Archive for the ‘politics’ Category

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
Tags: , , ,

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
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Spin of the day

Posted: September 13, 2010 by datechguy in elections, internet/free speech, opinion/news, politics
Tags: , , , , , ,

…comes from this huffpo story than yesterday.

FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey and President and CEO Matt Kibbe today refused to endorse Delaware Tea Party favorite Christine O’Donnell in the state’s GOP Senate primary. “We stayed out of that race because we’re not convinced that Christine O’Donnell can win,” said Kibbe.

However if you read deeper in the article you see this:

However, Kibbe didn’t have kind things to say about O’Donnell’s primary opponent, Mike Castle:

I think the question for Mike Castle is, if he can’t win his primary, does he deserve to win the general? And we’ll see what happens tomorrow, but it’s always a judgment call as to who is the most competitive candidate, and I think the vetting of the primary and what the Tea Party activists have really asked for is an open primary where their candidates get a chance to run and compete and prove themselves, or lose.

The Goal? Set one batch of conservatives against each other. The Huff po and the left are salivating at the back and forth on the right over Christine O’Donnell, I don’t blame them, it is the only hope they have for any sort of victory, but I would suggest to my fellow conservatives that we should disagree politely rather than writing their fall campaign scripts for them.

As for Mr. Kibee I have to disagree with his premise, He call is a pragmatic one and there are limited resources to be used, but one supports a positions for a reason. If you think that Christine O’Donnell and her positions are better for the cause and the country you fight for her so she CAN win. I ventured deep into yesterday’s crowd they would agree with me. Pragmatism has it’s place, but if you want to lead, you have to do so from the front.

Update: Stacy says it well:

Stacy & I discuss the vital issues of the day

Public opinion is a moving target, and the purpose of politics is not merely to react to public opinion, but to change public opinion. You will never win a fight if you walk away from the fight, and that’s what happens when you say to yourself, “Well, Delaware is a liberal state; there’s no point even trying to elect a real conservative there.”

Conservatives ought not succumb to the defeatist argument that we should retreat, ceding political terrain to our anatagonists, simply because they are strong and we are weak. When will we be stronger?

If Republicans can’t elect a conservative in Delaware this year, at what future point will such a victory be possible? In 2012? 2014? Ever?

He’s got a great point there. He would have had it up earlier but as you can see he was busy last night

I’ve not met Christine O’Donnell personally…

Posted: September 13, 2010 by datechguy in elections, opinion/news, politics, tea parties
Tags: , , , , ,

…as the Stacy McCain gonzo blogcon side road trip fizzled out but people I like and trust have had things to say about her positive and negative, that’s cool, friends disagree all the time and remain friends but this “unelectable” nonsense needs to be refuted right now. To Wit:

Every person who is going on about her “unelectable” needs to read that quote and the story it came from.

I’d just as soon win with you, than without you.

Update: Michelle Malkin absolutely nails it:

Guess what? You can be a “TRUE CONSERVATIVE,” a blogger behind a keyboard, a talk show host behind a mic, a prime-time TV host in front of a camera, a Beltway pundit, or a heartland Tea Party activist and come to different, good-faith conclusions about this race. I know people in both the Castle camp and the O’Donnell camp. I’m not going to deride or disown my friends in the blogosphere or anywhere else because we disagree. That’s, well, unhinged.

Everyone get a grip. Take a deep breath. Fight your best fight. Make your best arguments. Wait for the votes to be counted. Then march on and move forward.

Bingo!

Older Entries
Newer Entries