Peace On That

The pundits and ideologist will tell you that there were some profound messages sent to politicians as it relates to the elections results in New Jersey and Virginia governor races. They’ll look at the NY-23 race and highlight the significance of the race and what it means for the Congressional races of 2010.

Many of them will be right on some levels but mostly they will not give you the gist of what really took place and what it means. I am no political insider or historian but I’ve followed politics long enough to know that what seems complicated to the media and politicians are very simple to the voters.

And that is my perspective on this. What the voters said and what politicians can learn from it.

All Politics are local: Never forget this. The three major elections may very well have some national implications but they are first and foremost local races. In Virginia, it was a rematch of Deeds and McDowell. McDowell, the conservative, ran a basic campaign and discussed the issues facing the people of Virginia. Deeds, conversely, talked about a paper McDowell wrote almost two decades ago. That didn’t work in the Presidential race and it certainly won’t work in a race for governor.

The New Jersey race came down to Gov. Corzine’s record. Taxes, jobs, corruption was the meme of that race and Corzine was behind the eight ball on all three. Christy ran a poor campaign but when the incumbent has no accomplishments to point out, he’s in for a long election night.

In the NY-23rd race is now the poster child for this lesson. The Conservative Party candidate, backed by a lot of big-named Conservatives did an interview where it was clear he had no idea of the issues that matter to the people in that district. Dick Army, a GOP operative then went on to say that those issue were parochial. That was a major misstep. Those issues matter. People will first care if the trash is being collected and that the garbage is being removed well before they care about making a statement about the President’s agenda. Any mayor worth his salt would tell you the same.

It’s Not About Obama… It is about Obama: It sounds crazy but both sides have a point. Although the races came down to local issues, there is a mood in this country that the Democrats are overreaching and people are anxious. That sentiment is ignored at the peril of the Democrat Party. The Democrats now have a year to SHOW that their policies will indeed make America a better place. History is not on their side. More often than not, the Party in power loses seats in midterm elections and 2010 should be no different. How many seats are lost is up the strength of the candidate and the economy as a whole. As an outsider it is possible to run on rhetoric. As an incumbent, you must run on accomplishments.
Conservatism is not dead: Karl Rove made the grave mistake of making remarks about a permanent majority for the GOP. The same holds true for Democrats. Conservatism is a main staple of American politics. Its issue is not that people no longer believed in it, it’s just that when those who touted it as their basis for governing didn’t abide by its principles once in power. Neo-Cons are gone (for now, but they’ll be back). Conservatism is not like being a Libertarian where it sounds good but no one believes you could actually govern a country in that fashion. It is possible to run the government using Conservative principles. So they’ll always be around and Liberals would be better served if we listened to them.

Tea baggers and Shill Conservatism equals loss: Forty percent of Americans identify themselves as “conservative”. But a very small segment of that 40 percent would say they believe Obama is not American, the Liberals are the enemy of America or that Creationism and Evolution should have equal standing in a science class. Yes, the Glenn Becks and Rush Limbaugh’s of the world can draw ratings but remember, even with their ratings, these individuals are have a daily listening audience of maybe three percent of the American populous. The two GOP candidates in New Jersey and Virginia didn’t win by screaming socialism and Marxism. Note how Sarah Palin campaigned for neither and both won but the candidate she publicly supported, lost in the NY-23rd. There is a way back for Republicans but it’s not through a tea bagging revolt rally.


There are not coattails in midterm elections: A President can help lose a lot of seats during the mid-term elections but he can’t win many. Democrats must realize that the enthusiastic electorate of an historical campaign run cannot be duplicated for Congressmen and governors. Pundits are asking where were all of the young people and minorities that voted during the election. They were at home not giving a damn about the choices on the ticket. It is up to the candidate to generate the enthusiasm. You must give people a reason to come out and support you. The opposition has built-in enthusiasm. Not the case for an incumbent.

