Pocahontas "Prez"

Native American was her claim,

An ancestry test brought her shame.

    Pocahontas laud; Pocahontas fraud.

Her greatest longing: gain all fame,

Being President was her aim.

    Pocahontas try; Pocahontas lie.

The goals she promised she thought tame,

But our great nation they would maim.

    Pocahontas wail; Pocahontas fail.

She hates the wealthy; just the same

Seeks their money to play this game.

    Pocahontas bash; Pocahontas cash.

The campaign she runs, I proclaim,

Will fail due to this prideful dame.

    Pocahontas boast; Pocahontas TOAST!

Candidate Joe

There once was a man named Joe.

The words of others he stole.

    Beg, borrow, and FEEL,

    He lost his appeal.

For President we vote no.

Eliminating the Electoral College: A Bad Idea

Let us remember, we are the United STATES of America.  The founders wanted most of our government handled at the state level, not the Federal.  This is why the Constitution enumerates what powers are granted to the Federal government.  All other power is left with the states.

The election of a representative to lead the Executive branch (i.e., the President) must be someone selected by the united STATES, not simply by the majority of Americans.  If the majority of voters selects the President then it is very possible for an individual to win the highly metropolitan areas but not the majority of the STATES.  Our leader would not even have the support of the majority of states.  That is not what a representative government should desire.

The Electoral College imbeds the population of the entire country with the assurance of smaller states having a say in electing the leader of ALL STATES.  Yes, sometimes that leader will not win the most votes.  But we are a REPUBLIC, not a democracy.

Keep the college!

November 8, 2016

I'm ready to vote!  And, in case anyone is interested, here is my stance on the candidates and issues:

President/Vice-President:  Donald J. Trump and Michael R. Pence (please, no more Clintons!)

U. S. Senator:  Roy Blunt

Governor:  Eric Greitens

Lieutenant Governor:  Mike Parson  (please, no more Carnahans!)

Secretary of State:  Jay Ashcroft

State Treasurer:  Eric Schmitt

Attorney General:  Josh Hawley

U. S. Representative for District 3:  Blaine Luetkemeyer

State Senator for District 23:  Bill Eigel

State Representative for District 65:  Tom Hannegan

Circuit Judge Circuit 11 Division 2:  Deborah Alessi

Associate Circuit Judge Circuit 11 Division 13:  Rebeca McKelvey

County Council District #6:  Mike Klinghammer

Missouri Supreme Court Judge Richard B. Teitelman:  NO

Missouri Court of Appears Judges, Eastern District Philip M. Hess:  NO

Eastern District Court of Appeals Judge James M. Dowd:  NO

Constitutional Amendment No. 1:  NO

Constitutional Amendment No. 2:  NO

Constitutional Amendment No. 3:  NO

Constitutional Amendment No. 4:  NO

Constitutional Amendment No. 5:  YES

Statutory Measure Proposition A:  NO

County of St. Charles Proposition S:  NO

The Presidential Election 2016

The Presidential election is nearly upon us.  I will admit at the outset I am not a fan of any of the candidates nor did I vote for any of them in the primary elections.  I have read and listened to policy statements from the 3rd party candidates and, to be perfectly honest, much of what most of them say makes little sense.  There is no doubt that NONE of them have any chance of winning this election.  The next President will be Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton whether I like it or not.

I have voted for the Republican candidate for over 30 years because they most closely align with my political beliefs.  Many of them have been decent men (no one is perfect).  Some of the things Mr. Trump has said do not set well with me in terms of his character.  Of course, much of what the media has said about him is not true since the Clinton server e-mails prove the media, for the most part, is "in the tank" for Secretary Clinton.  

My other possible choice is Secretary Clinton.  Mr. Trump has character flaws but this women IS a character flaw!  She is a constant liar and a liar on a grand scale.  She has spent her entire adult life with one goal:  to be the first woman President.  That has not been Donald Trump's lifelong goal, I know that much.  In a battle over character, I will take Donald Trump any day over Hillary Clinton. 

What will each of them do if elected?  Go read their web site statements.  Listen to their press conferences.  Replay the debates.  We can only rely on what Mr. Trump has said he will do since he has not served in a political office before.  I do know Donald Trump can handle money and jobs so I put much more confidence in him to turn around our economy than Mrs. Clinton who intends to keep President Obama's course of action.

