Mumbai Massacre: Watching 10 terrorists literally control the life of a major city and stun a worldwide television audience reminds us that Islamic radicalicsm is not going away but will only become bolder in the coming days unless it is confronted and defeated. The Islamic militants clearly took pleasure in torturing their victims and promoting their cause. In addition, they have provoked a potential crisis between India and Pakistan at a time the West needs Pakistan to focus on its border with Afghanistan. The attack on Mumbai should remind us that it is nothing short of a miracle that similar actions have not occurred on our shores since 9/11. It is almost against the law to praise President Bush for anything, but someday a wise historian will write that because of President Bush and his policies America was kept safe from such brutality while many other countries suffered mightily during the last seven years. President-elect Obama is getting good marks for the selections to his national security team. But one has to be concerned about his previous statements regarding the closing of Gitmo and his opposition to parts of the Patriot Act. One can only hope that the next President will take heed to the words of Thomas Jefferson--"Eternal viligence is the price of liberty."
Economic Meltdown and Bailouts: Since mid-September Americans have watched in shock as great financial institutions and corporations have collapsed in front of their eyes and in many cases become wards of the state. Now we are watching the leaders of the U.S. auto Big Three come before Congress begging for money and saying that their companies will collapse within a month unless such assistance is forthcoming. For those who played by the rules during the subprime lending crisis and now see their assets diminish almost daily, it is hard to justify bailing out institutions and individuals who through a combination of greed, arrogance and incompetence seeking, and in a number of cases, obtaining hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. Once again President-elect Obama has been praised for the makeup of his econmic team. The problem is that many of these individuals were directly involved in getting us to where we are either as public officials or financial tycoons.
Reaction to Proposition 8: The approval of Prop 8 in California affirming the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman was one of the few bright spots for conservatives on election night. Rather than accept the outcome of the voting gracefully some opponents of Prop 8 have resorted to violence against the religious groups, especially the Mormons. Regardless of ones thinking about the theology of the Mormon Church, one has to commend them along with Evangelicals, conservative Catholics and many African Americans for heroically standing up for traditional values in the face of strong opposition. It is amazing watching the press make those promoting virtue sound like the villains while those committing the acts of violence are pictured as victims of bigotry. "In the last days good shall be called evil and evil, good."
The Stampede at Wal-Mart: I would not get up early on a Black Friday to be part of a mob in front of Wal-Mart even if they were giving away free money. Obviously there many in our society who view things differently. The annual ritual of mobs of bargin hunters crashing into retail outlets on the day after Thanksgiving gets more attention than the lighting of the national Christmas Tree. The case of the man who was trampled to death at the Long Island Wal-Mart without anyone coming to his aid reflects a sickness in our society just one step below the terrorist acts in Mumbai. Will the madness ever end? "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences, and eathquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginnings of sorrows."
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Will Obama Over Reach?
Three times since 1964 the Democrats have won Presidential elections only to see their mandates overturned because of their ability to midjudge the mood of the American people and over reach in their policies. Lyndon Johnson won in a landslide in 1964 and immediately escalated the war in Vietnam while promoting the very expensive Great Society. Two years later the Republicans made major gains in the Congress and in 1968 Richard Nixon was elected President. In 1976 Jimmy Carter was elected with large Democratic majorities in the Congress. After four years of weakness in foreign policy, a strange energy policy and a poor economy the country turned to Ronald Reagan. In 1992 Bill Clinton was elected on the promise to focus on the economy. Instead he immediately proposed Hillary's healthcare program and gays in the military. Two years later the Republicans gained control of both houses of Congress. The question is will Barack Obama stumble out of the gate and have many turn against him or will he, like FDR, use his rhetoric to maintain strong support for he and his party regardless of his policies for many years.
As pointed out in our previous blog Obama will enter the White House with the wind at his back and high expectations from those who expect him to bring "Change." Without question we are going to hear a lot soaring speeches and see a lot of favorable press coverage. But just what will he do and when will he do it? Obama owes his nomination to the far left of his party, but he owes his election to a broad spectrum of the American people. If he goes hard left he risks alienating more moderate elements, but if he does not make major moves to satisfy MoveOn.org, Planned Parenethood, the ACLU, radical environmentalists and big labor he will feel their wrath.
The economy will be the biggest immediate challenge and Obama and many close to him will be tempted to take the opportunity to make the government a major player in most industries in exchange for bailouts. At this writing, except among members of the United Auto Workers, there is little public support for bailing out the U.S. auto manufacturers. At the same time there is considerable support for offshore drilling which Obama will probably curtail in order to satisfy his environmental allies. Radical moves related to abortion and gay marriage will make some in his coalition happy but will generate considerable opposition from traditional voters whom Obama tried to attract with limited success in the general election.
