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October 31, 2008
This year, two teams advance from district play, the Jays are 2-0, the Kewpies are 1-1 and Fort Zumwalt West is also 1-1. West plays Troy...Troy is awful, so that should make West 2-1.
The Change people want in Tennessee has NOTHING to do with Presidential politics.
Oh, and don't forget to FALL Back with your clocks!!!
October 30, 2008
30 October 2008 - What did you watch?
I have no problem admitting that I watched "The O'Reilly Factor" last night while the Barack Obama Political Message was on 3 of the Big Four networks and several cable networks.
First, I am not weak minded enough to let BO sway me. Sorry, I have figured out what he is and what he is not. But if you hadn't figured it out by now, go ahead and consume what he is shovelling at you.
The best response that I heard to the BOPM came on my show yesterday morning. I asked Regional Campaign Manager for Illinois, Iowa and Missouri of the McCain/Palin campaign, Gentry Collins, what the McCain campaign planned to do in response to the infomercial. He said, "Jay, if infomercials were an effective means of winning the Presidency, then Billy Mays would be President already."
I did have to respond that Hercules Hooks are good, but Mighty Putty is not really all that.
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Many states have early voting, something that I think is a very good thing. But one of those states is Florida.
For those who need a history refresher, and looking at opinion polls I know that is a lot of people, this is the state where people couldn't figure out how the difference between Albert Arnold Gore, Junior, and Patrick J. Buchanan.
The L.A. Times has polled early voters in Florida.
Since many of you don't like clicking on links, let me save you the trouble. SIX PERCENT OF FLORIDA EARLY VOTERS DON'T KNOW WHO THEY VOTED FOR!!!
Now do you understand why I call that state FloriDUH?
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Parents...take note. Do your children come back with too much candy after Trick or Treating? You do not have to be the bad guy any more.
You do need to be an actively involved parent on Halloween night. Here is how.
Prior to taking the children out in their costumes, scout out your neighborhood. Pay attention to a lot of minute details. Then plot out your route for the evening.
To make sure that your children come back without too much candy, have their last stop be at a house with an Obama/Biden sign in the yard. That resident is sure to note all of the hardwork of your little ones and be sure to take the candy away from them so that they can spread the wealth to the lazy kids who stumble from two doors down and go right back home.
Then, take them home for an apple, orange or banana. It keeps you from being the bad guy, right?
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What socialism is and what it isn't.
If you give money to charity, that is not socialism. If you help out your neighbors, friends and family that need help, that is not socialism.
The GOVERNMENT TAKING from you, AGAINST YOUR WILL to help those that THE GOVERNMENT deems worthy have having a little more IS SOCIALISM.
Joe Biden wanting you to pay more taxes to be more "patriotic" is not more "patriotic" but rather a pathway to Socialism.
It is simple, I do not make a lot of money. I have pointed out, factually, by examining my 2007 Income Tax filing and Joe Biden's 1998 to 2007 Income Tax filings. OUR family donated, voluntarily, to charity $3855 in 2007. Joe and Jill Biden donate, I'd guess begrudgingly, only $3650 over those ten years. This was found by looking at a line on Schedule A. I will admit, most of our donations were old clothes, small appliances and other odds and ends combined with a little bit of cash donations, but the value was estimated (via TurboTax) at that level. I do not know how what Joe and Jill Biden did breaks down.
I still think what I did was patriotic by comparision. What the Biden's did was miserly. Joe Biden is damn near the last person I want lecturing me about what is and isn't patriotic and what is and what isn't socialism.
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More later...or not. Have a Great Thursday.
And remember, in your heart, you know I am right.
October 29, 2008
29 October 2008 - What? Really?
What do YOU think about this?
Is it media bias at its worst? Is it something else?
At best, this is irresponsible. Making a promise to someone to hold something that could open up many more questions for voters is highly questionable.
But, I am left to wonder, is this much ado about nothing? I'll never know, because I won't be allowed to see it.
In my case, it will not change my mind anyway. But others may swing in another direction.
Confused? If you read what I linked to, you wouldn't be.
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Have you noticed the number of states that are having budget shortfalls and are turning to the Fed for help?
Have you ALSO noticed that ALL of these states are dependent on a repressive income tax?
Coincidence in times of people losing their jobs? Nope.
Another reason for the Fair Tax on the Federal level and a state version as well.
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You have to wonder what people are thinking. I have heard several times about what the rest of the world thinks about our election.
Here is the deal. The rest of the world doesn't matter....and this is not American arrogance. Let me explain it in simple terms. What does someone in Berlin have to gain or lose by having one candidate or another in power in the United States?
Think about that. I bet many in the Soviet Union were pulling for Jimmy Carter back in 1980. While many under Soviet influence may have been pulling for Ronald Reagan IF they even knew who he was at the time. The media control in the Eastern Bloc was forced by the government.
Very different than the media control here in the United States that is free to be as biased toward Democrats and Liberals as they choose to be.
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Are YOU going to watch Barack Obama's TV ad tonight?
Personally, I am hoping that History replays, "All About Dung" during the same time slot.
I checked, they have "MonsterQuest" about giant spiders.
At least "SpongeBob Squarepants" will be on.
