It was the last debate. Newt Gingrich won it.

He was the only candidate who repeatedly steered the questions toward Barack Obama. He was the only candidate who dared point out that the media barely touched Obama’s infanticide support as an Illinois State Senator. He returned to the role of elder statesman.

The crowd leaned to Mitt Romney. It was probably inevitable. Mesa, AZ is the second largest concentration of Mormons in America and the State Republican Party handled getting the seats filled. It threw Rick Santorum off his game. The crowd booed Santorum taking on Romneycare’s individual mandate.

Santorum did not shine. He came in, it seemed, prepared to be beaten up. He was off his game. In the second half of the debate he did better. But the beginning was stumbling, bumbling, angry, and in the weeds. One thing he did very, very well is steer the contraception issue to families.

If Santorum can consistently steer this issue back to stable families, he has an issue that will win over independent voters. Note to the Santorum campaign: you will actually win the debate even in the general election if you focus your social values critique on the integrity of the American nuclear family.

Romney out performed Santorum, but he had two flaws. First, Romney claimed to be a long time proponent of school choice, but he opposed school vouchers as Governor of Massachusetts and the Boston Hereald noted Romney refused to ever meet with the head of the Massachusetts Charter School Association while in the Governor’s Mansion.

The big problem for Romney was his concluding moment in the debate. John King asked him what was the biggest misconception about him. It was a legitimate question and a chance for Romney to help himself. Instead, he got bossy and arrogant and told John King he wouldn’t answer the question. That question of all questions was the one he chose to get arrogant about?!

Newt Gingrich won. He kept the focus on Obama. He sounded like the adult in the room. He was both diplomat and scholar.

I would caution the media on one thing — the Rick Perry Factor.

Read More →

It was the last debate. Newt Gingrich won it.

He was the only candidate who repeatedly steered the questions toward Barack Obama. He was the only candidate who dared point out that the media barely touched Obama’s infanticide support as an Illinois State Senator. He returned to the role of elder statesman.

The crowd leaned to Mitt Romney. It was probably inevitable. Mesa, AZ is the second largest concentration of Mormons in America and the State Republican Party handled getting the seats filled. It threw Rick Santorum off his game. The crowd booed Santorum taking on Romneycare’s individual mandate.

Santorum did not shine. He came in, it seemed, prepared to be beaten up. He was off his game. In the second half of the debate he did better. But the beginning was stumbling, bumbling, angry, and in the weeds. One thing he did very, very well is steer the contraception issue to families.

If Santorum can consistently steer this issue back to stable families, he has an issue that will win over independent voters. Note to the Santorum campaign: you will actually win the debate even in the general election if you focus your social values critique on the integrity of the American nuclear family.

Romney out performed Santorum, but he had two flaws. First, Romney claimed to be a long time proponent of school choice, but he opposed school vouchers as Governor of Massachusetts and the Boston Hereald noted Romney refused to ever meet with the head of the Massachusetts Charter School Association while in the Governor’s Mansion.

The big problem for Romney was his concluding moment in the debate. John King asked him what was the biggest misconception about him. It was a legitimate question and a chance for Romney to help himself. Instead, he got bossy and arrogant and told John King he wouldn’t answer the question. That question of all questions was the one he chose to get arrogant about?!

Newt Gingrich won. He kept the focus on Obama. He sounded like the adult in the room. He was both diplomat and scholar.

I would caution the media on one thing — the Rick Perry Factor.

Read More →

Someone who IS a conservative doesn’t have to convince us he is a conservative because he lives like a conservative, thinks like a conservative, and acts like a conservative.

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
¹⁶ Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
¹⁷ Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
¹⁸ A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
¹⁹ Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
²⁰ Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Matt 7:15-20 (KJV)

Cross posted at www.firstchevalier.com

Something dawned on me the other day when I decided to write yet another assessment of the race for the GOP nomination.  The media elites have been wrong just about every time they have attempted to predict what is going to happen.  Mitt Romney was deemed the front-runner and the nominee before he even officially announced his current bid for the White House.  Even though Romney is likely to be the nominee, it is hard to think of him as the front-runner.

The dynamism of the governor’s team and the size of the money advantage were supposed to surpass everyone else, and eventually he was supposed to become the inevitable nominee.