But, with Mrs. Clinton, I have not only her words but also her works.  She has been involved in government for over 30 years as wife of the Arkansas governor, First Lady, New York Senator, and Secretary of State.  What positive contributions has she made in any of those positions?  ABSOLUTELY NONE!  Our present world situation (ISIS, return of Russia) has occurred under President Obama while Mrs. Clinton was Secretary of State.  Can anyone objectively say she has made a positive contribution in that position?

Mrs. Clinton has treated secure data loosely with her server.  She has repeatedly lied to the American people about the server and her e-mails.  She stood next to grieving relatives of those killed in Benghazi as their caskets arrived and lied to their faces concerning their deaths.  Can you really believe anything she says?  

She intends to "keep the course" and maintain President Obama's legacy.  Are you REALLY better off today than you were 8 years ago?  Our national debt has DOUBLED in 8 years and Mrs. Clinton wants to spend more money.  Our nation cannot handle it.  She wants to raise taxes again on those who create jobs.  That only discourages job creation (as well as results in jobs going overseas).  She supports Obamacare.  In fact, if she had her way, we would move to a single payer insurance system where the government is that single system.  Obamacare is presently falling on its face.  

These are only a few of my issues with her policies.  I believe she is the MOST dangerous candidate who has ever run for the office of President.  If elected, she will nominate anywhere from 2-4 Supreme Court justices who do not support the original intent of the Constitution, resulting in a more radical turn in our courts.  Kiss many of your freedoms goodbye (as her about your 2nd Amendment rights!).

While I have problems with Donald Trump, I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton.  Some of you might argue that I should vote for a 3rd party candidate.  But I am a mathematician and such a vote from me actually supports Mrs. Clinton by reducing Mr. Trump's vote by 1.   Any vote that is NOT for Donald Trump is, in effect, a vote for Hillary Clinton no matter how you try to convince yourself otherwise.

This election is too important!  I will vote for Trump, character flaws or not. 

Happy Birthday, FDR!

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on this date in 1882. Today marks the 127th anniversary of the late 32nd President's birth.

When I was a young boy, FDR always fascinated me. I liked his relative, 26th President Teddy, much more, nevertheless, I took an interest in FDR. Perhaps it had to do with my family who, I recall, talked about FDR being a man who cared for the people "unlike the Republicans". Actually, I have no idea if my parents voted Democratic or not but I sure got the impression they were firm Democrats partly (maybe largely) due to FDR's presidency.

FDR, of course, passed away in 1945 before I was born so all I knew about him was what I read. That material certainly played a major role in my taking a liking to him. Everything I got my hands concerning FDR indicated he was a wonderful man and how a great President.

I recall seeing "Sunrise at Campobello" when it came to our local theater. The movie recalled the story of FDR's battle against polio with which he was afflicted in 1921. I watched any television program that even mentioned FDR. I recall one of the episodes of the TV series "The Untouchables" revolved around the shooting of the mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak, who was with President-elect Roosevelt at the time. The shooter, Giuseppe Zangara, was actually trying to assassinate FDR but hit Cermak and 4 others in and around FDR's car. Cermak was taken to the hospital in FDR's car and, supposedly, said to the future President, "I'm glad it was me instead of you". He died within a month. Zangara was executed only a couple of weeks after Cermak's death (justice moved swiftly, eh?).

I also recall paying one of my fellow classmates in grade school (Cliff Beadle?) $2.00, a fairly high price for an elementary student, for an original St. Louis newspaper from April 13, 1945, the day following FDR's death. The paper, of course, covers many aspects of his life, death, and Presidency. I still have that paper somewhere.

The principal thing I was taught about FDR was how his Presidency saved the United States from the Great Depression as well as saved the world from the Nazis and the Japanese in World War II. Of course, I have long since learned that President Roosevelt and his big government programs actually did not rescue our nation from the depression, rather, it was the war that did so. His programs simply extended the depression. And, in fact, even today we are paying more and more taxes to the government in order to continue funding the programs FDR established (plus many others since).