If you have HBO, you can catch "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" because Bernie Goldberg has a piece on there about the Angola Prison Rodeo in Louisiana.
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Have a Great Wednesday. Work hard and earn all you can......soon it may be spread around on your behalf. 
October 28, 2008
28 October 2008 - Short and late entry...
I woke up late this morning, so I did not get to a blog entry early....playing catch up now.
Anyhow, that said, here is a quick entry.
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First, I heard the 2001 Obama radio interview. I will go back to what I said before about That One. He is so glib that you really don't know where he stands on things. I do know that he does believe in CHANGE.
How do I know this? He changes his positions constantly. Is it a tax on 20 percent of capital gains? Or is it 28 percent?
Does he want to spread the wealth around as he told Joe the Plumber.....or something else?
He keeps changing. That is the only change that I sense.
He is politics as usual. I should have voted for Hillary. But I doubt that would have changed anything.
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Joe Wurzelbacher is now on the campaign trail for John McCain.
Interesting.
Once upon a time, Republicans tried to distance themselves from "plumbers" following a different sort of incident.
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I still stick with my belief that Obama supporters are either alright with a little bit of socialism or are incredibly gullible. I am not hearing anyone challenge me on this.
But back to the socialism stance, the McCain campaign committed a huge gaffe by supporting the $700,000,000,000 bailout/buyout. They gave their opposition some ammo to use against them on the socialism front.
BUT both sides are attacking or countering with the socialism issue and both sides are guilty of it.
The bottomline is really all that simple. The Democrats make no secret of pushing us in that direction. The Republicans make only a slight secret of pushing us in that direction. The difference is that the Republicans want to be a bit slower about it.
Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan and Al Smith are ALL spinning in their graves at the thought.
Both parties have left me behind.....are YOU still goosestepping along with a political party??
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The World Series got delayed due to rain last night. Pushed back to Wednesday due to continued rain.
Meanwhile, most of the country asked, "oh..the World Series is still going on?"
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Listeners have noticed what I have noticed, most of the ads running during "Jefferson City's Morning News with Jay Kersting" are political ads. I would put it at about 75 percent this week.
Has a political ad every convinced you to change your mind?
What has swayed me one way or another has been, and only in local races where I know the players, who supports which candidate. If someone that I do not trust supports someone for a certain race, I will vote against that person.
Negative reinforcement.
My advice, be careful who your friends are. It could cost you.
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I included links to the text and video clip of Ronald Reagan's "A Time for Choosing" in yesterday's entry. Several people who took the time to follow the links and read or listen to the speech found some eerie similarities to what we face today.
Take a look. Here is a link back to yesterday's entry....in case you aren't getting this in a format where you can scroll down.
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Have a great Tuesday....more tomorrow morning....or, that is the plan at least.
October 27, 2008
27 October 2008 - 44 years ago, he said it best. Very true today.
It was on this date back in 1964 that some of the most true words in politics were uttered by a former New Deal Democrat.
The speech was called the "A Time for Choosing" speech and it was given in support of Barry Goldwater. [VIDEO can be seen HERE.]
If you know your history, you probably figured out that I am referring to Ronald Reagan. This was two years after he left the Democratic party, but he always said that they left him. It was also two years before his run for California Governor.
One of my favorite quotes came from this speech. "Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
Sorry libs, but this is as true today as it was back then. Hammer back at me if you want, but just like Barry Goldwater, in your heart, you know I am right.
Liberals, including many that I know personally, wish to pick and choose bits and pieces of things from our history to make a point, rather than look at the total context of those same events to see the total cause and effect.
The best example is the way that libs give so much undeserved credit to Bill Clinton over the supposedly strong economy of the 1990's. I say supposedly, because I didn't find that it was THAT good for me. But anyhow, you can pick out little factors of that economy and give credit to the presiding officer. When you look at what got that economy strong, you have to have an understanding of economic cycles and cause and effect. And when you understand those cycles, you know who is to blame for these cycles....and it is NOT the President of the United States and never has been.
They know so much that isn't so.
Like paying more in taxes is patriotic. No Joe, donating MORE to charity is patriotic. Making $250k per year and giving less than $1000 every year is NOT patriotic, Joe. ($3650 by Joe and Jill Biden from 1998-2007...the generosity of the Biden's is overwhelming, huh?)
They know so much that isn't so.
Like forcing Americans to help them "spread the wealth" around. The fact is that when you remove the incentives to work harder, productivity drops. Want proof, look at the Soviet Union. Even China saw their problems and in true Chinese pragmatism adjusted. But Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and the rest of their Democrat co-horts, don't get it.
Because they know so much that isn't so.
I guess when you spend your entire life feeding from the trough, rather that working for a living, I can see how they got to that viewpoint.
It is dangerous. What is more dangerous is the masses that accept the ignorance that they are being fed....by those who know so much that isn't so.
One of those last two groups OUGHT to be ashamed of themselves. BUT, I have my doubts that they have that in them.
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A very interesting look at the College Football season in the Sports Illustrated dated today.
The only problem that I have with it is that it implies that this season is any stranger than any other seasons in recent years.
The BCS is not a good system, but it is what is in place. And that makes things seem more odd than they otherwise would.
