For the sake of transparency, I wanted to let my readers know that I’m now volunteering with the Todd Tiahrt for Senate campaign as the Labette County coordinator and as part of the broader Southeast Kansas Power Team, headed by my good friend Michelle Hucke. I also wanted to say up front that I am receiving no financial or other compensation for this volunteer position or for any Tiahrt articles, images, or other items on my blog, Facebook, or Twitter.
But while we’re on the subject, I want to tell you why I support Todd.
I hope it’s become apparent to my longtime readers and Twitter followers that I’m not about furthering any one person’s agenda just because their rhetoric sweeps me off my feet. For me, it’s all about the conservative movement and how we, as citizens, can bring our government back inside the bounds we’ve set for it.
Every once in a great while, there comes about a candidate that truly has the ability and backbone to work for this same grand goal. In this Senate primary, that man is Todd Tiahrt.
As I hope you have seen, I don’t back candidates lightly. If you recall, it took me weeks to decide whether or not I would help the (pre-Palin) McCain campaign by doing anything besides voting for it. It wasn’t until after Palin was named VP nominee that I even campaigned for it instead of simply against Obama.
Once you meet Todd and his family, you instantly understand. Instead of the usual political garbage, you get authenticity and a feeling that you’re speaking with someone who’s actually listening, not just doing the head-bob that politicians are so good at. Fifteen seconds later, and after his surprisingly firm handshake, you realize he’s just like you; you come to understand that he could just as easily be your children’s football coach or the man who owns the local real estate agency. That’s because that’s who Todd is: a genuine, caring, and intelligent man who is one of us. Instead of D.C. changing Todd, Todd has changed D.C.
For me to support, endorse, and actually work for a candidate, I have to truly and wholeheartedly believe in them and what they stand for. #RealDeal is not just a Twitter slogan. I hope my support solidifies that idea for you, because it’s completely true.
Todd Tiahrt is that man, and he’s the real deal, Kansas.
Just so you know, this is one of those blog posts that is going to make some people upset. There, you’ve been warned.
All I ask is that you hear me out. Rip me up in the comments section, flame me on Twitter, but read what I have to say.
I don’t want the Republicans to take back control of the House and the Senate.
Even after two years out of power, they’re still on parole in my book. They’re simply not ready.
Have they had some good moments? Of course. But history is like weather cycles; they’re both doomed to repeat themselves over and over again.
Haven’t we all had enough of this flip-flopping between the parties? They commit atrocities while in office, we vote them out, and then they try to win back our trust by screaming, “But, look! They’re doing it, too!”
We had Republican majorities from 1994 until 2006, and what did we get? Some good legislation at the beginning, at least before the acquiescence of the Contract with America, but by the end, we were dealing with our beloved GOP milking the cash cow for all it was worth and growing government to sizes never before seen, with Medicare Part D, amnesty proposals, and the largest federal intrusion into education ever.
What makes everyone think this time will be different? Has two years truly been enough for them to learn their lesson? They’re not necessarily quick studies. They lost control in 2006, yet we got progressive John McCain as the nominee in 2008. Huh?
Before this gets bandied about, I am not a proponent of a third party. I never have been.
I am a true-blue (er, red?) registered Republican, and yes, Mr. Steele, I get your letters, too. I still think, as I did in 2008, that the Republican Party is our best hope to act as a catalyst for bringing traditional American values of family, frugality, and faith back to Washington, and for giving our States the standing they deserve.
We’ve seen how the Republican Party acts when its in the minority, and, you know what? I like it better. It’s the free market at work: they’re fighting for a majority and, therefore, they’re performing better. They’re willing to take those risks (see: healthcare, energy) in order to do right by those who elected them.
Let’s not open wide the door to the Capitol to anyone who is not a true defender of liberty.
Truthfully, I hope “we” gain forty-five seats in the House, and four or five in the Senate bringing us to the point where we make the Democrats nervous.
Why not just go for the whole thing? I won’t be upset, obviously, if they win majorities, but if they don’t, I’m fine with that, too. We need at least another two years out in the cold, so to speak, to really find who we are as a party. The whole point of the Tea Party movement has been to take over the Republican Party from the inside out (or, for some of you, vice versa). Have we done that yet? Eh, it’s debatable. We’ve had some good progress, with people like Sen. DeMint actively seeking out real conservative candidates, but, as evidenced by bizarre acts like Meghan McCain speaking at CPAC, we’re definitely not out of the woods yet.