On the other hand, his leadership during World War II must be acknowledged. I could criticize him for not helping Britain earlier in their fight against the Nazis but America, as a whole, wanted no part of the war in Europe. FDR was not a whimp when it came to foreign policy. He recognized you could not simply sit down and talk to every foreign leader diplomatically and convince them we can all live in peace. Hitler, Mussolini, and others would never have listened. Rather, war, military might, was the only recourse for dealing with them and Roosevelt knew it. Some of our leaders today need to recognize their great Democratic forerunner was right and they and their naive thinking are wrong and dangerous.

Furthermore, let's give him credit for his appeal to the American people. He was elected four times as President, a feat which will never be matched. I suspect some of our other Presidents may have kept the White House for four or more terms if they had wanted it or had lived long enough. Yet, FDR is the only one who has done so.

Politically, FDR did not always succeed. As I noted, his big government programs did not save the nation from the depression. Some of his New Deal programs enacted during his first term were being invalidated by the Supreme Court. So, after winning reelection in 1936, Roosevelt attempted to enlarge the Court in order to prevent future invalidations. Thankfully, he lost that battle.

FDR's moral character was also covered up in the material I read. The picture painted by the biographies, movies, etc., that I read of this President always revealed a loving father and husband, completely devoted to his wife. Well, today we know this was not exactly the case.

So, over the years my respect for FDR has waned somewhat from my earlier view of this President. I would have put him near the top along with Washington, Lincoln, and his 5th cousin, Theodore. Today, my opinion of his Presidency and of his character would drop him lower on my list of the greatest Presidents. Nevertheless, I still hold him in respect because of his leadership during the war and for his personal spirit of never giving up which he illustrated in his battle against polio.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President! I wish you would have left those big government programs in some filing cabinet somewhere, nevertheless, thank you for your courage and your leadership during one of the darkest times of our nation's history.

Congratulations President-Elect Obama

The following paragraphs form a letter I sent to our newly elected President this morning via e-mail. Given all my prior posts opposing him, I thought it only proper that I post this letter as well.


November 5, 2008

President-Elect Obama,

Congratulations on your campaign and your victory! Your election is further proof of the greatness of the United States of America!

I did not support your candidacy and did not vote for you yesterday. Your past legislative record and your remarks throughout your career alarm me. I have written blog entries and letters opposing you throughout the past few months and will continue to oppose the policies you outlined in the campaign. Nevertheless, I respect you as my next President and will pray for God to give you wisdom in your position as the leader of the free world.

Your election fulfills the dream of the Civil Rights movement. The African-American community, once slaves to white Americans and often punished and even killed as such, have now seen America erase that dark spot in the election of one of their own as President. Praise God such racial slavery has been removed from our nation! But, Mr. President-Elect, there still remains a civil rights battle in our country. There are still those in the United States who are in bondage and at the whim of their masters. They need their rights restored and I call on you as President-Elect to make this your number one priority. The group to whom I refer are our unborn children.

Every day in our nation since 1973, 4000 unborn Americans have their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness destroyed because their mother exercises her “freedom to choose”. The life of the mother, rape, and incest account for a small percentage (less than 5%) of the abortions performed in our country. Thousands of unborn Americans lose their right to life everyday at the hands of a mother who doesn’t want to be burdened by them.

Mr. President-Elect, women do not lose their “right to choose” if the practice of abortion is ended. When women engage in the sexual act they exercise their choice and must accept the possible consequences of that act, namely, a new, unborn American.

I call on you, President-Elect Obama, to lead the charge in our nation to eliminate the barbaric practice of killing our unborn citizens and, instead, to restore their right to live equally with other Americans.

Sincerely,

Bruce D. Walker
St. Charles, MO

Why Vote for Obama?

Over the weekend some folks asked me about the letter I sent to the editor of the St. Charles Journal which was published in the October 29. Here is the text of that letter.

So you are going to vote for Sen. Barack Obama. I congratulate you for exercising your right to vote.But before you do so, may I ask you one question? Why Obama? Change? He gives good speeches? He's young"?Consider the following:

• Sen. Obama has done nothing of significance in the Illinois or U.S. Senate.
• Sen. Obama has not reached across party lines in the past.
• Sen. Obama will raise taxes. Despite his claims, he always votes for tax increases.
• Sen. Obama will redistribute wealth, which, in turn, will raise prices and cost jobs.
• Sen. Obama will raise the capital gains tax, which will also raise prices and cost jobs.
• Sen. Obama will pull out of the Middle East and reduce our military strength.
• Sen. Obama supports the killing of the unborn. He supports partial birth abortion, an unnecessary and cruel practice.He also supports not caring for aborted babies who survive the abortion attempt.
• Sen. Obama will implement national health care requiring more taxes. Furthermore, when has the government ever successfully run any agency?
• Sen. Obama will not support new oil drilling or new nuclear plants in our country.
• Sen. Obama will appoint liberal justices who will legislate from the bench.
• Sen. Obama will give the Democrats control of both the legislative and executive branches of our government. Nothing will stop liberals from implementing their agenda.