We are less than a month away from Super Tuesday and not only is Romney not leading in the polls like any solid front-runner should be at this point, but he is fighting not to lose the one state that only months ago no one would have guessed he could lose .  If Romney loses the state of Michigan, where he grew up and met his wife in, the media may have to disestablish his front-runner status, and this time for good.

There is already talk about a “brokered” or “contested”convention; and as we witnessed at the start of the election cycle, names like Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, Mitch Daniels and Paul Ryan percolate through the various political sites as possible saviors. The likelihood of a brokered or contested convention is still low, but it does appear like the establishment media is now realizing what people likeErik Erickson have known all along, Romney will lose the general election to President Obama.

Romney went into this campaign with the premise that Republican activists should get behind him because he would be the strongest candidate against Obama.  The media acknowledged this argument, but outside the moderate wing of the Republican Party, no one else seemed to think it was true, or they did not care.

Romney is not known as a candidate with a solid core, and this handicapped him with conservative activist.  Nevertheless, with superior assets, higher name recognition, and a weak field on opponents this should have been duck soup for an experienced national candidate.

Read More →

I’m currently in the ‘Undecided’ category on the Republican primary. In the days to come here are some questions I’d like to see answers to from the respective candidates. Following those questions are some suggestions I have for each candidate. But, before I continue there is one thing I would like to see from ALL the candidates and that is their participation on this forum. Not just them posting campaign speeches in the form of diary entries (that would be good) but their participation in responding to individual diarists here. Those responses would be very telling about how they truly think, what they really believe, and give us insight into the man behind the camera image (but it will never happen). Oh and don’t give me the ‘they’re too busy to read and post on Redstate’ line. Really? Those on here who hold down full time jobs, families, hobbies, et al aren’t? To sum up what I want initially, I’ll steal and modify a line from John F. Kennedy.

I don’t want to know what you’ll do for me. I want to know what you’ll do for my country?

Some rules about responses, gentlemen…First, Don’t give me platitudes or trite campaign answers. Conservatives can tell if it’s from the heart or if you’re mouthing what some consultant has fed you from a focus group. We’re smart like that and so are the independent voters you guys are all so worried about (don’t be or you’ll loose in my opinion). Second, these answers need to come from the candidate not some super PAC or other mouthpiece that would even present the appearance of plausible deniability, which is the tactic of someone eying a run to the center for the general election.

Now on with my questions and suggestions…

Read More →

PCW Extreme Political TV Recap
Marion County Fairgrounds Arena
Marion, OH
Monday February 20th, 2012

Hello and welcome to another edition of PCW Extreme Political TV recap.   Tonight’s show started off with a super special treat!

Suave: We have a special treat tonight!  The first time PCW has ever broadcast a match from Munich, Germany.  Let’s go to the ring.

MATCH #1
Derek Chisora
vs.
David Haye

watch?v=CH7lK6LZ_5g&feature=player_embedded#!

Suave: What?  That was supposed to be a press conference? Really?

Who knew?

After that fiasco, it was back to Marion, Ohio and the real, first match of the night.  Big Oil vs. Mitch Thomas- the American Taxpayer.  Big Oil was very happy when he came to the ring.

Big Oil: Good news!  Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service that tracks crude, wholesale, and retail prices predicts that we will possibly have RECORD GAS PRICESTHIS SUMMER!  Isn’t that great?

The crowd boos very loudly.

Big Oil: Oh, shut up.  You know that no matter how high the gas prices go, you’ll still fill up the ol’ car and drive.  You’re sheep- and your addiction to your automobiles is going to make me a very rich man this year!

More boos.  Now debris is being thrown in the ring. 

Suddenly, Mitch Thomas- the American Taxpayer runs in with a steel folding chair and blasts Big Oil over the back with it.

Suave: HOLY CRAP!  WE’VE GOT A MATCH!

MATCH #2
Big Oil (R) w/Kirk Walstreit
vs.
Mitch Thomas- The American Taxpayer

Big Oil turns around and snatches the chair from Thomas’s hand.  He smiles and blasts Thomas on the top of the head with the chair and he’s out.  Big Oil puts his foot on Thomas’s throat…the referee counts to 3 and that’s it.

WINNER: Big Oil @ :25

And that was that…or was it?

Big Oil spikes Thomas with the Oklahoma Driller and now he’s in bad shape.  Walstreit kicks away at the American Taxpayer.