So will I be campaigning for Republican candidates this fall? Of course. Will I continue to protest against all politicians who dare step on MY Constitution. Definitely. And will I rejoice if Congressional Republicans prove me wrong and we enjoy a golden age of conservatism and limited government? Yea, I guess I could go for that, too.
Add it to my Christmas list: Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue was released this Tuesday. I’m anxious to read it, and from the excerpts I’ve been able to soak in, it appears to be a solid book.
I wanted to share a solid interview Palin did with Sean Hannity earlier this week. It’s one of her best and most decisive interviews I’ve seen and answers some of the biggest questions all of us have had regarding her decisions and the McCain campaign’s choices.
It’s no surprise that Obama won the youth vote. In fact, according to FoxNews.com, Obama had a whopping 34% margin. Now, why am I bringing this up now? It’s old news that Obama won the election, and that he’ll be inaugurated in twenty-one days, so why bother discussing it again?
Because Obama won the youth vote, and there’s good reason for it.
Obama listened to young voters, or at least pretended to, and gave them hope for the future. Folks, as a young conservative Republican, there’s no reason why it should have ended up this way, and I blame the GOP itself. You can cry all you want about the MSM slanting the news towards Democrats, but that’s never stopped us before. In order to ever win an election again, we must rise above any and all obstacles, and that path starts with the act of listening.
You see, for years the GOP has pretended to listen to the youth vote. Maybe they’ve made a good faith effort, but I’ve never seen it. What I’ve seen is flashy Demo websites, professional TV advertisements, rock concerts for Demo candidates, and an embracement of new technology. From the GOP? A mismanaged message and a half-hearted attempt at everything.
The RNC started text messaging its supporters a few years ago. Well, that’s a start, except I’ve only ever received four texts from them. Obama announced his VP choice by text message! See the difference? Obama’s website screamed community, while McCain’s struggled to keep its supporters logged in. Obama went after college students and young people by showing them how his policies would affect and better their daily lives. McCain, well, didn’t.
Time and time again, we as “the youth vote” have offered our suggestions, and, yet, the RNC hasn’t listened, at least in a measurable way. We had Meghan McCain as a clandestine, “unofficial” blogger, and a “McCain blog” with no personality. Twitter? Oh, “@JohnMcCain” was there, with more links. “@BarackObama” is still the most popular user on Twitter. Why? His tweets were personal. Voters believed Barack Obama himself was really talking to them. RNC, where is the drive? Where’s the passion? Do you even care that we lose the youth vote time and time again?
If we’re to reboot the conservative movement, it must be as conservatives, and if I’m not mistaken, bottom-up leadership is what conservatism is all about. Remember States’ Rights? Freedom from big government? The youth vote is not just going to go away. We’re just going to get older and have children and raise families, and the majority of us will be liberal Democrats, willing to hold out our hands and wait for the government give us everything.
We, as young Republicans, believe in conservatism. Why, RNC, don’t you? Pay attention to us. Your future depends upon it.
For some great examples of how young conservative Republicans are leading the way to GOP victories in 2010 and 2012, check out these great sites:
RebuildtheParty.com is dedicated to restoring the GOP to its conservative roots. Its plan has received endorsement from almost all of the current candidates for RNC Chair.
TheNewRepublicans.net is a college-focused news site, bringing in writers from universities across the nation to offer opinions and articles covering the most-pressing political issues of today.
It’s official, Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) has won re-election after a hard-fought general election campaign and subsequent run-off election, and hallelujah! But, that’s old news by now. What’s just emerging, however, is the reason for it: us. Dedicated, grassroots conservative Republicans are the reason Saxby won (not to mention a little help from Gov. Sarah Palin, one of my personal heros). You see, it wasn’t the powers that be that won this election as much as it was regular, everyday Americans like you and me who cared enough about their country to donate a few bucks or make a few calls (also not to mention a few concerned PACs: HuckPAC, National Republican Trust).
We’ve got a lot of work in front of us, but the 2008 season isn’t even over yet. Louisiana’s Congressional elections are still later this week (Saturday, December 6). ) LA-06 (Joseph Cao, whom I’ve mentioned before) and LA-04 (John Fleming, whom I haven’t) are up for grabs. If you can make a last minute donation to either campaign (Cao, Fleming) or even just Twitter about them (including their links), it would help (while you’re at it, follow @calebhays for my updates).
