One of the reasons we need to gear up at the state level for 2010 is the redistricting that will occur following the 2010 census. We need to take as many state legislatures and governors as possible to draw the lines in our favor.

My home state of Oregon will be near impossible unless the next two years stains the democrat brand so badly. It happened in 1994, it may happen again.

Either way, it may not matter for Oregon though. Oregon is expected to gain one seat and go from 5 to 6 house districts. Right now the lines are very carefully drawn such that they have 4 safe dem seats out of 5 in a 55/45 state. It will be VERY hard to make it 5 seats out of 6. The net result may be that giving a solid blue state another seat results in a pickup of a Republican congressman.

Republicans should have their message for 2010 ready to go within the first hundred days of the Obama Administration. That means settling our internal affairs quickly and deciding whether we are going to a conservative party or a pragmatic party that people like David Brooks seem to want us to be.

To all Veterans, past and present:

Thank you for your service, and a big Army retired “HOOAH!” to our Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen.

SFC (Ret) Timothy Jones
Company C, 1st BN, 116th Infantry, 29ID(L)
Lovingston, Virginia

It’s good to hear this morning that Laura Ingram is now championing this too on her radio show.

As I commented here and elsewhere on RedState, Michael Steele is the best choice for RNC Chair. Yes Newt Gingrinch would also be a good voice, he has done wonders (especially re Drill Here, Drill Now) with AmericanSolutions.org. However Steele knows the intra-party lay of the land as it was (former MD GOP Chairman) and as it is, current GOPAC Chairman.

He has a well written opinion piece at Wall Street Jounal online today:

We have to listen to what Americans are telling us about their hopes, desires and needs, and then translate that message into proposals for meaningful action squarely grounded on the values we Republicans have always stood for.

all the talk about revamping our party is getting tiresome. The best and most basic solution is and always has been the local grassroots organizations. Our churches,kids clubs the YMCA,YWCA,Boy Scouts,Girl Scouts, PTA,church youth groups,and the good ole townhall meetings.

Every town/city large or small has problems being met head on by the people who live there. This is where the battles for morality begin and win or lose sets the mode for the county,State,and yes our country. Each and everyone of us here at Redstate have the opportunity and the responsibility to do our part in preserving the conservative principles we hold so dear.

Since the election results came in the utter feeling of dispair and fear have many and myself feeling as though there is nothing we can really do to make a difference. We know that’s not true because we live our principles every day. Spread them. We know how ,it’s just a matter of not letting the left and their power plays take over our communities without a fight.

Thinking about this has given me a better outlook for the next 4 years. Whoever runs in the next national election will come because of what we do in our own communities.

Conservatism is not KOed it just got a standing 8 count.

I was on facebook and saw several of my old conservative CA classmates with liberal comments. I believe they have been seduced by the dark side of the force. I’m sure being a conservative is unpopular in California but good grief get some strength.

I am so tired of people not voicing their opinion because its not popular or out of fear they will be called a name.

People need to get some Simon Cowell in them.

Rant over.

A sobering thought from those i know that lived under communism.
Friends of mine, who are Russian, living in America; are considering leaving the US and moving somewhere else if Obama imposes the will that he has mentioned in some interviews.

BTW, i mentioned to my liberal friends that Russian-Americans where worried about Obama; it fell on deaf ears(shocking to hear that, i’m sure).

I declare that the current (old) model for selecting a *winning *presidential candidate has failed.

Aside from sitting republican presidents, the Iowa caucus has only predicted the winner once since 1976 (G.W. Bush in 2000). New Hampshire hasn’t fared much better, choosing Ronald Reagan in 1980 and George H.W. Bush in 1988.

Additionally, both states have clearly gone blue and therefore should not be the bellweather that launches a winnable republican to the White House.

We need a more befitting model that benefits conservatives.

I propose South Carolina (which has chosen the winner and/or nominee everytime) as the first and Colorado as the second. We need to hold the South and (cough) retake the West.

Then we can move onto Iowa and New Hampshire to see how the remaining top three can play to the moderate middle of the GOP and nation as a whole.

I’m working this into a longer post but I’ll put it out here for right now, regarding how Republicans and Conservatives should act with a Democrat controlled Congress and Executive.