Please vote. But, seriously, why Obama?

The Patriarch's Pen: Election 2008, Article 3

This is my third blog post on the candidates for the Presidency in this year’s election. I have already presented my reasons why I will not vote for Senator Barack Obama as well as the various 3rd party candidates. The only candidate I have not discussed is Senator John McCain. He is the subject of this post.

First, let me be upfront on Senator McCain. He was not my choice for the Republican nomination during the primaries. I am not a John McCain fan. There are many reasons why I could vote against him. Here are a few:

1. McCain-Kennedy. This was the infamous “comprehensive” immigration bill which resulted in such a public outcry that it was wiped off the face of the earth. No matter what you call it, the bill was an amnesty bill and a major strike against Senator McCain.

2. McCain-Feingold. Supposedly a campaign reform bill, McCain-Feingold essentially helps incumbents maintain their seats.

3. McCain-Lieberman. The Climate Stewardship Act which would have depressed the economy more than saved the environment.

4. The Gang of 14. Senator McCain was one of the leaders of this informal group of 7 Republican and 7 Democrat Senators who worked together on President Bush’s justice appointments. In my humble opinion, Senator McCain was far TOO bi-partisan with this group, leaning toward the Democratic side way too often.

5. His energy position. Senator McCain has been against off shore drilling and drilling in ANWAR for some time. To his credit, he has changed his position on off shore drilling and now supports it since our nation badly needs this oil. I am hopeful Governor Palin, who supports drilling in ANWAR, will change his mind on that matter as well.

If Hilary Clinton had been the nominee running against John McCain, the above items would probably have driven me to vote for Chuck Baldwin even if that meant giving the Presidency to Clinton (believe me, that aggravates my stomach even to think about it). But Senator Clinton did not win the Democratic nomination, Senator Obama did. If there was another candidate more conservative than John McCain AND who could realistically defeat Barack Obama, I would vote for him. But, there isn’t. So I am left with John McCain.

My remarks should not be interpreted to imply there are no reasons why I would vote for him. He does have several positive stances with which I agree.

1. He is pro-life. As he stated at the Saddleback Forum earlier this year, Senator McCain believes life begins at conception. There have been concerns expressed over some of his views on cloning, but, when contrasted with Senator Obama’s radical view on the life of the unborn, Senator McCain’s position is outstanding.

2. He is pro-military. Senator McCain argued for some time to expand the size of our forces in Iraq and he has been proven correct in that assessment. Foreign leaders know McCain as President is not someone who will back away from a fight. Even more importantly, Senator McCain supports the military and understands the need for strong technology for the defense of our country. Again, his position compared to Senator Obama’s position is like day and night. Obama’s desire is to reduce the military, McCain’s is to strengthen it.

3. He is against pork barrel spending. Although I am disappointed with his vote to approve the most recent bail out package to which the Democrats attached some pork barrel spending, Senator McCain has generally fought against such additions to bills as they came through Congress. He is one of the few Senators who have consistently fought against pork barrel spending and I believe he will continue that commitment as President by vetoing such bills when they arrive on his desk.

4. He is experienced. This is a no brainer. Neither Senator Obama nor Senator McCain has executive experience in the political world. But no one can argue that Barack Obama has the experience level of a John McCain. For example, Senator McCain has made numerous trips to the Middle East even in the past few years. Senator Obama has made one and that one was a political photo shoot. John McCain, for better or for worse, understands how Washington works.

5. He will appoint justices who do not legislate from the bench. Given his track record with the “Gang of 14”, I must admit I’m a little concern about his future judicial appointments. He has publicly declared he will appoint only judges who judge and do not legislate from the bench. Again, McCain’s pledge when compared with Obama’s stand on judicial appointments is 180 degrees different.