Suave: THIS SUCKS!  THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT BIG OIL AND WALL STREET HAVE DONE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

*Can You Hear the People Sing’ from the musical ‘Les Miserables’ plays*

Charlie Blackwell, Mike the Mechanic, and Dave the Mechanic run down to make the save.

Last week, Texas Jack (R) was screwed over by the Republican establishment at PCW’s Maine show.

Replay: Last week’s PCW Extreme Political TV
Texas Jack decks Tanaka with a left hand.  He climbs the top turnbuckle…SPLASH!    Texas Jack hooks the leg…one…two…WHAT?

Big Oil came to ringside and pulled the referee out.

Suave: “The crowd is pissed and rightly so.  Texas Jack is shouting at Big Oil.  He doesn’t see Tanaka.  HOLY CRAP!

From behind, Tanaka grabbed Texas Jack and dropped him like a bad habit with the Scorpion Death Drop.  

Suave: Tanaka’s has Texas Jack on the top rope…no…no…JAPANESE SUPERDESTROYER!  Tanaka covers…Boehner’s in the ring…he makes the count…1…2..3.

WINNER: Yamamoto Tanaka (R) @ 14:02

So, Texas Jack (R) responded in the only he knew how.

Texas Jack throws D.B. Ruff of Arizona’s Rough Justice into the lockers in the Republican Establishment’s locker room.  Connor Justice tries to taser him but Texas Jack kicks it out of his hand.  Right hand by Texas Jack.  Then he takes the taser and uses it on Justice.  Security rushes in and Texas Jacks tasers the whole lot of them.

More bad news for Mitt Romney (R) though.

BACKSTAGE
Sheldon Adelson hands a 10 million dollar check to wrestler Magnum P.O.’d (R) to help him advance the Newt Gingrich cause.

So, in a process that was supposed to benefit Romney, it’s clear that four men (Romney, Gingrich, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum) are very much alive.

Then this little incident took place…

Some guy in the audience is getting ready to enjoy his beer and hot dogs.  Peta from PETA and Politically Correct: ‘New Age Sensitive Guy’ Blaine Taylor-Thomas and Soccer Mom (D) confront him and take his beer and hot dogs away.  Then they hand him more nutritous options.  Peta from PETA approves- just like she approves of the North Carolina school that took a 4 year old’s lunch away and replaced it with a state approved cafeteria lunch.

Peta from PETA: If parents are too stupid to properly feed their children the state mandated, nutritious food they’re supposed to, then the schools should take the children’s inappropriate lunch away and make them eat the politically correct food.

Not everyone in the crowd agreed.  Two surprise visitors from PCW past reappeared.

Al Cahall and Nic Koteen aka…Politically Incorrect…run in with beers and brats for the guy.  Cahall decks New Age Sensitive Guy and Koteen chases Soccer Mom from the arena.

Of course, Peta from PETA was not pleased and vowed to make sure that the Federal Government mandates to people what they should and shouldn’t eat.  Suave was less than impressed.

Suave: Swell.

Then ‘American Citizen’ Kevin Scott (I) made his first appearance since quitting the Republicans.

MATCH #3
‘American Citizen’ Kevin Scott (I)
vs.
K-Roy (R)

…Scott takes control and hits K-Roy with the Doctor Bomb in the corner.   Scott catches him with a chop block to the kneecap and locks in the Ankle Lock and forces K-Roy to tap.

WINNER: ‘American Citizen’ Kevin Scott (I) @ 9:20

So Kevin Scott gets a win in his first match back.  Of course, the big question is with the Japanese SuperDestroyer Yamamoto Tanaka now on the Republican’s side, does Scott go over to the Democrat’s?  Or will he stay Independent?

As PCW Super Tuesday Spectacular draws near, Mitt Romney (R-MA), Yamamoto Tanaka (R) and the Republcan Establishment head to the ring to attempt to reassure supporters the Romney has everything under control.  They even bring out supporter Mike DeWine (R-OH) as reinforcement.

Romney: …so, as you can all see, despite our recent setbacks, we are still on pace to be Barack Obama’s (D-IL) opponent in-…

DeWine attacks Romney out of the blue and then…

A. Tom Bomb (R) w/Daisy Cutter-Bomb

Suave: IT’S A-BOMB!  AND HE IS ON…

Both A-Bomb and Daisy wipe out Tanaka.  Romney was pulled from the ring by the Establishment and hightailed it to the back.