Missouri is back up to 14 in the BCS. A ranking that low doesn't mean much, but it does assure that they would be an acceptable choice for a BCS bowl with either an automatic or the unlikely at-large bid. Unlikely...more like nearly impossible with Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State all above them...for now.
As for my alma mater, I did wear the T-Shirt that my friend Roger Thompson gave me back in 2005....but I did cover it up with a sweatshirt. I did not see the person that I wore it in honor of...so, it remained covered.
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Have a great week.
October 24, 2008
24 October 2008 - Are you ready to be RePO'd?
I know that you have heard of things being repo'd. Maybe you remember the scenes in movies like "Stripes" where John Winger lost his car, or in "The Full Monty" where Gerald lost everything but the garden gnomes. (I think one of them later got a job with Travelocity.)
Anyhow, that is NOT what I am referring to.
Have you heard the term RePO Government?
If not, here is what it is. And I thought it was kind of cute.
Re -Reid, as in Harry
P - Pelosi, as in Nancy
O - Obama, as in Barack
Those who most fear the RePO Government will tell you many reasons why, but the biggest goes back to the term repo itself. Even Joe Wurzelbacher gets this basic concept, what motivation does he have, do I have, to work harder and earn more IF the government is just going to take it away from me.
I know, I know, many of you actually believe that Barack Obama is going to cut your taxes. This campaign promise holds as much water as the one that Bill Clinton made back in 1992. Remember? Remember? The tax cuts that not only did we NOT get, but the tax increase we got? And don't try to tell me that helped the economy of the 1990's.....doing so ONLY exposes your ignorance as to how the economy works. (FACT: Federal Tax cuts increase tax collections. Money changes hands more often following cuts, so there is more opportunity to collect taxes. There are other reasons why this works, but that is one example. Look at the Kennedy years and the Reagan years if you don't believe me.)
But this fear of higher taxes is just a Federal Government thing, right?
Nope....locally, there are a lot of concerned people over a change that either the city or county will takeover the Ambulance service.
I haven't decided where I stand, but I am like most people that I talk to. I think of Ambulance service the same way I think of a sink. When I turn on the faucet, I want water. I do not near Joe Wurzelbacher explaining the minute details as to how it gets to me. Same with Ambulance service, when I call 911, I want them to be there. How it is financed is important, but once it is done, just get to us when we need help. That is what most people are telling me.
So this issue is confusing to many, me included. I'll figure out where I stand by November 4th.
Help me when I am hurt, but don't RePO me to get it done. That is all I am asking.
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You want to know what I really fear from a potential RePO Government? I fear losing MY job...and NOT due to general economic reasons.
It is due to Nancy Pelosi and most other Democrats in Congress, including Barack Obama, wanting to restore the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" to radio broadcasters.
For those who do not know what this was, here is a link to wikipedia's entry on the "Fairness Doctrine" and then I will explain it a little bit.
If you read the doctrine itself, it doesn't sound bad. The problem is in a couple of forms. First, it doesn't apply to all media. The internet is one glaring example.
The problem to bringing back to radio is that it will make it nearly impossible to program a talk station. Here is why. For every minute that Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and even Dave Ramsey hammer home one of their points, the local station has to provide an opposing view to those previously expressed views, minute for minute. Democrats say that this would open up more time for local shows.
Let's face it. Some local shows suck. But it is more than that.
It takes away an inexpensive and lucrative means for talk radio stations to make money. Those national shows are a BIG draw for advertisers. Without that draw, added to the increased personnel costs for more local people will make operating a station with this format tough, to say the least.
IF that happens, many owners will simply flip the station to another format.
So, if you you actually believe that Democrats who want to revive this so-called "Fairness Doctrine" and you enjoy talk radio as it currently sits, those two things CANNOT coexist.
I am for ANYTHING that would create more jobs in this industry. But I am also against ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that could cost more jobs in this industry.
So, know that I am voting my paycheck. I understand if you are too. And if my concerns do not mesh with yours, know that it is NOT personal toward you, but that it is personal FOR me.
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Big weekend of football. High school district play continues tonight. It is Bama week for Tennessee fans. The term NOBAMA applies to football this week....and it is multi-partisan in Knoxville right now.
Not that they have much of a chance of winning, but I am still pulling for the Big Orange on Saturday.
I don't want to wear the T-Shirt that Roger Thompson gave me a few years back again on Sunday...as I promised to a friend and former co-worker, Richard Matthews.
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Have a great weekend. Go Vols!!!
October 23, 2008
23 October 2008 - Sifting through the minutia
Have you noticed that Obama and McCain are simply picking apart the minute details of their opponent's plans?
It is even worse than that. The media is digging into the minutia as well.
Mrs. Greenspan had a story about the money the McCain campaign is spending to dress up Sarah Palin. Have you heard how much money that Joe Biden is spending? Or McCain? Or Obama? Meanwhile, Mrs. Greenspan chooses to ignore the dumb comments of Joe Biden. Yeah, NBC never reported the "he will be tested comments" that Senator Biden made. So, if you didn't have proof already that NBC, MSNBC and CNBC were COMPLETELY in the TANK for Barack Obama, here you go. Addition by subtraction. The only ones within that organization who are worse are Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann. Oh, and Rachel Maddow. And even Brian Williams. Aw, the whole organization is bad and biased.