There is nothing scientific about any of this. Once you remove your partisan goggles, it is clear what the way forward is for both parties.

this test

Corporate communication is an art form that takes several years to master. As one who has sat through many meetings and fireside chats, I am well aware of the underline meaning of management lingo. For those of you just entering the workforce, this is my quick guide to the lexicon of Corporate America and by extension, a graduate level education for managers who are not well versed in the art of dealing with the peasants.

So here are 15 sayings in Corporate America and what they really mean.

1. Let’s think out of the box: To date, all of your ideas suck and we are still hemorrhaging money like a drunken sailor in a whore house.

2. I’m looking for your to knock the ball outta the park: Just because I pay you peanuts does not mean I don’t expect you to work like I’m paying you as though you were making my salary. So STFU and give me more.

3. The ball is in your court – STFU and do your job.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST

This is what I wrote the day after Michael Steele was elected the head of the RNC

I’m not surprised that Michael Steele was elected head of the RNC. The GOP needs to re-brand itself into a contemporary Party. I think he’s going to have a hard time expanding the Party considering that the core of the Republican Party doesn’t believe in its moderates. He’ll have to figure out how to make himself and not Rush Limbaugh the voice of the Party. That will not be easy. READ POST

I’m almost amazed as to how right I was about this. There is wind that GOPers are not happy with Mr. Steele as evident reading this:

"I think it's been a disaster of a first month," a Republican insider tells the DC Examiner. "He needs to disappear for 60 days, go and staff the building, put his personal energy into making sure he has the people he wants, and go from there.

That's what people are hoping he will do."

"It's not good," says another. "People feel that it's been very erratic at a time when we really need some sort of stabilizing force."

So far, Steele has responded with defiance. In an interview with Politico, he dismissed GOP critics as "nervous Nellies." SOURCE

It is too early to count Steele out but the clock is now ticking. I assume that after this week we will see less of Steele for a few months. My guess is that he’d much rather be out front waxing memes with the media rather be behind the scenes doing the grunt work of building an organization. He probably thought his face alone was enough but he’d better learn to balance both roles better real soon because if the GOP does not make significant gains in 2010, Michael Steele is gone.

I've been working on a new blog call All World Crew. The site is live now but I won't start pushing it until Sunday. What I am asking from you guys is that you put a link for that blog on your blog. It will help me start generating some traffic. I'll return the favor of course!!!

I just your help pushing this blog. I'll still do this blog as I need an outlet to talk crap. But for the most part, I'll be working on the sports blog. Thanks in advance.

Drop me a comment over there when you check it and let me know what you think.
James

I have never witnessed a meteor burn as it enters the earth’s atmosphere. Just this past week scientist saw a gamma blast that is 9000 times more powerful than a supernova. That must have been some site. For average folk like me, last night afforded us the greatest opportunity to witness a cosmic explosion up-close and personal as the rising star called Bobby Jindal 2012 flailed and came crashing to earth in spectacular form.

Given the thankless task of what many consider one of President Obama’s finest speeches, Gov. Jindal lurched into our homes like mad scientist ready to explain how he has created a machine that could destroy the world and would use it if we did not submit to his rule. He then rambled on about soup cans, store aisle and how American can do anything in a tone that generally used by strangers dangling candy to children when trying to lure them into the car.

Once Gov. Stranger Danger Jindal got into the “substance” of his speech (and I use that term as loosely as one possibly could) he must have thought he was talking to a nation full of 4-year-olds. The melodic, folksy, southern drawl with a hint of Pashto further highlighted the creepiness of the address and mercifully ended with me thinking that I just finished watching a perverted episode of Romper Room.

Between Caribou Barbie and Stranger Danger Jindal, the GOP is poised for a character filled primary. The only thing that will come from SDJ’s “response” (and I have to use that term looser than a French whore) is that people will sit down with their children today and use the footage as an example of creepy people to stay away from.