against her.

Nevertheless, opportunity knocks.

President-elect Obama has the opportunity to show that he can govern from the center, though he has rarely voted that way as a Senator. He has the opportunity to show that he can stand up to the inevitable push from the Left to sign off on a number of new social programs, new laws which will curtail individual liberties in the form of attacks on the First and Second Amendments and a number of new tax increases to pay for enacting a Leftist legislative agenda. As a Senator, he rarely stood against his party. Voters are hoping for change from the new president-to-be on these scores. I remain skeptical.

The media has the opportunity to show that it can be fair and balanced. It can demonstrate to the public which sees right though it that it can mend its ways. It can show us that is is able to not only shower praise upon the new president, but offer constructive criticism also. It can hold him to his campaign promises. It can discover who this man really is and show the American people a picture of him which includes not only the beauty marks, but the blemishes as well. I won't be holding my breath.

The Democrats have the opportunity to show that their ideas are not the same failed policies we have seen from them in the past. They have the chance to prove that their way is truly better for the country and that they can really solve problems in ways other than just throwing money at them. Based on what we have seen from Pelosi and Reid in the past two years, I'm not optimistic.

Liberals have the opportunity to show that they can stop blaming George W. Bush for every ill that plagues the nation. They can refrain from depicting him as a monkey and calling him Hitler. They can show that they can practice the inclusiveness that Obama preaches and promises. They can stop demeaning bible-believing Christians as superstitious morons, and they can refrain from characterizing conservatives as knuckle-dragging throwbacks. I'm not hoping for change on this score.

Conservatives have opportunities of our own - golden ones. We can finally wrest control of the Republican Party from those who have driven it to the brink of ruin. We can point to the failures of those in the GOP who turned their backs on the very principles which Ronald Reagan proved time and again made Republicans winners. Conservatives have the opportunity to take back the party and return it to the course that Reagan charted for it. The unbridled spending and ever-growing government the so-called GOP moderates have practiced have been proven in the past two elections to be losing policies. It's time for these losers to step aside, and if they refuse to do so, time for conservatives to push them out of the way. Fortunately many of them have already walked away. After pushing for exactly the kind of centrism John McCain represents, moderates and fair weather conservatives from Colin Powell to Chris Buckley turned their backs on the party and its nominee in favor of the Senate's most liberal member.

Don't nominate the likes of Fred Thompson or Duncan Hunter, they said. Republicans will win with the likes of John McCain as the presidential nominee, they insisted. Well, they have been proven wrong. With all due respect to Sen. McCain for his service above and beyond the call of duty to his country, he represents the GOP's past. He is well known for standing up for what he believes is right, but sometimes what he believes is best turns out to be wrong. He missed a golden opportunity of his own when he reacted to the financial storm that hit this county. Had he stood up against the taxpayer-funded bailout of the same financial houses which were part and parcel of the problem, he would have demonstrated that he really is the maverick he never failed to tell us he was. But he didn't. He opted instead to go along with an unprecedented intrusion by the federal government into the private sector. That may well have cost him the election. John McCain, God bless him, is the Republican Party's failed past. Young Turks such as Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin and LtC. Allen West are its future.

Conservatives can save the GOP. We must take the wheel and stay true to a course of limited government, fiscal responsibility, national security and ethical certitude. This is our opportunity. Will we seize upon it? Will we rebuke those who failed the party? Will we make it again the successful enterprise which Ronald Reagan molded it into? These are questions all good conservatives must answer in the affirmative. Reagan left us the maps. We need only the resolve, the courage and the energy to follow the course he charted.

• JP

First, the GOP looks to be doing better-than-expected this election. Currently, the GOP has a good chance of hanging on to as many as 46 seats in the Senate. This would put the GOP in a similar situation as the Dems in 2004; still able to block many things.

Second, it appears that conservatives have done very well on ballot amendments, including bans on gay marriage in AZ and CA.

These developments suggest that the electorate is still socially conservative, and that pro-life and pro-family issues are still winning issues for the GOP.