I guess wardrobes are more important than ANOTHER gaffe by Joe Biden. That might actually be a valid point, since Biden makes so many. [I do know the spin, after the fact, is that Biden meant the next President, but that is NOT what he said. He DID SAY Obama. Which is why it is a gaffe.]
Even people in talk radio are trying to find scandal where it isn't. Like Bob Grant, the pinhead out of New York who hammered Obama over his "O" flag.......until it turned out to be the Ohio state flag. Oops.
Or the call that I had yesterday regarding Governor Palin's "in charge of the Senate" comments about the job of Vice President. Splitting of hairs here really. The VP is the "President of the Senate" and officially has three roles. Only two of them are held by the VP only. The first is to break ties. The second is to certify the Electoral College vote. But the third is the one where the discussion got into the absurd. The third job is to PRESIDE over the Senate.
Preside is defined a few ways by Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary. First, to exercise guidance, direction or control. Second, to occupy the place of authority. Third, to occupy a position of featured instrumental performer.
In actual play, the Vice President has the authority to show up everyday and preside over the actions and activities of the United States Senate. No VP in recent history has done that. And I am not sure if that is a good or bad use of the time for that office.
But, to dig into the minutia, the VP can be there. The VP can lead the Senate from the standpoint of running the rules of order of the Senate. The VP can wield some influence by simply being there.
So, was Governor Palin right? Yes. But no.
Depends on what side of the minutia dig you are on.
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Digging further into the minutia, looking at the tax plans of the candidates.
Barack Obama has promised a tax cut for 95 percent of working families. Note the term and the qualifier.
Tax cut - a reduction in the amount paid in taxes.
Sounds good to me.
But if 40 percent of more of the people do not pay income taxes, how do you cut nothing. Simple mathematics taught me that zero divided by any other whole number, positive or negative is still zero.
Ah, but the fact that taxes are paid on behalf of those people via payroll taxes, etc., gives an argument for cutting a check. OK, I can buy that. Not sure I agree, but I can buy it.
Working families - uh, families that work? In my house, we have two employed residents and two who are not employed, but are students. Do we qualify? I guess, but I honestly don't know.
McCain wants to keep the tax cuts that have fueled more revenue to the Federal coffers. He also wants what he wanted when he initially voted against those tax cuts, spending cuts. That seems to me to be the best way to balance a budget. I base that on my experience. I can't buy new stuff when I lack green stuff.
Now, let me say this, both of these guys have a some merit to their plans.
Let's take the checks to the people from Obama and add that to the spending cuts of McCain.
By now, you are thinking I am completely nuts, and you may be right. BUT, there is a method to my madness.
It is called the FairTax.
I put the link there for a reason, so look at it. 
Too many politicians are feeding lies about this plan. Even one who is seeking the seat being vacated by Congressman Kenny Hulshof....and she OUGHT to be ashamed of herself.
The Fair Tax plan gets rid of the income tax, PERIOD. It replaces the income tax with a embedded point of sale sales tax of 23 percent. The net result is that the prices on NEW goods and services will not change. WILL NOT CHANGE. For the thickheaded and closed-minded out there who do not get it, the price of your beer will NOT CHANGE.
Your employer will not pay payroll taxes. Your employer will not withhold income taxes any longer for the Feds.
OH, and the check thing. How about getting a check EVERY month for your household to cover the taxes for all purchases up to the poverty level? Talk about economic stimulus.
Another added benefit to the FairTax is the lack of corporate taxes. THAT will draw more jobs to the United States from around the world. More importantly, it will draw off shore investments back to the USA.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, the FairTax would take a lot of power OUT of Washington and put it in the hands of the people.
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The biggest problem with health care in America is not the lack of coverage. It is not the increasing costs. Both of those are big problems.
The cost of TIME WASTED while waiting to receive services is the BIGGEST problem.
Tuesday afternoon, I had to take Alex back to the Orthopedic specialist. His appointment was at 3:30. We were there at 3:20. We were taken back to the room to see the doctor at 4:07. We were seen by the doctor at 4:13. Alex was taken for another X-ray at 4:20. Alex was seen by the doctor again at 4:32. We left at 4:39.
I cannot complain about much after 4:07, but the first 37 minutes of wasted time is indicative of a big problem that has existed for years with the medical profession.
Why is this a problem? Simple, the current structure of the medical office is such that you have to jam as many patients in to as little time as possible so that they can cover their costs.
AH HA! It is back to rising costs. Yeah, it is. It is like that old public service announcement about the guy doing cocaine, so that he can work longer and make more money so that he can do more cocaine, so that he can work longer and make more money so that he can do more cocaine........
The fix? Increase competition via health clinics and through tort reform.
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Have a great Thursday.
October 22, 2008
22 October 2008 - What would Curly do?
Jerome Horwitz was born on this day back in 1903.
Curly Howard is not an example of a man than many look up to, nor am I saying that he should be.
But he did bring laughs to a lot of people, and is that so bad?
Just wanted to note this.
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Speaking of Curly Howard, it just sits in my mind that Barack Obama is so glib that he could go on for thirty minutes or more on the merits of Joe DeRita as a Stooge. And you might actually walk away thinking that Joe was worthy of the screen time that he did get with Moe and Larry.