So there are many areas in which Obama could over reach and pay a high political price. The question then becomes will the GOP produce effective leaders who will offer alternatives that make sense and which can turn back the current Democratic wave. That will be the subject of a future blog.
As pointed out in our previous blog Obama will enter the White House with the wind at his back and high expectations from those who expect him to bring "Change." Without question we are going to hear a lot soaring speeches and see a lot of favorable press coverage. But just what will he do and when will he do it? Obama owes his nomination to the far left of his party, but he owes his election to a broad spectrum of the American people. If he goes hard left he risks alienating more moderate elements, but if he does not make major moves to satisfy MoveOn.org, Planned Parenethood, the ACLU, radical environmentalists and big labor he will feel their wrath.
The economy will be the biggest immediate challenge and Obama and many close to him will be tempted to take the opportunity to make the government a major player in most industries in exchange for bailouts. At this writing, except among members of the United Auto Workers, there is little public support for bailing out the U.S. auto manufacturers. At the same time there is considerable support for offshore drilling which Obama will probably curtail in order to satisfy his environmental allies. Radical moves related to abortion and gay marriage will make some in his coalition happy but will generate considerable opposition from traditional voters whom Obama tried to attract with limited success in the general election.
So there are many areas in which Obama could over reach and pay a high political price. The question then becomes will the GOP produce effective leaders who will offer alternatives that make sense and which can turn back the current Democratic wave. That will be the subject of a future blog.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
What is Coming?
So what is going to happen to the U.S. and the world when the Obama adminstration takes office on January 20, 2009. The big question is--who is Barack Obama? Is he the extreme leftist heavily influenced by the most radical elements in our society or is really a pragmatist who will govern much like Bill Clinton by doing those things that will keep him popular with the center of American politics while throwing just enough bones to the left to keep them happy. Obama will enter office facing far different circumstances than Bill Clinton did. The economy is in disarray, we are fighting two wars and Obama is far more beholden to the far left of his party than Clinton was. With this as background here is what we can expect. http://tykef.blogspot.com.
Government control and influence will grow beyond our wildest imagination. Those around Obama and the Democrats in Congress see the current financial crisis as a great opportunity to dramatically expand the role of government. Not only will banks, insurance companies and auto manufacturers be getting bailouts but so will other sectors of the economy. Each bailout will come at a price, however, as everyone getting federal aid will be required to submit to more government regulations while being pressured to send campaign contributions to the Democratic National Committee. Labor unions will grow in strength as the secret ballot in union elections will be eliminated. The so-called Obama tax cuts will be little more than welfare checks going mostly to those who do not currently pay federal income taxes while the most productive individuals will see a tax increase.
The Opposition Will Be Marginalized. Obama and his followers want to create a permanent liberal Democratic majority by maximizing their voter pool while limiting the voices of opposition. Illegal immigrants and felons will get the vote. ACORN, which was heavily involved in voter fraud in the recent elections, will get more federal funding to continue their illegal activities. Meanwhile, there will be an effort to bring back the Fairness Doctrine in order to limit the most effective conservative outlets in the country--talk radio.
Traditional Values Will be Trashed. Obama gives every indication of using executive orders to provide federal funding for overseas abortions and lifting the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. He has stated that he opposes the Defense of Marriage Act which defines Marriage as between one man and one woman and allows states to refuse to recognize same sex marriage. (Remember it was Bill Clinton who signed this act into law and who actually looks like a moderate by comparison to Obama.) The biggest attack on traditional values will come as a result of Obama's selection of leftist judges for all levels of the federal court system. Over time they will find a constitutional right for almost every leftist cause at the expense of traditional family values. The ACLU will rule in the courts and at the Justice Department.
Foreign Policy and National Security. Becoming Commander in Chief may sober Obama to a certain extent. Thanks to our troops, President Bush and John McCain the surge in Iraq has turned things around to the point where victory is at hand. If Obama moves too quickly to withdraw troops and chaos results he knows he will be held accountable. The bigger concern is that he will try to resolve the Iranian threat by talk that will only make the U.S. look weaker and put Israel at risk. Joe Biden was right. There will be an international crisis in the first six months of an Obama administration. In addition to an Iranian attack on Israel, China could move on Taiwan and Russia could establish bases in the Western Hemisphere.