Suave: A-BOMB LIFTS TANAKA UP!  ATOMIC POWERBOMB!  THIS THING ISN’T OVER BY A LONG SHOT!

Jesusland vs. Progressiveville- the novel

Today is a holiday here at RedState, but I’m doing laundry, packing, and preparing to fly out to Arizona.

On Wednesday night, CNN will bring the nation what may very well be the last debate in the Republican Presidential Primary season. From Mesa, AZ, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul will take the stage one last time.

At least we can presume it will be the last time. Romney, Santorum, and Paul bailed on the pre-Super Tuesday debate that would have been hosted by both CNN and the Georgia Republican Party in Atlanta.

So this may be the last bite at the apple for Newt Gingrich to rebound, Santorum to throw Romney off his game, and for MItt Romney himself to maybe help himself with a base that still is not in love. Tune in Wednesday for the CNN Debate starting at 8pm ET live from Mesa, AZ. And stick around afterwards. I’ll be part of the post-game commentary and this most likely last debate of the primary season.

Today is a holiday here at RedState, but I’m doing laundry, packing, and preparing to fly out to Arizona.

On Wednesday night, CNN will bring the nation what may very well be the last debate in the Republican Presidential Primary season. From Mesa, AZ, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul will take the stage one last time.

At least we can presume it will be the last time. Romney, Santorum, and Paul bailed on the pre-Super Tuesday debate that would have been hosted by both CNN and the Georgia Republican Party in Atlanta.

So this may be the last bite at the apple for Newt Gingrich to rebound, Santorum to throw Romney off his game, and for MItt Romney himself to maybe help himself with a base that still is not in love. Tune in Wednesday for the CNN Debate starting at 8pm ET live from Mesa, AZ. And stick around afterwards. I’ll be part of the post-game commentary and this most likely last debate of the primary season.

I am a little behind on this news, but since it is, still an interesting topic I am going to cover it regardless. I am talking about the news that the March 1stCNN debate has been canceled because Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum all pulled out.

In 114 BC, Rome was a democratic Republic.  Representatives elected by popular vote filled the Senate, and the Senate ran Rome.  The Empire was conquered in the name of the Senate and the People of Rome, symbolized by the ever present SPQR seen on every Roman standard in every gladiator movie you have ever watched.

At the beginning of the first century BC sovereignty in Rome resided in the People, which may have inspired the most famous attribution of sovereignty in American History, “We the People” as the proclaimed authors of the Constitution.  The power in republicanRomeresided in the people.  In a revolution that was by then legendary, they had banished their kings and established themselves as a free republic where the people assembled together to elect the Senators, the magistrates, and made all major decisions such as whether or not to go to war.  And far beyond mere words much of what was earlyRomewas the target the Founding Fathers shot at when they established our later day republic.

And yet, by 14 AD, when Augustus died, popular elections were but a memory.  Power was no longer located in the people, or in their assemblies, or their representatives in the Senate, instead power was concentrated in anImperialPalace which was guarded, unapproachable, and foreboding.

How did this revolution occur? What led the freedom loving Romans to lay down their liberty and put on the yoke of oppression?  Later Romans who longed for the freedom their ancestors had discarded pointed to 133 BC when a rich young man named Tiberius Gracchus bought his way into the office of Tribune, an executive position one step below magistrate that was meant to protect the interests of the poor.  Gracchus used his office to curry personal power by giving bread and circuses to the people paid for by the public treasury.  Eventually he hit on a very popular plan.  He proposed to seize the lands of the rich and give them to the poor and he imposed this under his own authority, an authority he lacked under the Roman constitution.  Later when he put himself forward for a second term in opposition to custom and law he was assassinated by a group of Senators.

Several generations of corrupt politicians using the same formula sought to buy personal power and popular adoration by looting the public treasury to give the people ever increasing benefits.  Finally another rich young ruler arose by the name of Julius Caesar.  He rose through various public offices eventually gaining the office of Proconsul or Governor of Gaul (France).  He knew that to be a true Roman hero and paramount leader he needed to be a successful conqueror, so that is what he spent the next nine years doing.  He conquered not only all of Gaul but much of central Europe even leading the first Roman expedition to Britain.  While he accomplishing this he sent back well written dispatches toRome which were published and widely distributed recounting his bravery and skill as a general.