6. He does work “both sides of the aisle”. For years John McCain has proven he will work with members from both parties in Congress. I believe at times (e.g., “Gang of 14”), he bends too far to the side of the Democrats. But, like it or not, when McCain says he is bi-partisan he means it. Barack Obama claims he will unite everyone and work both sides of the aisle but, honestly, Senator Obama has done nothing of the sort during his time in politics.

7. He chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. Without question, John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his Vice President won my support to the ticket. Given Obama’s far left philosophy, I was slowing warming to Senator McCain as the only hope of defeating Obama. But when he picked Palin that settled it. To me, this choice illustrated McCain’s political savvy and his good judgment.

Unlike the bad press Governor Palin has received, she is a very intelligent woman who has done a remarkable job both as an Alaskan mayor and as the state’s Governor. She has the highest approval rating of any governor in the country and probably one of the highest of any state or national politician. She is strongly pro-life, fiscally conservative, and a reformer by nature. Governor Palin has more executive experience than either Presidential candidate as well as her Vice President opponent, Senator Joe Biden. She has done far more in her state of Alaska for her people, than Senator Obama has done for the people of Illinois either in the state house or the United States Congress.

Given the choice of a far left wing candidate who supports killing the unborn (and, in some cases, even those already born!), espouses socialism, is weak militarily, and has no experience or a moderate candidate who supports life, is strong militarily, espouses capitalism, has a running mate who is even more traditional and conservative, and can defeat the socialist candidate, I must vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin and I will do so proudly and gladly.

I encourage everyone to exercise their right and vote. But I do encourage those who are seriously considering Barack Obama take a time out, forget the national news media, and check out the Senator’s extremely liberal positions. Are those positions what you really want for our country?

The Patriarch's Pen: Election 2008, Article 2

The Presidential election of 1912 was an interesting one. When, in 1908, Theodore Roosevelt honored his 1904 pledge not to seek another term, he threw his support to his Vice President, William Howard Taft. Taft won the election but, in Roosevelt’s eyes, betrayed the progressive program Roosevelt had instituted. Roosevelt sought the 1912 Republican Party nomination but, when the GOP gave it to Taft, Roosevelt and his supporters left the GOP to form the Progressive Party (also known as the Bull Moose Party).

The Democrats took 46 ballots to select their candidate. The favored Champ Clark of Missouri, current Speaker of the House, could not gain the necessary votes on the first ballot and the battle was on. When influential Democrat William Jennings Bryan threw his support to New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson, the tide began to turn and Wilson was ultimately selected.

President Taft was never very enthused about the Presidency. He aspired to a position on the Supreme Court (which he later received) and did not exert much effort in the 1912 campaign. The fireworks were primarily between Wilson and Roosevelt, both known reformers.

The GOP split resulted in a landslide Electoral College win for Wilson. The final tally for the 1912 race was:

Wilson: 435 electoral votes; 6,293,152 popular votes
Roosevelt: 88 electoral votes; 4,119,207 popular votes
Taft: 8 electoral votes; 3,486,333 popular votes
Debs: 0 electoral votes; 900,369 popular votes (Socialist Party)
Chafin: 0 electoral votes; 207,972 popular votes (Prohibition Party)

Theodore Roosevelt was a 3rd party candidate who beat a major party candidate though failing to win the election.

My point of all this: NONE of the 3rd party candidates running in 2008 is Theodore Roosevelt. They CAN NOT win the election.

One of my son-in-laws has noted that they can win if folks vote for them on Election Day. That is absolutely true assuming they are on the ballot in all 50 states. But this is theory. Most Americans can’t even name one of the 3rd party candidates this year. If we are pragmatic about the matter, we will admit, despite the theory, Senator Obama or Senator McCain will be the President-elect on November 5.

Does this mean voting for a 3rd party candidate is “wasting your vote”? I guess it depends on what you mean by wasting. If you are voting your conscience when you select one of these individuals then your vote is right and not wasted.

There are, at least, four candidates running for the Presidency other than the “big two”. I am listing them with some brief personal remarks based on information I have from their campaigns. For more information, check their web sites.