In the end, congratulations to newly-reelected Senator Saxby Chambliss on a landslide of a victory. We need your voice in the U.S. Senate, but I urge everyone not to lose sight of our bigger goal: restoring America and the conservative movement in the GOP. Rebuilding isn’t a one day process. It’s a slow journey that happens every single day, with bumps in the road and harsh setbacks, but I believe we will prevail.
Last Tuesday didn’t go as we’d hoped. We all know that, and if you’re like me, you’re sick of hearing about it. In fact, you were probably sick all day Wednesday and half of Thursday. I know I was.
But, the fact is, we were right in the beginning. Those of us that supported Huckabee, Romney, or Thompson knew that McCain wasn’t the best choice, but we soon realized that he was the only one with any chance of fighting the Obama machine. He was the only candidate with the whole package of electable qualities. He had the connections, the reputation, and the experience. He also had (at first) the media’s support, but John McCain was not the perfect candidate: John McCain was our best hope.
Now, before I get blasted for seemingly contradicting myself, let me state the obvious. I was wrong. However, I hope you understand the underlying reasons for my push for John McCain. While in the end I did support him and many (not all) of his proposed policies, it was Sarah Palin whom I really wanted elected. McCain was simply the vehicle to get a true conservative into the White House once again, and therein lies the reason why McCain did not succeed. As others have said, Barack Obama wanted to become President, while John McCain wanted to be nice, congenial, and unassuming. Folks, that’s not the way you win the Presidency. Now, I’m not abandoning John McCain, for I still believe he would have been a better President than Barack Obama could ever dream of becoming, but we must move on.
I believe this (somewhat-resounding) defeat is actually a blessing in disguise. What the Obama victory has given us is something we haven’t had for the past political generation and never though we’d welcome: relative obscurity. The Democrats lived in it throughout the early Bush years, and they used it to their advantage, building their grassroots organizations and spreading the seeds for broad societal change. If you don’t agree that obscurity can be a blessing, look where they are now.
It seems to me we’ve got two choices. We can either stick our tails between our legs and limp away to lick our wounds, or we can fight for what’s right for America, but that process must begin today. If we want to reclaim our nation, we have no other choice. Let us begin grooming tomorrow’s Republican Congressional Candidates immediately. When we finally woke up to the dangers that Obama was proclaiming, we were effective! Just take a look at the National Republican Trust’s whirlwind fundraising record set in the last two weeks of the campaign. We must continue to fully fund effective PACs, like HuckPAC and National Republican Trust. In order to stop the socialist onslaught, we must regain seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in 2010. Let us begin the next Republican Revolution, today!
The Liberals have MoveOn.org to spread their hate and deceit; why aren’t we as effective with using the Internet to spread our message of prosperity, individual liberties, and limited government? This must change. Support conservative bloggers you enjoy reading, like Michelle Malkin or this site. The Left has control of the main stream media, so it’s time for us to take control of the New Media. Instead of heading over to CNN.com for your news, pick it up at FoxNews.com or Pajamas Media. Don’t just keep it to yourself, either: tell your friends about these sites, and talk them up at work. Word of mouth is our best advertising tool.
Another grassroots organizing site to consider was just put up by the RNC, RepublicanforaReason.com. It includes direct links to the GOP platform and an encouraging video about past Republican Presidents.
Also, I do want to point out that although Barack Obama’s win is historic, this election was never about race. You are not a racist for disagreeing with Obama’s policies; it used to be called Free Speech. I encourage you to use that right, respectfully.
I know 2012 seems a ways off, and I also know that many of you don’t even want to think about another Presidential election yet, but folks, the campaigns have already begun. Palin has been dropping hints about a 2012 or 2016 run, and Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) has already started visiting Iowa. Something like 64% of Republicans want Palin in 2012. Gov. Mike Huckabee pulls 12%, and Gov. Mitt Romney, 11%. Me? I’m pulling for a Palin-Jindal ticket. I think Palin has shown that she is the one who can truly bring true reform to Washington, and I’m excited to watch how things play out for her, especially since she’s finally outside of the auspices of John McCain. Jindal is a man to watch in his own right, having brought Louisiana through two major disasters this year, supporting Life, and backing fiscal conservatism (even if he needs some schooling in the use of earmarks).
We can and will prevail, but only our unwavering diligence will bring conservatism back to Washington. You say, “We’ll get ‘em next time?” Show me. Start work today and never give up. Don’t talk of moving to a foreign nation; this is our country, too, and I intend to help put it back on the correct path. Are you with me?
I’ll leave you with this admonition from the great British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill:
“We shall go on to the end, …we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength… whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, … we shall never surrender!“
I know what the polls say, but friends, I pray you do not despair, because I don’t believe they are correct.
Let me give my prediction for the outcome of tomorrow’s election. I think we’ll see a decisive McCain victory, not necessarily a landslide, but perhaps close to one.
Let me tell you why, as one last piece of encouragement.
Most, if not all, polls have been re-calibrated this election season to account for a huge influx of young voters and African American voters. However, according to early results, there has been no large increase in youth voters. This means, as usual, the polls have a sampling error.
Many polls also over sample Democrats, and therefore, show Obama in a higher lead than is actually the case.
Even with the over-sampled polls, the numbers have been trending in McCain’s direction, and he has said he believes he’ll win, and that’s not a statement to be taken lightly when it comes from John McCain.
For more insight, here’s a good voice on the matter of dishonest polling.
The most important thing to do is to pray intensely for the future of our country and, more specifically, for a John McCain and Sarah Palin victory tomorrow. Pray that they do win by a decisive amount, because our way of life and the future of our nation and Christianity in America depends upon it.
The second most important thing to do is to get out and vote! Take your friends and neighbors and anyone you find on the street who supports McCain-Palin with you to the polls. This is a turnout election, and, truly, the man with the most votes wins (unless ACORN’s involved…). No excuses, now, get yourself out of bed and vote, and vote early!
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Others who also predict a decisive McCain victory:
Today the Missouri GOP held a Mike Huckabee for John McCain-Sarah Palin rally at the Joplin Regional Airport in Joplin, MO. Huckabee, was, as many of you know, my “first choice” candidate in the primaries (actually I supported Brownback for awhile, but Huckabee was my first “serious” choice).
Finally, today I got to meet Mike Huckabee, whom is still a man in the political realm I greatly respect. Huck spoke about some really great issues with some great zingers, like, “Taking money out of your own pocket and giving it to someone else is charity. Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden taking money our of your pocket is called one thing: it’s theft.”
He had the crowd of about three hundred (it was a surprise rally) roaring approval and the majority mobbed him as soon as he was finished.
For those of you living in the four-state area, this is THE closest it gets, folks.
Mike Huckabeewill be in Joplin, MO at the Joplin Regional Airport (FBO Mizzou Aviation, 5497 Dennis Weaver Drive, Joplin MO 64801) tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. to hold a rally in support of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin. I’m still waiting for a reply to an email I sent to a Missouri GOP representative on the status of tickets and if they are necessary, but I’ll update this post when I find out.
Update – I just received this email from a MO GOP rep:
The rally is open to the public, so there are no tickets necessary. The program starts at 3:15, and people can start entering at 2:30.
I just received this email from Rick Davis and thought I’d pass it along. I did NOT write this, he did. I’m just reposting it for your benefit:
To:
Interested Parties
From:
Rick Davis, Campaign Manager
Date:
October 31, 2008
RE:
The Final Push
The State of the Campaign
If your television is tuned to cable news as frequently as ours are here at campaign headquarters, you have seen the pundits say John McCain and his campaign are done. And, if you’ve followed this race since the beginning, this is clearly a song you’ve heard before. I wanted to take some time today to give you some insight on the state of the race as we see it.
An AP poll released this morning revealed a very telling fact: ONE out of every SEVEN voters is undecided. That means, if 130 million voters turn out on Tuesday, 18.5 million of them have yet to make up their mind. With that many votes on the table and the tremendous movement we’ve seen in this race, I believe we are in a very competitive campaign.
Here’s why:
All the major polls have shown a tightening in the race and a significant narrowing of the numbers. In John McCain’s typical pattern, he is closing strong and surprising the pundits. We believe this race is winnable, and if the trajectory continues, we will surpass the 270 Electoral votes needed on Election Night.
National Polls: Major polls last week showed John McCain trailing by double-digit margins – but by the middle of this week, we were within the margin of error on four national tracking surveys. In fact, the Gallup national tracking survey showed the race in a virtual tie 2 days this week.
State Polls:Iowa - Our numbers in Iowa have seen a tremendous surge in the past 10 days. We took Obama’s lead from the double digits to a very close race. That is why you see Barack Obama visiting the state in the final days, trying to stem his losses. It is too little, too late. Like many other Midwestern states, Iowa is moving swiftly into McCain’s column.
The Southwest - It is no secret that Republican candidates in the Southwest have to focus on winning over enough Latino and Hispanic voters in Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado to carry them to victory. John McCain has overcome challenges Republicans face, and has made up tremendous ground in these states with these voters. For these voters, the choice has become clear, and you have seen a big change in the numbers. John McCain is now winning enough voters to perform within the margin of error – putting these states within reach.
Colorado - Barack Obama tried to outspend our campaign in Colorado during the early weeks of October and finish off our candidate in Colorado. However, after our visit early this week, we saw a tremendous rebound in our poll position, and Colorado is back on the map.
Ohio and Pennsylvania - Everyone knows that vote rich Ohio and Pennsylvania will be key battlegrounds for this election. Between the two: 41 electoral votes and no candidate has gotten to the White House without Ohio. Senator McCain and Governor Palin have been campaigning non-stop in these key battleground states and tonight Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has pumped up our campaign at a rally in Columbus. Our position in these states is strong and undecided voters continue to have a very favorable impression of our candidate.
Obama campaign faces tremendous structural challenges in the final days of this campaign
Obama has a challenge hitting 50%: Barack Obama has not reached the 50% threshold in almost any the battleground state. He consistently is performing in the 45-48% range. When we look closely at the primary votes, we see a history of a candidate whose Election Day performance is often at or behind his final polling numbers. If this is true, our surge will leave Obama with even or under 50% of the vote on Election Day.
Early Vote: The Obama campaign has promised that their early vote and absentee efforts will change the composition of the electorate. They have sold the press on a story that first time voters will turn out in droves this election cycle. Again, the facts undermine their argument. In our analysis of early voting and absentee votes to date: The composition of the electorate has not changed significantly and most folks who have voted early are high propensity voters who would have voted regardless of the high interest in this campaign.
Expanding the Field: Obama is running out of states if you follow out a traditional model. Today, he expanded his buy into North Dakota, Georgia and Arizona in an attempt to widen the playing field and find his 270 Electoral Votes. This is a very tall order and trying to expand into new states in the final hours shows he doesn’t have the votes to win.
The Final Barnstorm
On Monday, we will have a 14 state rally with our candidates crisscrossing the country trying to turn out our voters and sway the final undecided voters. Governor Palin will hit Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada and Alaska in the final day of campaigning, while Senator McCain will travel from Tampa, Florida, to Virginia, then Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, Nevada and finish the night in Prescott, Arizona. The enthusiasm and excitement we generate on Monday will be the electricity that powers our “Get Out the Vote” efforts on Tuesday.
On the Ground
Our field organization has tremendous energy and is out-performing the Bush campaign at the same time in 2004. This week our field organization crossed a huge threshold and began reaching more than one million voters per day, and by week’s end will have contacted more than 5 million voters. Our phone centers are full and our rate of voter contact is significantly out-pacing the Bush campaign in 2004. We have the resources to do the voter contact necessary to support the surge we are seeing in our polling with old fashioned grassroots outreach.
On the Airwaves
In the final days of the campaign, our television presence will be bigger and broader than the Obama campaign’s presence. The full Republican effort – the RNC’s Independent Expenditure and the McCain campaign will out-buy Barack Obama and the Democrats by just about 10 million dollars.
In short: the McCain campaign is surging in the final 72 hours. Our grassroots campaign is vibrant and communicating to voters in a very powerful way. Our television presence is strong. And, we have a secret ingredient – A candidate who will never quit and who will never stop fighting for you and for your families.
In these final hours, Senator McCain and Governor Palin are counting on you – they are counting on you to knock on doors, to make turnout calls, to contact your friends and neighbors. Get our voters to the polls and help John McCain fight for your and for our country. This is our last mission on behalf of John McCain and I have no doubt I can count on your effort and energy to carry us across the line to victory.
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