I’m going to argue for a legislative and temperamental version of the “Nice Cop/Tough Cop” strategy: We’re in the minority and our task is to present ourselves as careful stewards of ourselves first. Optimism, impeccable manners and organization, and always a reliance on our first principles. That’s the Nice Cop Republican. Mr. Nice Guy. The one who sits back and says: “Now, we know this is a terrible decision, and here’s why, but if you really want to hurt yourself…”

The “Tough Cop” part means really holding it to the Democrats and going on the attack like a team of pit bulls when they’re overreaching, and making it stick.

Last week, Peter Kirsanow had an entry in “The Corner” on NRO about working to stop the “Fairness Doctrine” immediately. I could not agree with him more and I felt the need to mention it on Red State as well. In my opinion this is one of the most damaging pieces of legislation that an Obama Presidency could sign into law. Aside from the obvious violations of the First Amendment, this law could allow any piece of legislation to flow through Congress and the public would be none the wiser. With the GOP being the minority party in both chambers, the real power behind stopping the oncoming socialist agenda is talk radio and the conservative blogs. This is the media that the liberals want to silence because they know the major networks will do their bidding, no questions asked. Talk radio and blogs like Red State were responsible for stopping the 2007 Amnesty Bill. The same energy and effort that was put into stopping that bill needs to be doubled in regards to stopping the “Fairness” Doctrine from becoming law. I have already contacted my two GOP Senators as well as my Representative, who is a somewhat moderate Democrat. I urge you to do the same. If the FD becomes law, there is no stopping the liberal agenda from destroying this country.

Also, thank you to all the veterans from the bottom of my heart. My can freely express our thoughts on boards like this because of you.

I have read a lot of postings about what the part needs to do to regain power. I think it is quite simple.

1. We need to ensure that our nominees are people of the highest moral standard. There have been too many scandals involving Republican politicians in recent years. It makes us look like a bunch of hypocrites. It would be nice if we had some sort of pledge our potential nominees would sign prior to our voting for them where they would swear to uphold ethical standards and conservative principles. Just a thought….

2. All of us need to be bold and not be afraid to speak up for our principles and beliefs, I read someone’s post last night saying we need to gain control over the media in this country. Folks, that is not going to happen. There are far more of us than there are media flunkies. We could have a huge impact if we’d just speak up and also live by the conservative principles we supposedly hold near and dear. A person who is a good example to friends, coworkers, and family can have a significant impact. Don’t look for Rush, Hannity, or the other voice on the radio to remain much longer. They will be gagged very soon. Our standing in the media will most likely get worse and not better.

3. We need to reject any candidate who is conservative light. We don’t need someone who goes part of the way, but also supports lunacies such as carbon cap and trade regulations. We need to make sure we are opposed to all the Socialist policies of the left.

Those are simple ideas. Giving the voters a real contrast between us and the left is our only hope. If the voters in this country reject out agenda, so be it. If the majority of citizens want to be Socialist or Marxists, that will be their choice. Short of armed conflict, there is no way to force our ideas on anyone. Conservatism and freedom is a choice to be made by our citizens. You can not force anyone to accept freedom, much less the Conservative ideology. Many times I would have to use all my inner strength to refrain from grabbing one of my liberal friends and try shaking some sense into them. In the end, the only thing that will probably change the course of this nation is to go down the dark road of Socialism far enough for our ignorant citizens to see what a dismal state their lives become. My only hope is that we don’t go so far down that road that there is no turning around. I think that trying to pretend that this election was simply a failure to get our message out ignores the point that we got our butts kicked by the leftists, and that the current state of our country has moved to the left. Our nation, I’m very sad to say, has embraced Socialism. We can’t give up on our ideals, but I think it is delusional to think we are going to be able to turn this country around until the dismal effects that Socialism is felt by enough Americans, and they reject it because of the experience. We need to remain strong so they will have an attractive option to Obama and his destructive policies.
This is probably to long, and got rambling…sorry…

P.S Veterans Day respects to all our fallen heroes and my brothers and sisters in arms now serving. You are the best of Americans!

What’s the feeling from military personal regarding the soon to be new commander-in-chief?

and wants it to go back to the courts and be overturned, in an interview on CNN’s Late Edition on Sunday.

This man has no vestige of conservatism. Why in the world are some Republicans still interested in him for national politics?

Any suggestions? Something military history based perhaps?

This made me laugh.

H/T to exvilgare

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