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Yesterday, I made the comment on the show that I thought it was a stupid move foe Joe Biden to bring up that Barack Obama would be challenged in the first few months of his Presidency by an international event.
Most Presidents get these challenges. Biden makes a very good point.
He shouldn't have brought it up.
Why? Is there a reason to highlight a perceived weakness in your running mate, Joe? Really?
If there is a concern, keep that close to your vest. I would think that building a fear around your side of the ballot would be an insanely idiotic thing to do.
Why did he do it? Is he really trying to kill his campaign? Is he arrogant enough to believe that it is over?
No idea. But again, while a valid point, it was stupid to bring it up.
Don't give your enemy ammunition.
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What do you think about the Presidency being bought and paid for?
I really want to know your thoughts on this issue.
Now, I find this rather disturbing, but I do not have a good solution to kill this trend.
I also don't want you thinking that I am jumping on Barack Obama for buying the White House. I personally think that when he broke is promise, creating a lie, to accept public financing he moved in this direction.
But if you look at the money from the two candidates added to the money from their parties, the difference is only about $40,000,000.
And we all know that $40,000,000 is just a drop in the bucket for the candidates and the parties they represent. It is a far cry from the $700,000,000,000 just threw out.
What is the solution? No idea. But the status quo simply will not do. This IS a problem and there is a solution.
But that is something that is above my paygrade.
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The World Series gets underway this evening. Phillies and Rays
The Philadelphia Phillies are the losingest (is that a word, or have I been listening to the President too long) sports franchise in history.
The Tampa Bay Rays were finally able to get the "Devil" out of them this season. They shed that part of their moniker and tweaked their uniforms. That must be all that it took.
DO you care?
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It is Bama week. That means little to those outside of Tennessee and Alabama.
The game is to be played on Shields-Watkins Field at Neyland Stadium on Saturday. Alabama is currently ranked number TWO. (Lots of childish jokes that I can make here...but stick with me....) Tennessee, aside from this past game, plays like Number Two...rank..not the ranking.
This will not be one of those classic games. Certainly not like that FIVE overtime game at Bryant-Denny Stadium a few years back.
It is a rivalry game. While I do not think that my guys can stick with them, I will not be surprised if they keep it close or shock the Crimson Tide.
OK, I am telling a lie. Been watching politicians too long. I will be shocked if Tennessee is within two touchdowns at halftime.
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Have a great Wednesday. If you have any answers to my questions, post them or shoot me an e-mail.
October 20, 2008
20 October 2008 - This guy thinks this helps his cause....
Nuts come from all points on the political spectrum. Last week, I encountered another one.
This one first stumbled across the blog site and commented on how the Constitution does not forbid a political party from hold all three branches of government. This was in response to my commentary over a concern of the consolidation of power. He completely missed my point.
Then it got worse. This person decided to send me this series of e-mails that were peppered not with just his opinion, but with a series of lies and distortions.
First came this one:
"I don’t believe I ever suggested or even mentioned that single party control of all 3 branches of the government was necessarily a good thing, only what separation of powers means. It depends on the morality of those in control. We are just ending 8 years of gross immorality and illegality under a gang of hoodlums and goons not unlike those you mention.
What surprises me is that anyone would support a man who marched in lockstep with these criminals and supported virtually every single one of those policies you Repubs now are reaping the rewards of and complaining like hell, as indeed you should. Top that off with senility and the great likelihood of death in office, and McShame would leave us the ultimate legacy of an Alaskan airhead to negotiate with Vladimir Putin.
What in the hell are you guys thinking?"
My response was as follows...
"Wow! The insults that you filled your response to me are amazing. Really? Proud of yourself?
First, I am NOT a Republican. I think I have made that clear in my previous writings and on my show regularly. I have mentioned that I support Senator McCain because I agree with a lot of what he says, does and what makes him different from George W. Bush. So, that said, I am not one of "you guys" as you closed with.
"Gross immorality and illegality under a gang of hoodlums and goons"? Like the last 8 have been any different than the previous 8? Really? Check your ideology and look at the gang that Clinton had in there with him.
Senility....that's good. I'd take the RISK of senility, which is addressed by the 25th Amendment...as an Attorney, you SHOULD know that, over the outright incompetence that we would get under and Obama administration. Sorry, but looking at who his political operatives are and the company that he keeps, I'd rather have him stay in the senate.
But the bigger point is this, I fear a consolidation of powers. Period. Wasn't good when Julius Caesar did it. Wasn't/Isn't good under most monarchies, isn't under a dictatorship, won't be good in the United States of America. NO MATTER WHICH PARTY.
I will suggest to you what I suggest to everyone. Check your ideology on occasion. Back in February, I talked and wrote about how I thought it was going to be great to see these two men running as their parties nominees. BOTH have disappointed me. Obama has run 1300+ to McCain's 80+ negative ads. Guess that helps by having more money....that he got by breaking a promise that he made. He has a history of that.
Barack Obama has accomplished nothing. Inspires people, and that I don't understand. But I never understood how lots of others got inspired by other leaders. I do know that it was not his record.