However, the GOP lost the presidential election, and this is for three reasons: 1. the economy, 2. boarder security, and 3. foreign policy.

The economy is what made the difference in OH, and it hurt in other locations. I think these losses are specific to the choice of McCain. Huckabee, Duncan, Brownback, Thompson, and many others would have not been hurt as much by the economy, but McCain was.

The GOP did horribily with hispanics, as compared to the presidential election in 2004. The cost of that was FL, NM, and harm in some other states. McCain could not connect with Hispanics, mainly, because he failed to make a bigger issue out of abortion and marriage. He also did not make the same direct appeals to them, or push as hard for them as did Bush in 2004.

The war in Iraq took PA out-of-play. It hurt in OH, and it really hurt in Virginia and North Caronlina. Virginia went Democratic for Governor is 2005, for Senate in 2006, and for senate and president in 2008. That is after going solidly for Bush in 2004. Even in 2004, however, the GOP had started to lose support in VA due to Iraq. Many social of the most fiscally or socially conservative Virginians did not support Iraq in 2004, but voted for Bush for fiscal or social issues. Since McCain was viewed as socially more liberal than Bush, and since the GOP (as a whole) was not viewed as being as socially conservative in 2008 as it was in 2004, that gave less of a reason for them to vote GOP, and they defected. The good news for the GOP, is the Iraq issue appears it will be over or different within the next year or two.

Looking forward, if the GOP wants to win back losses, the key to success is: 1- Advocate an ecomomic approach that is based on actual specific plans and doesn't erratically change every week. One that is consistant with small government, effecient government, low taxes, and low debt. This includes: *advocate for a plan to pay off the debt (in detail, including where to cut spending) advocate for specific plans to reduce energy regulation (in terms of building new facilities) advocate for specific plans to improve government effecientcy (and nothing shallow like across-the-board freezes). This would include things like better use of information technology, improving effecientcy of energy use, raising government salaries to ensure that you are compeditive in the work place, reforming the GS system, etc. advocating for specific plans to reduce healthcare regulation, while also helping to reduce deceptive types of healthcare plans that give the impression to people that they have insurance, when they do not. opposing universal healthcare plans like the one Mitt Romney implementated in MA, and insist that the government not pay for abortions.

2- Advocate for traditional values such as reducing abortions with specific proposals such as: outlawing abortions after viability parental conscent **require ID proof of age requiring ultrasounds before abortion support marriage *marriage amendment *filibuster judges who do not support marriage

3- Move from war abroad to homeland security fight for enhansed security at the boarder support a worker-vista program hold unions, and employers responsible if they do not report illegals support a boarder fense increase security for international travel and at boarder check points increase coast guard patrolls and security by 100%, and re-equipt the coast guard with newest technologies

In annals of being wrong, my “The Seven Reasons McCain-Palin are a Lock to Win” should be among the nominees for the most wrong, and demands a response.

Virtually every reason given for my all-to-certain win by McCain-Palin were wrong.

First, the media did not cause voters to do the opposite of what the media so clearly wanted, by their biased coverage. Second, the Gallup poll after Labor Day, as a predictor, did not hold true.

Third, the six states that picked the wining candidate since 1972 did not pick the winner this election, only one of those states did -- Ohio.

Fourth, the Jewish and women voters who voted for Hillary Clinton did not vote for McCain. (The young vote did not post to the polls, turnout among this group only increasing by 1%).

Fifth, the instability in the economy and the world did indeed bode well for President-elect Obama.

Finally, there was no Bradley and no Wilder effect. In fact, according to exit polls which are not very reliable, there was a slight 2% increase in the percentage of Whites voting for McCain over President Bush in 2004, but – if true, and I am not convinced it is true -- it is also irrelevant.

The crushing defeat of Senator McCain by President-elect Obama is stunning in its breadth. For Senator McCain to lose Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico means very simply that Americans wanted change, in the form of President-elect Obama.

