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An Obama/Biden Prediction

Okay, I hit my head on the shower door this morning and had a vision of the future that I thought I’d share with you, just for fun.

Let’s assume that Barack Obama is presently thinking (in light of the Palin wave) that he made a dreadful political mistake in NOT choosing Hillary Clinton for the number two spot and would now like to rectify that error.

Here are three things we know for sure:

1. Biden has been strangely quiet for a few days. 
2. Obama is having a meeting with Bill & Hillary for undisclosed reasons. 
3. Biden said publicly yesterday, “Hillary probably would have been a better choice.”
   

Here’s my prediction for what may occur in the next few days:

Biden will announce that he is voluntarily withdrawing from the ticket “for the good of the party.”  This will protect both his honor and Obama’s honor (though I believe the idea will not have come from Biden).  Hillary will then be named to the number two spot to pull the independent female electorate back away from Palin.

I see two things that could keep this from happening:

1. Hillary may refuse.  After all, as it is, she can run again in four years.  If she joins the ticket she will likely have to wait eight. 
2. Obama’s advisors may talk him out of it, seeing a danger of such a move backfiring by giving the Republicans ammunition for attacking his judgment and decision-making ability. They may also warn him that such a move would even be too jarring for his base.

The Unsinkable Palin?

A few months ago, while watching her being interviewed on the Glenn Beck program, I thought to myself that Sarah Palin could be the Vice President that would restore some of my confidence in the Republican Party.  Needless to say, I was delighted to hear of her being chosen for the ticket.  My confidence in her has been bolstered by the disgusting attacks of the liberals as their subhuman attacks upon her family betray that they are frightened by this woman who offers them no legitimate bait for attack.  She has been more completely scrutinized and attacked by the libs and mainstream media over the last five days than Obama has been since launching his campaign.

I looked forward to her speech, wondering if she would be able to deliver the goods and watching for weaknesses.  I saw none.  And now today I learn that midway through the speech her teleprompter malfunctioned and she winged the second half.

As the speech drew to a close I thought to myself, "I'm not just watching a vice presidential candidate.  I'm watching the first female president of the United States."  Hopefully she will prove to be as unsinkable as I perceive her to be.

Hype: The Obama Effect

Obama; The Anointed One

The anointed one's pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action - and a blessing to all his faithful followers

And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.

When he was twelve years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, arguing the finer points of community organization with the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: “Verily, who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?”

In the great Battles of Caucus and Primary he smote the conniving Hillary, wife of the deposed King Bill the Priapic and their barbarian hordes of Working Class Whites.

And so it was, in the fullness of time, before the harvest month of the appointed year, the Child ventured forth - for the first time - to bring the light unto all the world.

He traveled fleet of foot and light of camel, with a small retinue that consisted only of his loyal disciples from the tribe of the Media. He ventured first to the land of the Hindu Kush, where the Taleban had harboured the viper of al-Qaeda in their bosom, raining terror on all the world.

And the Child spake and the tribes of Nato immediately loosed the Caveats that had previously bound them. And in the great battle that ensued the forces of the light were triumphant. For as long as the Child stood with his arms raised aloft, the enemy suffered great blows and the threat of terror was no more.

From there he went forth to Mesopotamia where he was received by the great ruler al-Maliki, and al-Maliki spake unto him and blessed his Sixteen Month Troop Withdrawal Plan even as the imperial warrior Petraeus tried to destroy it.

And lo, in Mesopotamia, a miracle occurred. Even though the Great Surge of Armour that the evil Bush had ordered had been a terrible mistake, a waste of vital military resources and doomed to end in disaster, the Child's very presence suddenly brought forth a great victory for the forces of the light.

And the Persians, who saw all this and were greatly fearful, longed to speak with the Child and saw that the Child was the bringer of peace. At the mention of his name they quickly laid aside their intrigues and beat their uranium swords into civil nuclear energy plowshares.

From there the Child went up to the city of Jerusalem, and entered through the gate seated on an ass. The crowds of network anchors who had followed him from afar cheered “Hosanna” and waved great palm fronds and strewed them at his feet.