John McCain's book "Faith of my Fathers" gave me a better understanding and respect for him back in 1999. He is not the same man that he was then, we all change. But he has a record of reaching across the aisle. He has a record of taking it to his own party. Democrats wanted him as VP four years ago, what does that say?
I appreciate your insight. But you completely missed my point. Party affiliation may be the cause. I support a candidate on issues, NEVER on party.
I agree with George Washington. Too bad you and too many others do not see the wisdom of that great man."
So, I was rather direct in my response, but that is my nature. Feelings be damned, I work to make my point.
In this next exchange, I learn something about this inDUHvidual that really doesn't help his cause. Then again, the more this guy writes, the more he hurts his cause. Why? Let me just say lets play a little version of "Where's Waldo" but instead of a man in a red and white striped hat, lets find his lies. This is not difficult.
He responded:
"I have no idea who you are but if I insulted you by inferring from your comments that you were a Republican, I apologize. I re-read my email and couldn’t find any other place wherein I insulted you but if your feelings were hurt nevertheless, I regret that, too.
I’m a university professor and teach only graduate students, most of whom are mature adults and who, by virtue of their experience as graduate students, are accustomed to blunt talk, and are not easily offended or intimidated. They also are very knowledgeable and outspoken, and my “ideology” as you described it, is tested almost daily.
I would have guessed that you majored in history because you dwell on the past a lot and appear almost obsessed with a fear of totalitarianism. For that reason I also would have thought you would have had grave concerns about the tenor of the past seven and a half years, when the current administration took us further down that path than any other in our history. I teach, write about and am active in the defense of civil liberties embodied in the Constitution and especially the Bill of Rights, and thus am closely attuned to the abuses of our Constitution during the past seven years.
Senator McCain has been allied with those who have broken and thumbed their noses at the supreme law of the land, the Constitution. His failure to stand up to those abuses and unlawful actions by his own party and the President is what concerns me most about him. He is no maverick but has made a career of posing as one plus a “war hero.” I don’t fault him for spilling his guts to the Viet Cong to win more favorable treatment from his captors. Hell, I would have told the enemy anything they wanted to hear before they even had a chance to torture me. But I do fault him for coming home and building a career on phony war hero claims. He shifted the burdens of torture onto his own comrades in captivity. It is too much also to profit from those actions.
He seeks now to distance himself from Mr. Bush and his policies, because Mr. Bush has fallen so dramatically from grace, and many Americans, side tracked by the induced fears of terrorism, have finally figured out what hit them economically under the radical economic policies and politics of the New Amerikan Century. But McCain was and is a faithful follower of that same line of extremism. Only last night, he again urged that the enormous tax cuts awarded to America’s richest by Mr. Bush, be made permanent, and promised even more tax breaks for the wealthiest, if elected. Being a member of that same elite economic class, by virtue of his marriage to the spousally abused but very rich Cindy, he understands their needs and empathizes with their feelings of neglect and their lack of quality housing in more than 4 countries.
I am familiar with the 25th Amendment, which was passed in my lifetime following the assassination of John Kennedy. I also am familiar with the fact that the relevant clause never has been invoked and wouldn’t help anyway, because we still would be burdened with the empty-headed Ms. Palin as next in the line of succession. Ronald Reagan probably already suffered from Altzheimers when he took office in 1981. Well before the end of his 2d term he was virtually drooling and almost incapable of forming complete sentences, let alone having coherent thoughts. But who would have had the temerity to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the Great Ex-Communicator from office?
Penultimately, I do support political parties, because parties, unlike individuals stand for principles no matter who the main individual is. An individual is more susceptible to personal ambition, a sense of entitlement and a cult of hero worship than is a political party made up of millions. I vote for principles, not personalities, which often are faked.
Lastly, your main hero, General Washington, about whom many glowing tales have been fashioned, such as the cherry tree and his “noble” refusal of pay as General of the American Army, was himself as corrupt, if not more so than any of his contemporaries. I commend to you a very interesting book by Marvin Kitman, George Washington’s Expense Account, Grove Press, 2001. George practically invented the concept of the well-padded expense account.
Throughout my career I have searched for an historical example of a incorruptible political leader. The only person I have ever found who, to my knowledge and that of his contemporaries and historians, achieved that status was Emiliano Zapata. He could not be bought off, as was true of most of his contemporaries in the Mexican Revolution, and refused the Presidency when offered it as a means of placating him.
Zapata walked, alone and unarmed, into what he knew was an ambush planned by the ambitious Mexican General, Victoriano Huerta. Huerta had been ordered to seek out and kill Zapata, using any means he deemed necessary, because he wouldn’t cooperate with the newest gang of thieves who had seized power, and continued to foment revolt against them. Zapata understood that only his own death would end the merciless slaughter of hundreds of Mexican peasants and the burning of their villages by Huerta and his caudillos because they refused to give up Zapata’s whereabouts.
That is a real war hero, not McFake."
How many lies, distortions and unflattering insinuations did you find? Well, I lost count. Blame it on ADHD....or equate it to counting stars in the sky.
OK, so this guy is a died in the wool liberal. Nah, that is an understatement. This guy is a RABID liberal.
That said, I responded with:
I am a thick skinned guy. I was not offended at any insults other than your insinuation that I was a member of any political party. I do think that you played fast and loose with facts, and that was especially illustrated by your comments about John McCain "spilling his guys to the Viet Cong to win more favorable treatment from his captors"....untrue and you should really be ashamed of yourself for saying it. But I do not expect shame to come from a Democrat. (Nor a Republican.)
First, McCain was not held by the Viet Cong. He was held by the North Vietnamese military. There is a difference and I would hope that someone in a position to educate would know that. Second, he was beaten to within an inch of his life on a number of occasions and during one of those times he did record and sign a statement that they put in front of him. Something that he has stated has been a source of shame throughout the rest of his life. Col. Bud Day, a Medal of Honor winner, backs up this account and has for over 35 years. Until he passed away, Admiral James Stockdale backed up this account. Norris Overly has as well. You want to smear him, fine. It shows YOU for who you are.
Next you go further by attacking President Reagan as "probably already suffered from Alzheimers" when he became President. Really? You are an expert on this terrible disease? Interesting. Nice to know.
I know myths about Washington portray him to be a perfect man and that he was not. Obviously...and any fair and clear minded person does get this. But he DID warn about political parties. And I do agree with him. Organizations that operate to control government from outside the structure are more able to be corrupted for the benefit of themselves and NOT for benefit of the people. I said that Washington was a great man. Again, I never said that he was perfect. You do not think he was a great man? OK. You can have your opinion and you can back it up, but I will disagree with you.
Barack Obama has been a recipient of many benefactors. George Soros being one bad, bad person that has been a big supporter of him. But I will not twist facts and spread lies about Obama.
Nor will I of the great hero of the Democratic Party, William Jefferson Clinton. Everything bad that Bush has done, I cannot argue with. I will state that the previous eight years were no picnic then. Am I better off today than I was eight years ago? Damned right. Am I better off than I was sixteen years ago? Yeah, probably. But I was worse off in 1994-1999. I do not put the blame on Bill Clinton. I do not put the blame on Congress. I put the blame on ME. Apparently, I am unique in doing that. THAT is sad.
As for Zapata, some good points about him. I have not researched him fully. I do not expect that I would find him without fault, we ALL have faults. Period.
My best college professor was Dr. Roy Ambrester. Dr. Ambrester is an unabashed liberal who challenged his students to debate. Blunt talk would be an understatement. He pushed me to lock up in debates with him. I was a 31 year old undergrad when I met him. Our discussions led the rest of the class, full of 20 and 21 year olds, to feel free to jump in. He made all of us think and RETHINK our views. He admitted that he felt the way that he did based on his life experience and that we probably did, the younger ones especially, on how they were raised. He challenged us. He actually made some liberal students lean more conservative and some more conservatives lean more liberal. That is a good thing.
And Dr. Ambrester never ONCE told us lies and half truths, nor distortions to make a point. Re-read YOUR last e-mail. You have done that. If you do that to your students, I fear for our future.
I may be just a guy with a microphone, a blog page and a simple bachelors degree. You may want to dismiss me because I do not meet the background to get your respect. That's fine. Because I often use my microphone, blog page and my experience in earning that bachelors degree to point out how often people are educated beyond their intellect. I do not know if that is you, but you have probably encountered that type in your professional and personal life.
I appreciate your passion, but I really do not like your tactics. I would hope that you would find the time to reassess what you have done in these exchanges. I vote issues and prefer to discuss issues, not throw out insults like calling people empty headed. Do you really think that this helps you? It makes you look petty to me. But if you feel better about yourself, if this is what you need to build yourself up by tearing people down, I am sorry. This is not a good way to go through life, in my opinion. Apparently, you find that it works for you. That is sad and again I feel sorry for you.
You seem like an intelligent guy. Misguided and sad in your approach, but clearly misguided. I cannot understand you and people who act like you. But the more you share these views, the more you will probably hurt your cause.
Feel free to attack me. Do so with facts. Call me fat, ugly, uneducated, whatever you need to do to feel better about yourself. I hope you understand now I am receiving you. Others may feel the same, but will not waste their time sharing this with you.
Maybe this will help you become a better person overall.
But guessing from his next response, he did not take my suggestions for personal development to heart. But rather, he wanted to tell me how good he already was. Really? I haven't seen it.
"I couldn’t help but be reminded that your descriptions of Dr. Ambrester reminded me a little bit of the anonymous, end of semester course evaluations from my own students. Of course I don’t pretend to measure up to the high standards set by Dr. Ambrester, but then we only have a sample of one evaluation for him, yours. J Sorry for the gaps between sections but the Excel spread sheets possess a format only god could understand.
You are right. I need to avoid arguing with someone with so much anger. You are not thick skinned or you wouldn’t need to make a point of it. Almost anything sets you off.
Nonetheless, I wish you well and I hope you get back to your Democratic roots and values. People like Bushwhacked and McShame have no scruples and I think you are better than that, just very angry. Figure out what you’re really angry about."
Sets me off? Angry? This is a person who lacks the ability to read the sarcasm that I peppered throughout my responses. Which tells me that this is a person who doesn't GET the medium that I work in.
I try to explain, but by this point I think that I have encountered another one of those people who are educated beyond his intellect.
"You just don't get me and that is fine. I am SO not an angry person. I laugh much more often than I do any thing else. I just do not like those who spread lies as you did in your e-mails.
I am not thin skinned. I do not take these comments personally, but again, I do not like those who spread lies. IF I took it personally, that would be thin skinned.
I do not like those who call names. I quit doing that, generally, by the time I finished the eighth grade. I would have expected more by someone who is my senior, chronologically speaking.
If you want more recommendations on Dr. Ambrester, I am sure that you could find them. All of my classmates agreed....our final exam, in one of the two classes I had with him, was wrapped up with dinner at the nicest restaurant in town....and the class picked up his part of the bill.
I should at least add this. Thank you for taking the time to sample the blog. I do not know what brought you to it, but since I get readers in places like Wembley, England, UK and Hanoi, Vietnam, I am never surprised to see who checks out my little time waster.
And you make some good points, but I think you hurt yourself and your arguments with the lies and insults. Stick to the ideas. Much more effective in communicating the thoughts. Never give your adversary ammunition."
Again, I try to offer advise. But the professor doesn't want to follow it. Rather, he wants to throw more insults. My eyes continue to roll, but because it is SOOOO funny, I will continue to post his responses.
"Jay, You remind me of a former student who was a Pentecostal zealot. He, like you, told me I just didn’t “get it.” He “got it” and wanted to help me “get it.” Apparently there is a belief that if others don’t agree with you it’s their fault; they just don’t get it. The thing that’s not clear is what “it” is.
I took time out today to attend a real circus, with my granddaughter. I thought about the ringmaster and the hype he gave the public about the daring feats of the performers, as a part of his job. If he told the truth the circus goers would be unhappy and he would be sacked.
This led me to think about you, and your morning job, delivering hype to the lonely and uninformed. I’ve wondered why people go into that line of work. I think it must be a feeling of power, of “getting it” when others don’t.
There are those who lie, and those who accuse others of lying in order not to disturb their own, comforting feelings of being the real defenders of truth, of “getting it.”
You wield some modicum of power in southern Missouri, or wherever it is you hold forth. I don’t know, perhaps as many as 10 thousand listen to your hype. At the same time, it’s well known that people listen to talk radio that agrees with and reinforces their own beliefs. You tell them what they want to hear, or they’ll tune you out and you’ll be sacked. But it’s easy, because they “get it.” "
OK, so now he has compared me to a Pentecostal zealot and a circus ringmaster. And he thinks that I have some sort of power. Really? I learned along time ago that as a radio talk show host, the best you can hope for is a bunch of listeners, never followers. But this is a person who doesn't get how talk radio works and makes some big assumptions about those who do listen to talk radio.
That is what makes this professor dangerous.
So, I respond again.
"The difference between you and me is quite simple. I do not spread lies. You do. I pointed some of these out from your e-mails.
Let me reiterate. You are a liar. Again, I am not. No misdirection plays. No sleight of hand. Not a ringmaster, but I can see where you could find some in my line of work might be doing that.
I can say the same for those in education. Especially those who have to encounter liars as their educators.
So far I have learned that you are an educated man, but yet you do not know basic history nor geography. And that you try the misdirection, sleight of hand and other deception while accusing me of the same.
I find you amusing. Troubled, but amusing. I get a chuckle out of your e-mails."
And I do find this amusing. Apparently, he does not realize how funny he is. His lies are so obvious to me and a lot of others, that I get a chuckle from them. Ignorant masses may not see through him, which is the dangerous side of the professor.
Anyhow, I really hope that his students in Austin, Texas, realize this. Because I do worry about the education that they are getting.
Anyhow, he decides to pull the plug on these exchanges. Here is his final response.
"You remind me of a schoolyard kid, shouting at another, “Liar, liar, pants on fire.” To paraphrase a familiar line, “Schoolyard taunts are the last refuge of a scoundrel.” You’re probably a super patriot, too, so it works for both.
But you are mistaken, Jay, the difference(s) between us are so enormous as to fill a small volume and defy your comprehension.
Here’s one more of them. I don’t get a chuckle from your emails. You are a dangerous individual and a threat to the good common sense of your audience, if they pay any attention to you, and a threat to the commonweal if they do. This is not about infantile one up-man-ship. It’s about the continuing welfare of millions of American families and the safety of billions of others throughout the world.
Senator McCain is a dangerous, emotionally crippled, intellectually stunted, hot-headed bully with a militaristic bent, running for the most powerful political office in the world, who sings children’s ditties with the refrain “Bomb Iran,” running for office with a woman repudiated by NOW and every other serious women’s group in America, but the darling of the male redneck crowd who attend her rallies, in their own words, to see her “knockers,” neither of whom is endorsed by the NY Times, the LA Times, the Washington Post or 13 other major daily newspapers (all of which are owned or controlled by conservative, Republican individuals or corporations that previously endorsed King George; and have been attacked by Nazi organizations because of their current endorsements). In fact, at last count, M&P have been endorsed by “0” news organizations. But you, standing alone, waving the flag, are encouraging your own backwoods, closet racist listeners to vote for the hate mongering and incompetent duo of McCain-Palin.
I don’t want to receive further correspondence from you. But I recognize that you probably need to have the last word, so with you next email you’ve got it. I’m bowing out."