The victory by President-elect Obama could be an even bigger if any of the four too close to call states like Missouri, North Carolina (?!) and Montana (!) go blue, once all the ballots are counted.

There is one awesome and great result of this election: America, by in-large, is now in an era of post-racial politics. Thank God! This is a great day for a new racial beginning, and the end of race as a device to divide in politics.

It may very well be that the meltdown in the stock market killed the McCain-Palin campaign – but that is largely irrelevant with regard to the every point that was wrong in “The Seven Reasons McCain-Palin are a Lock to Win.”

Rarely has any President-elect ever had the clear field to pursue what ever issues are highest on his agenda. The gain of seats in the U.S. House by the Democrats and loss of at least five Senate seats by the Republicans means simply that President-elect Obama and Congress can pass, quickly, economy changing laws without the filibuster to slow or change or stop them.

All Americans who opposed President-elect Obama should give him the respect that goes with the office, and be especially grateful and hopeful that the hand President-elect Obama used to reach out to Republicans does not get slapped, but is shaken – and that he listens, as he said he would, especially to those who disagree with him.

Some may wonder, would I have written the post if I knew the outcome in advance? The answer is no – but I take some comfort in the fact that I failed “daring greatly” in the public arena.

As Teddy Roosevelt said: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

The transformation of the nation, and the implications thereof, to make Senator Obama President-elect Obama, has not been lost on me, or, obviously, on the millions of Americans who voted for Obama.

It was a breath-taking victory by President-elect Obama. I congratulate him and his team for delivering such a clear and convincing win. McCain-Palin was defeated in detail.

Last night as I watched Senator Obama capture the presidency, two thoughts came to mind. My first though was my sense of pride. I was proud of a minority winning the White House. I don't think my lack of trust or my suspicion of Barack Obama could hamper my feeling of pride and to be honest, happiness for him. Politically he's just wrong for America. But symbolically he couldn't be more right for America. As I sat around friends and classmates at Rockford I saw tears of sadness for McCain, and tears of joy for Obama. And I turned to one of my classmates who like me hoped for a McCain win, though deep down we both knew it wasn't meant to be. I told her there was nothing we could do, McCain was but one man against the armies of history. He just didn't have it in him to prevail.

The second thought that rang in my head was the utter failure of the Republican Party and the damage left behind by George Bush. My fellow RedStaters our party is absolutely broken, if there ever was. This party got the reality check it so desperately needed in order to survive the present and rebound in the future. Part of me said "You know what, we deserve this." And I can't find one Republican who thinks otherwise. We failed the American people and in return the American people have spoken. Barack Obama is our 44th president and I call on conservatives in the party to respect that. You may not support him but you have to recognize him as your president for the sake of unity and if you love your country you will do so.

McCain, god love him he's one of my heroes but the wind was too strong for him to make it. Jesus himself would have lost as a Republican to Obama. History was calling for change and America answered.

Last night as I watched the results: Iowa, Ohio, Florida, Colorado, all Republican territory in the past, represented the GOP no longer. As the numbers came in and the Electoral count had Obama with 200 and McCain with 90 I knew then that the GOP's trial would resulted in a guilty verdict. In 2006 we were indicted, 2008 put on trial, and when California reported for Obama and the count hit 284 I knew, the Republican Party had been convicted for their crimes.

My friends the Reagan Era has truly come to an end. There is no room left to rationalize Reagan and Goldwater era conservatism. It's over and we all know it. Now we have to go back into the tunnel, to the locker room, reflect, rise, and rejoin the rest of America. Liberal, moderate, conservative, apathetic, we all have to join together and help Barack Obama take this country out of the rut George Bush and the Democratic Congress put it in. I know many conservatives are in denial but it happened last night, and it happened for a reason.