In Jerusalem and in surrounding Palestine, the Child spake to the Hebrews and the Arabs, as the Scripture had foretold. And in an instant, the lion lay down with the lamb, and the Israelites and Ishmaelites ended their long enmity and lived for ever after in peace.

As word spread throughout the land about the Child's wondrous works, peoples from all over flocked to hear him; Hittites and Abbasids; Obamacons and McCainiacs; Cameroonians and Blairites.

And they told of strange and wondrous things that greeted the news of the Child's journey. Around the world, global temperatures began to decline, and the ocean levels fell and the great warming was over.

The Great Prophet Algore of Nobel and Oscar, who many had believed was the anointed one, smiled and told his followers that the Child was the one generations had been waiting for.

And there were other wonderful signs. In the city of the Street at the Wall, spreads on interbank interest rates dropped like manna from Heaven and rates on credit default swaps fell to the ground as dead birds from the almond tree, and the people who had lived in foreclosure were able to borrow again.

Black gold gushed from the ground at prices well below $140 per barrel. In hospitals across the land the sick were cured even though they were uninsured. And all because the Child had pronounced it.

And this is the testimony of one who speaks the truth and bears witness to the truth so that you might believe. And he knows it is the truth for he saw it all on CNN and the BBC and in the pages of The New York Times.

Then the Child ventured forth from Israel and Palestine and stepped onto the shores of the Old Continent. In the land of Queen Angela of Merkel, vast multitudes gathered to hear his voice, and he preached to them at length.

But when he had finished speaking his disciples told him the crowd was hungry, for they had had nothing to eat all the hours they had waited for him.

And so the Child told his disciples to fetch some food but all they had was five loaves and a couple of frankfurters. So he took the bread and the frankfurters and blessed them and told his disciples to feed the multitudes. And when all had eaten their fill, the scraps filled twelve baskets.

Thence he traveled west to Mount Sarkozy. Even the beauteous Princess Carla of the tribe of the Bruni was struck by awe and she was great in love with the Child, but he was tempted not.

On the Seventh Day he walked across the Channel of the Angles to the ancient land of the hooligans. There he was welcomed with open arms by the once great prophet Blair and his successor, Gordon the Leper, and his successor, David the Golden One.

And suddenly, with the men appeared the archangel Gabriel and the whole host of the heavenly choir, ranks of cherubim and seraphim, all praising God and singing: “Yes, We Can.”

Gerard Baker; TimesOnline

Barr Campaign: "New Polling Numbers"

Dear Friend,

After an eventful week and holiday weekend, we're ready for yet another week of strong gains.

First and foremost, let me say THANK YOU! We made our holiday goal of raising $88,000 by July 4th!

In other good news, yesterday Bob appeared on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" as well as "CNN Newsroom."  The ABC appearance was even posted on the front page of Yahoo!

To top off the end of a great week, late last night we received an alert from the polling firm, Zogby International.

In the first comprehensive general election poll (a sample of over 46,000 likely voters), Bob Barr is now at six percent nationally!

What does this mean for us?

Before we've even raised our first million or obtained even a smidgen of media comparable to Obama or McCain, Bob Barr is already polling at six percent!

Let me give you the reaction of David Beiler, our political analyst who worked with Ross Perot during his '92 and '96 campaigns.  When he saw the poll, David's immediate reaction was, "WOW! This is fantastic!" 

David was there in 1992 when Ross Perot, then polling at seven percent nationally, was included in the debates with Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.

There are many reasons why this is great news for us but when I read the poll, two words came to my mind immediately: four points.

Four percentage points are all that we need to get into the Google/YouTube presidential debate that is scheduled for September 18th.

According to the debate rules we need to break ten percent in at least three polls before the debate starts in New Orleans.

This is an achievable goal if we all work together to make it happen.

Please do all that you can to spread the word about our campaign.  Hit the Internet and hit the streets and let your friends and family know that there is a better choice for America: His name is Bob Barr.

In Liberty,

Shane Cory
Deputy Campaign Manager
Bob Barr 2008

Spoiling the Status Quo

What follows is the text of my column in the Ledger-Enquirer of Columbus, GA where I serve on the editorial board.