Charles O. “Chuck” Baldwin: Baptist minister. Solidly pro-life. Eliminate or greatly reduce several government agencies (including education, FEMA). Eliminate all family income taxes (he says they are unconstitutional). Eliminate or greatly reduce other taxes. Strong on crime. Get government out of business. Support traditional energy resources as well as research on alternatives. Gun advocate. No federal government health care. Against illegal immigration. Scale back foreign aid. Withdraw from Iraq. Essentially get out of international military matters. Permit private accounts for Social Security.

Robert L. “Bob” Barr Jr.: Pro-life with minor exceptions (e.g., rape and incest). Reduce funding of some government agencies but greatly increase defense funding. Greatly reduce personal income tax across the board. Decrease or eliminate other taxes. Strong law enforcement. Strong drug enforcement. Parental choice in education. No government health care. Against illegal immigration. Withdraw from the United Nations. Take action if Iraq does not comply. Permit private accounts for Social Security.

Ralph Nader: Says pro-life with minor exceptions (e.g., rape and incest) but also says “supports the principles articulated in Roe v Wade and its progeny). Eliminate funding of national missile defense. Increase alcohol taxes, capital gains taxes, cigarette taxes. Eliminate the death penalty. Decriminize marijuana use. Allow vouchers for education choice. Strengthen regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts. Strengthen emission controls. Support the Kyoto treaty to limit global warming. Immigration reform but supports illegal immigrants having all the rights and privileges of United States citizens. Government oversight of business especially in terms of pensions and health care.

Cynthia Ann McKinney: Sorry, but after reading her Green Party’s platform, I have no further comment.

I believe it is safe to say Baldwin and Barr are the more conservative while Nader and McKinney are more liberal. Therefore, my opinion is IF YOU COULD ONLY CHOOSE BETWEEN Obama and McCain, those voting for Baldwin or Barr would vote McCain and those voting for McKinney or Nader would choose Obama. So, if you vote for Baldwin or Barr you are, essentially, taking a vote away from McCain. And, if you vote for McKinney or Nader, you are taking a vote away from Obama.

Like it or not, none of these 3rd party candidates are going to win. Personally, I like the positions of Chuck Baldwin even more than I do those of John McCain (more on McCain later). But if I cast a vote for Baldwin (who can not win) then McCain (who can win) loses a vote.

In 1996 President Clinton ran against Senator Bob Dole. I have never been and never will be a Bill Clinton fan. I also didn’t care much for Bob Dole but held my breath and voted for him in hopes of defeating Clinton. Of course, that hope was not realized. While I do not like President Clinton, I would have easily voted my conscience in 1996 by voting for Chuck Baldwin, if he had run. Yes, Baldwin would not win. Yes, I would be taking a vote from Dole. Yes, I would be helping Clinton win. Oh, well…

So, you might ask, why aren’t you going to vote your conscience in 2008 and choose Chuck Baldwin instead of John McCain? I can answer that question in 3 words: Barack Hussein Obama. Obama is far worse than a Bill Clinton. At least Clinton wasn’t an outright socialist.

While I like the policies of Chuck Baldwin, my conscience says I must vote for a candidate who can keep Obama out of the White House. I must do whatever I can, in good conscience, to beat Obama. The only candidate who can do that is John McCain.

President Obama

Based on the latest CBS New York Times poll, those of us who are not supporting Barack Obama might as well stay home on election day. The poll gives Obama a 14 point lead over John McCain in the race for the White House. With three weeks to go, he should be invincible.

Of course, I suspect the poll was conducted among the staff of CBS and the New York Times (with a few outside conservatives thrown in for good measure). Since the other national polls have Obama up only by 5 or so, it is safe to say the CBSNYT poll is dubious at best. So, if you are supporting McCain, forget the polls and make certain you vote.

I still maintain hope that Americans will wake up and realize what they are getting if they elect Obama. Yes, I know, John McCain has his faults (more on this in a future post). But I find it hard to believe that Americans would elect a man like Obama to be the next President. Surely we have more sense than that. Why would you vote for him?

1. In just 4 years (almost 2 of them spent running for President), Obama has earned the title of the most liberal man in the United States Senate. His running mate is number 3 on that list.

2. He has never accomplished anything of importance in his political career either in the Illinois Senate or the United States Senate.

3. He is a committed socialist, a position which has become more apparent in recent days with his remarks about redistributing the wealth.

