Lisa Fabrizio
Gridlock
By Lisa Fabrizio
It's a weird thing in this country. When it comes to state and local elections, American citizens seem to act in a responsible manner; that is, they actually do the work necessary to make informed and responsible choices in the voting booth. People seem to be able to grasp the issues that affect their lives and then make sober decisions based on what is beneficial for them and their families. Yet, when it comes to presidential elections, all bets are off.
Every fourth November all critical thinking seems to go out the window. One of the most important decisions an American can make is often treated as nothing more than a popularity contest. The quest for the next leader of the free world is frequently the butt of late-night TV jokes and worse. Whereas folks realize that their local and state representatives will have a great impact on their social and financial well-being and then vote accordingly, when it comes to selecting a Commander-in-Chief, they act like judges on American Idol. But why?
Can it be that the collusion of the press is more pronounced when the White House is at stake? Recall the dirty dealings of the so-called JournoList, a group of leftists in the media who conspired to kill stories that might hurt the 2008 Obama campaign. Although this sort of thing has been rumored to exist for years, its exposure was greeted by the rest of the media to the sound of cricket chirps. Yet such is what passes for objective journalism in America today.
But that's not the only arm of the left with which we have to contend. The Nazis had their Hitler Youth and Mussolini had his baby Black Shirts, but here in America we have the public school system. Armed with federal money from pre-school Head Start programs all the way through Pell Grants, and staffed by loyal NEA unionistas, new waves of young socialists roll out of our classrooms and college campuses every day, eager to embrace the Nanny State and "make a difference."
But perhaps the most insidious weapon at the disposal of liberals is their entertainment division; including certain TV personalities and shock jocks, who for some reason have a mesmerizing influence on a large chunk of the populace. Back in 2000, a few friends of mine who had never expressed an interest in politics shocked me by opining that George W. Bush was "an idiot." When asked how they had arrived at that learned opinion, the reply was typical: "Come on, everybody knows it!" When this dreaded phrase slips the mouths of an otherwise uninformed electorate in a presidential election year, you know the country is in big trouble.
So, if we hope to overcome liberal propaganda and presidential electoral stupidity in order to save our beloved constitutional republic, we might have to concentrate elsewhere. And a good place to start would be to work on regaining the Senate. Does this mean abandoning our efforts to depose Barack Obama? Of course not; but failing to attain that end would not necessarily be a total disaster. After all, as Conservatives, our goal in Washington is, essentially, gridlock. And if we can keep the House and add the Senate, we could reduce Obama to the lamest of lame ducks.
And the possibility of regaining the upper chamber is quite probably within our reach. The GOP has two seats that might change hands; Nevada and Massachusetts, while the Democrats are in danger of losing eight seats; most notably Nebraska, North Dakota, Missouri and Virginia. A net pickup of four seats will have Republicans in great position to blunt most, if not all, Democratic mischief.
Now many would caution that a weak candidate at the top of the ticket would automatically doom our chances, but I'm not so sure. Although a man with long coattails would naturally be a bonus, in the face of the events of the past four years, it's not really a necessity. The ugly process Democrats used to pass Obamacare — with all its deals and backroom sleaze — was too big for even the liberal media to cover up, revealing their skullduggery to the nation. That's why incumbents like Ben "Cornhusker Kickback" Nelson have been running for the hills.
And over the hill is just where we need Democrats to be if we are to block Obama judicial nominations and other vital appointments. If the GOP can retake the Senate and live up to their reputation as obstinate obstructionists, Obama and his ilk may well be revealed as the petulant adolescents we believe them to be. Hopefully this petulance will manifest itself this coming November; if not, we can wait.
© Lisa Fabrizio
January 4, 2012
It's a weird thing in this country. When it comes to state and local elections, American citizens seem to act in a responsible manner; that is, they actually do the work necessary to make informed and responsible choices in the voting booth. People seem to be able to grasp the issues that affect their lives and then make sober decisions based on what is beneficial for them and their families. Yet, when it comes to presidential elections, all bets are off.
Every fourth November all critical thinking seems to go out the window. One of the most important decisions an American can make is often treated as nothing more than a popularity contest. The quest for the next leader of the free world is frequently the butt of late-night TV jokes and worse. Whereas folks realize that their local and state representatives will have a great impact on their social and financial well-being and then vote accordingly, when it comes to selecting a Commander-in-Chief, they act like judges on American Idol. But why?
Can it be that the collusion of the press is more pronounced when the White House is at stake? Recall the dirty dealings of the so-called JournoList, a group of leftists in the media who conspired to kill stories that might hurt the 2008 Obama campaign. Although this sort of thing has been rumored to exist for years, its exposure was greeted by the rest of the media to the sound of cricket chirps. Yet such is what passes for objective journalism in America today.
But that's not the only arm of the left with which we have to contend. The Nazis had their Hitler Youth and Mussolini had his baby Black Shirts, but here in America we have the public school system. Armed with federal money from pre-school Head Start programs all the way through Pell Grants, and staffed by loyal NEA unionistas, new waves of young socialists roll out of our classrooms and college campuses every day, eager to embrace the Nanny State and "make a difference."
But perhaps the most insidious weapon at the disposal of liberals is their entertainment division; including certain TV personalities and shock jocks, who for some reason have a mesmerizing influence on a large chunk of the populace. Back in 2000, a few friends of mine who had never expressed an interest in politics shocked me by opining that George W. Bush was "an idiot." When asked how they had arrived at that learned opinion, the reply was typical: "Come on, everybody knows it!" When this dreaded phrase slips the mouths of an otherwise uninformed electorate in a presidential election year, you know the country is in big trouble.
So, if we hope to overcome liberal propaganda and presidential electoral stupidity in order to save our beloved constitutional republic, we might have to concentrate elsewhere. And a good place to start would be to work on regaining the Senate. Does this mean abandoning our efforts to depose Barack Obama? Of course not; but failing to attain that end would not necessarily be a total disaster. After all, as Conservatives, our goal in Washington is, essentially, gridlock. And if we can keep the House and add the Senate, we could reduce Obama to the lamest of lame ducks.
And the possibility of regaining the upper chamber is quite probably within our reach. The GOP has two seats that might change hands; Nevada and Massachusetts, while the Democrats are in danger of losing eight seats; most notably Nebraska, North Dakota, Missouri and Virginia. A net pickup of four seats will have Republicans in great position to blunt most, if not all, Democratic mischief.
Now many would caution that a weak candidate at the top of the ticket would automatically doom our chances, but I'm not so sure. Although a man with long coattails would naturally be a bonus, in the face of the events of the past four years, it's not really a necessity. The ugly process Democrats used to pass Obamacare — with all its deals and backroom sleaze — was too big for even the liberal media to cover up, revealing their skullduggery to the nation. That's why incumbents like Ben "Cornhusker Kickback" Nelson have been running for the hills.
And over the hill is just where we need Democrats to be if we are to block Obama judicial nominations and other vital appointments. If the GOP can retake the Senate and live up to their reputation as obstinate obstructionists, Obama and his ilk may well be revealed as the petulant adolescents we believe them to be. Hopefully this petulance will manifest itself this coming November; if not, we can wait.
© Lisa Fabrizio
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