On June 18^th Insider Advantage/PollPosition conducted a survey of registered likely voters in Georgia and found that alongside of McCain’s polling position of 44% and Obama’s position of 43%, Libertarian candidate Bob Barr received a respectable 6% of the polling results. Being a strong showing for a third-party candidate, these results created no small stir in the G.O.P. On June 18^th an Associated Press story in the Ledger-Enquirer reported concern among members of the Republican Party that Barr’s performance in the election could have a spoiling effect on the McCain campaign. G.O.P. consultant Dan Schnur was quoted as saying, “Bob could be the Ralph Nader of 2008.”

The Bob Barr campaign seems to be creating three camps among the American electorate. Supporters of Barack Obama are likely cheering him on as they do their math and count on a vote for Barr being a vote not cast for McCain. McCain’s supporters, on the other hand, have perhaps decided that a third party candidate, in this election cycle, is not good for America because this particular third party candidate is not good for the John McCain campaign. The third camp consists of those previously unheard, unseen voters who are now coming into view on a rising tide of discontent with the condition of our republic and are willing to abandon the status quo of American politics for a cause far greater than a single candidate.

So who are these voters who will “throw away” their vote by “spoiling” the Republican campaign? They are people who reflect deeply upon our past, are asking questions about our present, and worry about our future. The people of this camp are curious about how we became a nation that will carelessly incur insurmountable debt and simply pass it on to the next generation to carry. They are wondering why we feel it necessary to police the world with nearly 700 military bases in approximately 130 countries. They can’t understand why the Legislative Branch now attempts to do the work of the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch now attempts to do the work of the Legislative Branch, while the Executive Branch does whatever the hell it wants. And they are expressing a growing concern over the increasing clandestine socialist intrusion of federal government into life, industry, and commerce.

They are men and women who have heard the words of people like Ron Paul, and now Bob Barr, and resonate with their message of change. And they are unwilling to swoon over slogans and empty platitudes because they believe that real change is found in returning to a commitment to the Constitutional restraints upon federal government and the principles and practices of our founding fathers.

They have become convinced that with each election cycle in our two-party system, more and more Americans are finding themselves disenfranchised from the opportunity to vote their convictions and are instead relegated to voting for the lesser of two evils. They are individuals who are looking at a much bigger picture than just this election and just these candidates. They are taking a long view on America’s future. When they cast their vote in November, they will not simply be casting their vote for a man, but they will be casting their vote for a movement that they believe could restore to America that which made her great: a Constitutionally restrained government with sovereignty resting in the people, individual freedom, and an ethic of personal responsibility.

There are those who observe the Barr presidential campaign, or Ron Paul’s newly launched Campaign for Liberty and the people who support them, and regard them as foolish ideologues hopelessly stuck in a long forgotten Jeffersonian Ideal. They consider them to be dreamers of a peaceful revolution in a world where such revolution cannot exist outside the pages of a history textbook. And they encourage them to, for the sake of tranquility, not create futile and unimpressive ripples in the political waters. But one should never underestimate the power of a rising tide. When full grown and unleashed it can destroy strongholds and forever reshape the landscape.

 

   

Finally, A Real Choice For President

A Plea for Electoral Competence

“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” ~ John F. Kennedy

If the electoral primary season was a bellwether of voter turnout in November, this presidential election could elicit the largest poll participation in recent memory. According to the Associated Press, a record-breaking two million plus voters participated in the February 5^th Georgia primary. On January 8^th the Boston Globe quoted one New Hampshire poll worker as saying, “This is the biggest turnout we have ever seen.” The February 10^th Los Angeles Times reported that, of the completed primaries at that time, twelve states had seen record turnout in their Democratic primaries and eleven states had broken records in their Republican contests.

In a Democratic society, the free and open election of national leaders is not only the most important civic duty with which we are entrusted, but it is a privilege rarely seen throughout the history of mankind. The freedom to enter a polling place and choose those who will lead your nation is a freedom that has been purchased with much blood and many tears. Not only is it a testament to the success of the American experiment, such freedom continues to shine as a beacon of hope to those who continue to live under the oppressive dictates of self-absorbed despots.