All of this was too much for his political rivals in Rome.  They gained enough votes to have him branded a traitor which meant little in Gaulwhere he had absolute power thanks to his well trained and veteran army.  His rivals promised his arrest and conviction if and when he returned to the capitol.  However Caesar was not to be denied so he compounded the accusations of his treason with a treasonable act leading his army across the Rubicon River toRome. 

With his troops behind him Caesar secured all power and after many adventures to suppress the forces loyal to the old order he had a compliant Senate elect him dictator for life.  As his grasp of power solidified it became clear his rule would be the end of the republic.  Breaking completely with tradition he began to wear purple, the color of royalty in public.   Finally when his chief Lieutenant, Anthony, publicly offered him a crown it was too much and just as with Gracchus one hundred years before, Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators.

Caesar was followed by Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome who was never called Emperor.  He was instead known by the republican sounding title of princeps, or first citizen.  Kings were hated in Rome.  The traditions of the Republic ran deep.  Both Gracchus and Caesar had been killed because people thought they would make themselves king.  The genius of Caesar’s nephew and successor was that Augustus made himself king in all but name while keeping the outward forms of the Republic.  The elections were rigged, the Senate only did what they were told, and the people were kept happy by giveaways from the public treasury and kept in line by a smothering blanket of laws and regulations.

Fast forward to the 20^th century and two other would be kings include Mussolini who decreed that calendars in Italy should begin again with October 29, 1922 the date he assumed power as the first day of year one.  He proclaimed the Fascist Era was the dawn of a new age.  And Hitler who said his National Socialist Nazis would reign for a thousand years.

In Americatoday we have a leader who campaigned on a platform of cutting taxes and regulations.  A man who when the economy melted down said if he didn’t solve the problem in three years he wasn’t worthy of a second term.  In a classic example of bait and switch he walked over his promises to restore American greatness and suddenly announced five days before the election that he would instead transform America.

Presidents are elected to preserve, protect and defend the constitution.  Nowhere in the job description does it mention anything about transforming America.  He was elected to do one job and decided instead to do another.  TARP was passed to clear the toxic assets out of the banks and restart the system but instead was used to seize controlling interests in AIG, GM and Chrysler and in general assert government ownership over a significant portion of the American economy.  The stimulus was passed to re-energize the economy but instead it became a gift bag for the President’s supporters and a slush fund for his re-election. 

Mr. Obama, with the corporations once known as the major media clearing his way and covering his tracks, compares himself to Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Reagan and God, ridicules those who cling to the old ways, and decrees that he can rule without Congress because he can’t wait.  His spending has impoverished future generations and will eventually sink the ship of state.  His foreign policy ignores our allies and empowers our enemies.  Instead of uniting our country to get out of the hole dug by generations of failed Progressive boondoggles and giveaways he incites class warfare while the welfare rolls expand daily.

Whether we are dealing with one man devoted to personal aggrandizement or merely a teleprompter reading front man for a well-oiled CABAL we are face to face with someone who has been positioned by the generosity of American voters to do irreparable damage to our nation.  We have one last chance to save the republic as we have known it.  The Republicans who operate as the other half of the party of power seek to nominate another big government operator who promises little more than driving us to the poor house a little slower with new wars along the way.

What we need is a man who will work as president to re-impose the limits of the constitution. We need a man who will educate Americans as to what a constitutional government is and what it should do and not do.  We need a leader who will reverse course and take us back to the days of individual liberty, personal freedom, and economic liberty. We need a leader who isn’t afraid to jettison the empire to save the republic.  Now is the time for such a leader. If only enough Americans will recognize the signs of the times and rally round the flag they will still call itAmerica. 

Just as the Rome of Caligula and Nero still called itself a republic so too in the coming era of Progressive centralization and control will our beloved country still be America.  The Constitution will remain on display in Washington.  However, in the world turned upside down liberty will be circumscribed by political correctness and freedom will be defined by government regulations.  Our schools and media will assure us that we are the most free and prosperous nation on earth while other countries that have gained their freedom pass us by.  History as it is taught in America today tries to tell us that socialism works.  It doesn’t.  It leads to a stunted, shabby future where everyone sinks to the level of the lowest common denominator.  What we need is a rebirth of republicanism with a small “r” and a big dream.

Keep the faith.  Keep the peace.  We shall overcome.

Dr. Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion for Southside Virginia Community College.  He is the Historian of the Future and the author of the History of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com © 2012 Robert R. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com  Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens