Archive for September, 2010

I take exception to this post by Allah Pundit at HotAir on the Del Senate race

Posted: September 14, 2010 by datechguy in blogs, congress, elections, internet/free speech, politics, tea parties
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Not because he supports Castle over O’Donnell, that’s just us disagreeing. And the headline is a whole lot better than the Huff Po version (kudos to Allah there). I take exception to this:

When the press comes to them the day after the election demanding to know why “the tea party” would hand a rubber-stamp Senate seat to Barack Obama,…

and later

She’ll probably get a bump and be within single digits after winning the primary, but once the Democrats’ negative ads roll out and the local press really goes to work, it may settle at an eight to 10 point lead.

Now make sure you read the context, he provides plenty and some of his analysis is pretty good but I have two issues with this stuff.

#1. The idea that an O’Donnell can’t win or is causing the GOP to forfeit the seat is not only foolish but harmful. O’Donnell couldn’t win the Del primary until she suddenly could. You win elections by…trying to win elections. You advance the conservative narrative by supporting candidates that support the conservative narrative, some guy on the radio named Limbaugh keeps saying that but we all know that he is just a flash in pan.

#2. If the liberal challenger on the democratic side was so impressive why did he not have a prayer against Castle? Why aren’t we hitting this guy instead of going on about how invincible he is? That is a self fulfilling prophecy.

This is the type of thing that loses races. If the race is lost in Delaware is won’t be because of O’Donnell’s it will be due to the GOP elevating her opponent while tearing her down. This will cost the GOP votes and cash from conservatives.

I do want to back him however on this statement, and those of us who support O’Donnell’s candidacy need to take this next section to heart:

(I know, I know: Chris Christie, Jim Geraghty, John McCormack, Patterico, Jay Cost, Guy Benson, Dan McLaughlin, the Powerline guys, Ace and his co-bloggers, me, and every other righty who’s grudgingly supporting Castle were only pretending to be sympathetic to the tea party before.)

These guys just happen to be wrong this time, they are not foes of the republican party, or the tea party and don’t spent their free time in clandestine puppy kicking clubs hidden under subway stations (Although Ace does bar-tend there on the side).

I will be very happy to have each one of them as an ally on the other 94% of the issues that we agree on and you should too.

Primary Election day in Massachusetts

Posted: September 14, 2010 by datechguy in elections, opinion/news, politics
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Lots of interesting races but for me there are three that stand out for me.

Kamal Jain at the Twin City Tea Party March 2010

Two of them are statewide: State Auditor features two spectacular candidates Mary Z. Connaughton and Kamal Jain are both seeking the auditor’s office. Mary has the experience as a CPA, Kamal has some spectacular ideas and experience as an efficiency expert. I will be happy with either candidate picking one is going to be the toughest vote I’ve ever cast. I keep going back and forth and I likely won’t make a final decision until I get into the booth. (Whoever loses this race needs to run for another office in 2012 so I can vote for them)

Mary Connaughton in Framingham August 2010

For Attorney General Guy Carbone and James McKenna are both running Sticker campaigns. Again both are more than acceptable. Carbone is paisan, his story is the story of my family, his patron saint is the patron of my church (St. Anthony di Padua) and his positions sync with mine, James McKenna is not paisan, I have no idea of his family background, but our positions also sync, I have some familiarity with his work as a prosecutor and his work with ethics and he will get my vote today.

Jim McKenna (right) at the Reading Tea party 9/2010


There are also contested primaries in the congressional races for the 5th, 3rd and 10th districts, most of the action is on the GOP side.

The other race that interests me in on the Democratic side and is local. For Worcester County Sheriff you have Tom Foley vs Scott Bove. Massachusetts is one of the few states where the Sheriff’s office is not very powerful. Foley has a long experience in law enforcement but Bove has 20 years at the prison itself as a Co. Since the primary duty is to run the prison Foley has to have my nod.

Scott Bove (D) for Sheriff


These races won’t get the press that Christine O’Donnell vs Mike Castle is getting in Delaware but the names in these small races often are where future reps, governors, and congressmen come from. The Mass GOP is building up its farm system and will be ready to play hardball in 2012.

Quick post blogcon thoughts:

Posted: September 13, 2010 by datechguy in special events
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Every blogger at one time in their lives should visit the Krusier cabana.

It is very hard to manage the trade-off between gathering info and posting it. Doing it will make you a better blogger.

The greatest pleasure of Blogcon is to see people whose company I enjoy and get to know some of them better.

The scariest thing is to realize how many of them are young enough to be my children.

The most classic moment of Blogcon was watching Cynthia Yockey give her business card to an elderly conservative volunteer for Freedomworks saying : “Obama has created a lot of conservatives”

I ended up spending several hours with Cynthia on the 11th, what a pleasant person to spend time with.

And Nice Deb is the ultimate in truth in advertising

My trips to Washington have convinced me that we would have better government if the congress and the taxi drivers of the country switched places for a week.

Steven Crowder is a deep and quiet young man.

The official fedora count is -1 but I know where they are.

To anyone I’ve shot for short interviews they will all be on YouTube today but I won’t give “official” note of them until they are on the blog.

The worst part of Blogcon was not catching more people to say goodbye.

I owe an apology to Paul Johnson of George Washington is back

Posted: September 13, 2010 by datechguy in internet/free speech, special events, tea parties
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I interrupted his dinner at a Washington Restaurant two nights ago to interview him on camera about the tea party.

Paul Johnson at George Washington

Unfortunately something must have happened with my card since I can’t find any trace of it on my media, (although the photo I took is there). That is totally my bad.

His site has video of his appearances in costume but the most important thing on his site is the parable of the closed steakhouse:

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA A CHEF BUILT A FINE STEAKHOUSE. CUSTOMERS CAME FROM FAR AND NEAR FOR HIS SPECIAL NEW YORK STRIP WITH TWO SIDES FOR $12.95. ONE DAY A GOVERNMENT MAN CAME IN, FLASHED A BADGE, AND SAID, “THE NET COST OF THAT FOOD IN THAT PLATE IS ONLY $5.00 AND YOU CAN’T SELL IT FOR MORE THAN $6.25….

…the rest is on his site. His talk about ratios and expenses is business 101. Would that more people in the White House had his sense.

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