A very wise man once said, “To whom much is given, much is required.” The duty, privilege, and historical mandate with which we will enter our voting booths this fall requires that we be good stewards of our vote. The future of our democracy, and the future of our well-being and the well-being of our children, demands that we not allow ourselves to be swept into the polling place on a wave of emotion, sentimentality, party allegiance, or obsession with race or gender. Instead, we must walk confidently into the polls as men and women who have carefully weighed both the vision and the character of the candidates. 

We must be willing to ask ourselves some prerequisite questions and take the time to find the answers. What directions are the candidates proposing to take our country? What policies do they want to implement? What will the effect of those policies be upon our quality of life as a civilization? How will their policies affect our standing in an ever-shrinking global community? Do the candidates present a vision for America that is consistent with the vision of our founding fathers and our founding documents? And finally, has my candidate of choice demonstrated the character and integrity required of the one who will hold the most powerful office in the world?

Sir Winston Churchill once said, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” If he were alive today, may it be that his conversations with those who vote in November would convince him that the fight for self-government was a good, and worthy cause.

An Hour With Bob Barr

Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr is tonight's guest on the Glenn Beck Program on CNN Headline News.   He will be on the show for the full hour answering questions about all things political.  What follows is my summary of his key points throughout the interview.  It won't be an eloquent, flowing post.  It looks more like quickly scribbled notes during a college lecture.  Where you see questions asked, those were the questions asked by Beck.

Segment One:
Is voting for Barr throwing away your vote?  According to Barr, a vote for McCain or Obama is a vote for the establishment status quo.  A vote for the status quo is truly a wasted vote.

Barr left the Republican party because the party became "the establishment," which violates the law at will and has abandoned Republican fiscal values.

What is going on with oil?  Why are other countries building refineries & nuke plants but we aren't?  Bob says we have no leadership.  Glenn argues that yes we need leadership, but we the people aren't doing anything.  Bob thinks that people don't really realize the magnitude of what is facing us in our dependency on foreign energy.  Glenn can't understand why people don't get it.  Bob suggests that most people really don't care what their government is doing (or isn't doing) as long as they have their entitlement programs.  We have to understand that environmentalists run things.  The administrations are scared to death of them.  We have to get people in Washington who will stand up to them and keep the best interest of Americans at the forefront.  Barr believes global warming is a myth, but it is what is driving the environmental movement.  McCain buys into it.  Obama buys into it.  Glenn says that foreign oil is the problem with our foreign policy.  Barr thinks the market should be freed to develop our own natural resources.

Segment Two:
Glenn suggests that every American is libertarian at heart until they learn how to benefit from the government.  Glenn suggests that Republicans went wrong by getting tangled up in "compassionate conservatism, rather than letting people pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

Glenn says Libertarian Party is too divided around fringe issues like legalization of drugs.  Bob affirms diversity within the party.  But says that new leadership is young, energetic, and understands that libertarian philosophy must work in the real world.  Beck brings up abolition of governmental depts. and pulling military out of middle east, but you can't do all of this overnight.  Bob agrees that it will take time, but we must start now or the trend will never be reversed.

Beck asked, is this the end of America as we know it?  Barr says we are an inch away from becoming the kind of country that won't take risks and settles into pessimism.

Beck: What will you do fiscally?  Barr responds, freeze on spending in executive branch.  No legislation that raises ceiling on national debt or increases spending over previous fiscal year will be signed.  Beck asks how he will get anything done?  Barr responded, the system has been so poisoned by partisanship that the parties won't talk to one another.  Barr will talk to all sides.   A Libertarian elected to president would send such shock waves through congress that they would realize they need to get with the program of representing the people or be kicked out themselves. 

Beck believes we are intentionally sinking the dollar because we can't afford interest on federal debt.  What will you do about the debt tied to future entitlement payouts?  Institute savings accounts credited against social security.  Empower Americans to privatize social security.  Possibly raise retirement age.

Segment Three:
Why are food prices going up?  Barr responds, partly because of ethanol.  We're diverting a huge percentage of our ag production into ethanol reducing supply of feed grains for livestock.  Barr suggests getting rid of subsidies for corporate farms.  What about subsidies to NOT plant things?  Absolutely not.

Would you have bailed out Bear Stearns or foreclosures?  Absolutely not.  Government shouldn't bail out stupid people.  Tax cuts to oil companies to explore and drill?  In the short-term, no.  In the long-term, get away from tax incentives to manage economy.

Why is rest of world going to flat tax and we aren't?  Because Steve Forbes wasn't elected president.

Barr believes that McCain-Feingold threw cold water on 1st Amendment.

Segment Four:
Foreign policy.  Beck believes there is a time to fight and we have to be there now because of our dependency on oil.  Do you want to pull us out of places around the world?  Barr says, yes, we need to downsize significantly, but not everywhere immediately.  We don't need to occupy countries. 

Beck says we have to win Iraq.  Barr responds, what is the goal?  Is it occupation?  We are over five years from the "liberation" and are now in "occupation."  We are now trying to build a nation where there is no basis to do that.  Beck argues that this is where administration is lying to us.  We shouldn't have listened to "WMD" evidence, the real goal is to crush Iranian militant Islam through planting democracy in their neighboring nations.  Barr responds that we can't crush Iran, but should seek partners with the populace.  Beck agrees that the Iranian people are our greatest allies because we stand against the evil of their leadership.  But we can't pull out of the Mideast until we are secure in our energy.  Barr believes that 150,000 troops doesn't secure our energy.  Beck says to let us get our own resources first, then pull out of Middle East.  Barr believes we need to work with other countries in Middle East to deal with rogue and dangerous nations.  Barr believes we should make it very clear to the Iraqi government that they need to accept responsibility for their own country so we can more quickly leave them as a stable nation.

How do you get the troops out?  Consult military leaders and ask for plan through which we significantly and quickly pull troops out.  Do we do this apart from a sound energy plan?  It's not necessary to keep 150,000 troops and spend all of this money in Iraq for the sake of energy.

Segment Five:
According to Barr, since 911 we have allowed government to become oppressive and pervasive.   Barr was the one who insured that Patriot Act had "sunsets."  But the government has abused all provisions of the Patriot Act.  He now wants to abolish the Patriot Act and reexamine what we really need now, eight years out from 911. 

How far away are we from the government confiscating our guns?  Not at this point, but a potential problem down the road thanks to NRA and other organizations. 

Barr supports Minutemen on the border, they are not vigilantes. They are simply citizens who care about our sovereignty.

Why do we have 6,000 dead within five miles of our border and we are allowing it?  Agents are under orders to just let Mexican vehicles come across if line of traffic gets too long.  Administration thinks we have to cow-tow to Mexico even when it's irrational.  Beck suggests it's because of a deliberate plan to unite MexAmeriCanada into one trading block without borders.  Barr thinks it is a very real possibility with many governors in on the deal.  He says NAFTA Superhighway is already being built.  Imminent Domain in Texas already underway.   We must stop it now before we end up with something like the EU.

Did US orchestrate 911 as is suggested by the "911 Truthers?"  I don't pay any attention to that at all.  We need to worry about the real problems we face, not conspiracy theories.

Segment Six:
How does a Libertarian deal with something like abortion?  You have been very strong against abortion.  Barr says he is in good company because there are many "pro-life" Libertarians.  Abortion is the taking of life by force, and this violates the most fundamental liberty, life.

Polygamists in Texas...did the state over-reach?  Barr doesn't condone polygamy, but was disturbed by Texas storming in on bogus tip and ripped children away without due process or real evidence.

Do you have a website?  www.bobbarr2008.com

Clinton Isn't Quitting...Yet

The banner across the top of our newspaper today says, "Clinton to End Presidential Bid, Support Obama on Saturday."

You need to understand that Hillary hasn't vowed to "end" her campaign on Saturday.  She has promised to "suspend" her campaign and maintain control of her delegates.  And she has yet to concede that Obama is the presumptive nominee.

What is she up to?  She is a Clinton.  Either she believes that something could soon happen to render Obama unelectable.  Or she is up to something more sinister.  Keep your eye on this.