Appointments: It is possible that Obama's senior cabinet appointments will look almost respectable, but he will be allowed over 3,000 appointments and the real problems will be with the junior office holders who really make day to day policy. This is where you will see the names of a lot of young radicals pop up. These are the people who are capable of doing a lot of mischief.
Obama will enter office in a win-win situation. If things continue to go bad for the economy he can blame Bush. On the other hand if things turn around his followers will recommend a place on Mt. Rushmore for him in his first year. We are going to hear a lot of great speeches and see of lot of photo ops provided by a fawning press. We are also going to witness a lot of surprises and shocks. Our next blog will deal with what the response should be of those who are less than enamored by the prospects of an Obama administration and where its potential weaknesses lie.
Government control and influence will grow beyond our wildest imagination. Those around Obama and the Democrats in Congress see the current financial crisis as a great opportunity to dramatically expand the role of government. Not only will banks, insurance companies and auto manufacturers be getting bailouts but so will other sectors of the economy. Each bailout will come at a price, however, as everyone getting federal aid will be required to submit to more government regulations while being pressured to send campaign contributions to the Democratic National Committee. Labor unions will grow in strength as the secret ballot in union elections will be eliminated. The so-called Obama tax cuts will be little more than welfare checks going mostly to those who do not currently pay federal income taxes while the most productive individuals will see a tax increase.
The Opposition Will Be Marginalized. Obama and his followers want to create a permanent liberal Democratic majority by maximizing their voter pool while limiting the voices of opposition. Illegal immigrants and felons will get the vote. ACORN, which was heavily involved in voter fraud in the recent elections, will get more federal funding to continue their illegal activities. Meanwhile, there will be an effort to bring back the Fairness Doctrine in order to limit the most effective conservative outlets in the country--talk radio.
Traditional Values Will be Trashed. Obama gives every indication of using executive orders to provide federal funding for overseas abortions and lifting the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. He has stated that he opposes the Defense of Marriage Act which defines Marriage as between one man and one woman and allows states to refuse to recognize same sex marriage. (Remember it was Bill Clinton who signed this act into law and who actually looks like a moderate by comparison to Obama.) The biggest attack on traditional values will come as a result of Obama's selection of leftist judges for all levels of the federal court system. Over time they will find a constitutional right for almost every leftist cause at the expense of traditional family values. The ACLU will rule in the courts and at the Justice Department.
Foreign Policy and National Security. Becoming Commander in Chief may sober Obama to a certain extent. Thanks to our troops, President Bush and John McCain the surge in Iraq has turned things around to the point where victory is at hand. If Obama moves too quickly to withdraw troops and chaos results he knows he will be held accountable. The bigger concern is that he will try to resolve the Iranian threat by talk that will only make the U.S. look weaker and put Israel at risk. Joe Biden was right. There will be an international crisis in the first six months of an Obama administration. In addition to an Iranian attack on Israel, China could move on Taiwan and Russia could establish bases in the Western Hemisphere.
Appointments: It is possible that Obama's senior cabinet appointments will look almost respectable, but he will be allowed over 3,000 appointments and the real problems will be with the junior office holders who really make day to day policy. This is where you will see the names of a lot of young radicals pop up. These are the people who are capable of doing a lot of mischief.
Obama will enter office in a win-win situation. If things continue to go bad for the economy he can blame Bush. On the other hand if things turn around his followers will recommend a place on Mt. Rushmore for him in his first year. We are going to hear a lot of great speeches and see of lot of photo ops provided by a fawning press. We are also going to witness a lot of surprises and shocks. Our next blog will deal with what the response should be of those who are less than enamored by the prospects of an Obama administration and where its potential weaknesses lie.
Monday, November 10, 2008
What Happened?
Barack Obama has been elected the 44th President of the United States. One must extend congratulations while at the same time step back and ask how did a person with so thin a resume and with so many questionable associates get elected to the preeminent position in the world. President-elect Obama’s path to White House has been one of systematically eliminating roadblocks while benefiting from a remarkable set of circumstances. These comments will focus on the incredible rise of our next President.
1994: Obama runs for the Illinois State Senate--His incumbent opponent plans to step down but changes her mind. Obama challenges the names of the people signing her petition and has her removed from the ballot for lack of valid signatures. He then has all his other Democratic opponents removed from the ballot for the same reason.
2004: Obama runs for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate—A month before the primary a wealthy businessman holds a big lead over Obama and the other contenders. The press, however, uncovers that the businessman has ethical and moral issues. His campaign crashes and Obama wins the nomination.