So we must look to our future and rebuild. Like a major baseball team we spent all the money we could on the big name stars and the chemistry wasn't there. And we lost what it meant to be a team in the process. Power, money, special interests, and narrow minded social dogma destroyed us. Ideas, inclusiveness, pragmatism, and genuine empathy for those outside the "Members only" club has to follow in order for this party to rebound. I'm telling you all straight, we have to drop this feet dragging conservatism. I don't mean transform the party from a conservative to liberal or moderate, but we have to be able to reason with others instead of dragging our feet on issues that concern the majority. It's time we focus least on what we want, and more on what the country wants. You cannot argue with that assessment.

In an historic outcome Barack Obama has been elected as the 44th President of The United States. While as a conservative I have many misgivings and disagreements ideologically, politically and philosophically with Barack Obama, as an American I must recognize the tremendous historical significance to his election as President.

For those in our Nation who believe that this country that we love is racist or that anyone who seeks to achieve in this land cannot reach for the stars, then the election of Obama should and must put to rest those thoughts and feelings and acknowledge that this is the greatest Nation on earth. Where a man whose descendants suffered the worst atrocities in our history has achieved the highest office in our land speaks of not only the greatness of our Nation but in the equality and advancements that we have achieved that brought us to this historic moment.

I do believe that we have elected an unknown and untested person in Barack Obama and it is now up to him to prove to all of us that he is more than eloquent speeches and well phrased words. His election, I believe does not change the make up of this Nation and its still conservative nature, but rather a referendum on the failures of the Republican party in neglecting those values and principles that created what is known as the Reagan revolution and the conservative principles that made President Reagan so popular and by most historians one of the greatest Presidents in our history.

While the emotion for change elected Obama, it is now up to him to live up to the hype created by that emotion. His unknown quantity remains a very disturbing factor in his election and the words of his running mate now Vice President Elect Joe Biden haunt the celebration of history of an African Americans election with the fear of the test on the international stage that will appear within the next year to find what this unknown quantity is made of and how he handles the most powerful and taxing job and office in the world and in history.

Running a virtually flawless campaign and leading a Nation are as different as night and day. Inexperience allows for many mistakes and whether Obama has the discipline and ability to handle and avoid those mistakes presents a chilling question mark concerning his Presidency. His rhetoric that calls for reshaping the foundations of this country imply much more than just overcoming race barriers in high office. Our national sovereignty and prestige as the one and only super power does not lend itself to bowing to lesser nations or asking their permission to act on our behalf.

Will his change the world view and seemingly adoption of embracing European values and forms of government weaken this Nation and endanger our security ? As President it is his responsibility to prevent this and one must wonder from his words whether he will or whether he won't. This to adds to the unknown quantity.

One must wonder also that even with the hype, if the economy especially the mortgage collapse and the timing within the confines of the Presidential race had not happened as they did would Barack Obama even be President Elect. We may never know the answer but my opinion is that had the collapse taken place last summer or after election day, the outcome of this election would have been much different.

Now the electorate has spoken and there is a new President and whether we agree with him or not he will be the Chief Executive of our Nation. For those who agree with him it is a time of celebration and cheer. For those who disagree it is a time of disappointment. As Americans it is our responsibility whether from the right or the left to hold both he and our government accountable to we the people and to the Constitutional principles that make us free. That is the beauty and the singular wonder of this land and this Republic we love The United States of America !

Ken Taylor

Here it comes! Rumors are that Emanuel has been offered the Chief of Staff position. To remind people, he is one of the most hard core partisans in Washington. One of the biggest mistakes that a president can make is appointing someone as abrasive and hard core as Emanuel to the COS post.

Rahm Emanuel Bio

Expect a tough fight ahead RedStaters. I know none of us bought into the smoke and mirrors that Barry flashed onto 60 million people. I disagree that we need to move more towards the center. McCain was perhaps the most centrist Republican. We can agree and disagree on the failures of his campaign but in the end it was the economic meltdown that cost McCain this election. IT WAS NOT CORE CONSERVATIVE VALUES! We need to keep these values while mixing kitchen table issues into the fold!

Let's keep up the good fight!

"We fought and we dreamed....and the dream is still with us!" - Ronald Reagan.