2004: Obama’s potentially strong Republican opponent, Jack Ryan, is forced to quit the race because of revelations regarding his messy divorce. Republicans nominate a very weak candidate and Obama wins in a landslide. This makes him look very good since the GOP retains the White House and makes gains in other parts of the country.
2008 Democratic Primary: A year ago all the smart people agreed that Hillary Clinton was a cinch to win the Democratic nomination. Remember those days? The Democrats, however, had created a system of proportional representation with a heavy emphasis on caucuses in smaller states that limited Hillary’s strength in the big states. Meanwhile, the liberal press switches its allegiance from Hillary to Obama. There was no reporting on Obama’s associations until its too late to make a difference. So even though Hillary spent $250 million, gets the majority of the popular vote and wins almost all of the big states, Obama wins the nomination.
2008 General Election: Obama makes his Denver convention with a speech in front of 80,000 complete with Greek columns He has a huge money advantage facing a dispirited GOP tied to an unpopular President. With hours, however, everything changes as John McCain shocks everyone by selecting Sarin Palin as his running mate. Suddenly the GOP base is inspired, money starts pouring into McCain’s campaign and Palin does the impossible by knocking Obama off the front pages. Her spectacular convention speech make her an instant star. By mid-September McCain is ahead in the national and key state polls. Obama is off his game saying things like “putting lipstick on a pig” and Joe Biden is making a gaffe everyday. Then came the great economic downturn of 2008. Overnight giant banks and insurance companies are insolvent requiring an unpopular government bailout, the stock market plunges, and the wrath of millions falls on the incumbent administration and by inference on McCain-Palin. The press is relentless in stoking up the crisis while downplaying Obama's questionable associations and trashing Palin daily in order to drive down her approval numbers. In the end Obama wins by six points, has a significant electoral college margin and the Democrats make major gains in the Congress.
At every turn Barack Obama has benefitted from events and timing. His rhetorical skills have covered up for a thin record, and he has tapped into a nation's desire for "Change." What next? That will be the subject of our next blog.
1994: Obama runs for the Illinois State Senate--His incumbent opponent plans to step down but changes her mind. Obama challenges the names of the people signing her petition and has her removed from the ballot for lack of valid signatures. He then has all his other Democratic opponents removed from the ballot for the same reason.
2004: Obama runs for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate—A month before the primary a wealthy businessman holds a big lead over Obama and the other contenders. The press, however, uncovers that the businessman has ethical and moral issues. His campaign crashes and Obama wins the nomination.
2004: Obama’s potentially strong Republican opponent, Jack Ryan, is forced to quit the race because of revelations regarding his messy divorce. Republicans nominate a very weak candidate and Obama wins in a landslide. This makes him look very good since the GOP retains the White House and makes gains in other parts of the country.
2008 Democratic Primary: A year ago all the smart people agreed that Hillary Clinton was a cinch to win the Democratic nomination. Remember those days? The Democrats, however, had created a system of proportional representation with a heavy emphasis on caucuses in smaller states that limited Hillary’s strength in the big states. Meanwhile, the liberal press switches its allegiance from Hillary to Obama. There was no reporting on Obama’s associations until its too late to make a difference. So even though Hillary spent $250 million, gets the majority of the popular vote and wins almost all of the big states, Obama wins the nomination.
2008 General Election: Obama makes his Denver convention with a speech in front of 80,000 complete with Greek columns He has a huge money advantage facing a dispirited GOP tied to an unpopular President. With hours, however, everything changes as John McCain shocks everyone by selecting Sarin Palin as his running mate. Suddenly the GOP base is inspired, money starts pouring into McCain’s campaign and Palin does the impossible by knocking Obama off the front pages. Her spectacular convention speech make her an instant star. By mid-September McCain is ahead in the national and key state polls. Obama is off his game saying things like “putting lipstick on a pig” and Joe Biden is making a gaffe everyday. Then came the great economic downturn of 2008. Overnight giant banks and insurance companies are insolvent requiring an unpopular government bailout, the stock market plunges, and the wrath of millions falls on the incumbent administration and by inference on McCain-Palin. The press is relentless in stoking up the crisis while downplaying Obama's questionable associations and trashing Palin daily in order to drive down her approval numbers. In the end Obama wins by six points, has a significant electoral college margin and the Democrats make major gains in the Congress.
At every turn Barack Obama has benefitted from events and timing. His rhetorical skills have covered up for a thin record, and he has tapped into a nation's desire for "Change." What next? That will be the subject of our next blog.
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