4. He supports not only abortion but also permitting babies who survive abortions to die (i.e., he opposes protecting infants born alive).

Oh, well, I have listed these elsewhere in this blog so I don't need to go into the entire list again. Suffice it to say, I have hope the American people will wake up and, on election day, NOT elect Obama to the Presidency. I can guarantee you one thing: if Obama is elected, I will be hoarding all the money I have. Forget eating out. Forget sporting events. Forget entertainment venues. Forget traveling. Forget expensive gifts. An Obama Presidency is going to cost each of us a lot of money despite his talking points ("if you make less than $250,000").

Here are just a few web sites which provide some comparisons of the candidates and the party platforms.

• Family Research Council
• Project Vote Smart
• American Family Association
• Platform Comparisons
• Huntley Brown "Why I Can't Vote for Obama" (well written article on Jeremy's blog)

May the Lord have mercy and spare us from an Obama Presidency.

The Patriarch's Pen: Election 2008, Article 1

I know politics and families do not often mix. Politics is, likely, a subject I should avoid in a family blog or newsletter. Yet, this year’s Presidential election greatly concerns me. Therefore, I want to express my opinion (albeit briefly) about the various candidates just to provide the “Patriarch’s” thoughts on the matter.

This entry concerns Senator Obama. The November newsletter, which will be published just before the election, will discuss Senator McCain as well as 3rd party candidates. Those entries will appear on the Wild Walker World blog during the early party of October.

Why I will NOT Vote for Senator Barack Obama

The following are many of the reasons why I will not and can not support Barack Obama for the Presidency. Apart from item #1, the reasons are listed in no specific order.

1. Senator Obama supports the killing of the unborn. Senator Obama not only supports the pro-death cause, he goes far beyond where most abortionists go. Senator Obama supports partial birth abortions. Furthermore, he supports not caring for aborted babies who survive the abortion attempt. He has denied the latter charge but the facts are clear that is his position. He fears caring for such children will result in a “slippery slope” discussion which might end abortions.

Personally, I need no other reasons than that. I will never vote for any candidate of any party for any office at any time when I know they support killing unborn children. How can I trust my life and my family’s lives to the hands of someone who has no problem murdering these infants?

2. Senator Obama will raise taxes. I know Senator Obama promises a tax cut to everyone who makes under $250,000. But I have also heard he will remove the cap on Social Security taxes, eliminate the Bush tax cuts, keep the death tax, and raise sales taxes. Furthermore, he’ll need money for his national health care program as well as other plans he has. He may send you $1000 as he has promised but I suspect that will not turn out to be a cut overall but just a slight reduction in an overall increase.

3. Senator Obama will pull out of the Middle East. Great, given Russia is working with Venezuela and Al Queda still intends to destroy us. Let’s bring the battle to our own front yards.

4. Senator Obama will reduce the military. He has especially noted his attempts to cut the missile defense technology. Well, President Clinton also cut back the military when he was in office. So, when we needed a military to fight in the Middle East, we had to spend tons of money to rebuild it. A reduced military in light of worldwide terrorism is stupid.

5. Senator Obama believes in redistribution of wealth. His “Robin Hood” philosophy of “taking from the rich and giving to the poor” has been clearly documented. This is not only Robin Hood’s slogan; it is also the slogan of socialism and communism. Where is the motivation for those who earn a lot of money and already invest that money into the lives of others via the businesses they run to continue to make money when the Senator and Congress intends to give it to those who will not work? Furthermore, where is the motivation by those who do not work to seek work when the government is giving them the money from the wealthy? I am not wealthy but I also don’t want the government giving me someone else’s money.

6. Senator Obama will raise the capital gains tax. Increasing capital gains will especially hurt small businesses. Such an increase will force companies to: (1) increase the price of their products (see 2 above), (2) reduce employee pay (see 2 above), (3) replace employees with cheaper foreign labor, (4) reduce staff (i.e., layoff), (5) any combination of the above or (6) close up their business. Furthermore, an increase in the capital gains will reduce the incentive to start new businesses (e.g., companies to find alternative sources of energy).

7. Senator Obama supports national health care. He wants health care for everyone, a health care system run by the government. Here is another socialist program we can not afford. Are the rich paying for this in addition to giving their money to others? Or, will there be some type of new tax (go back and reread #2) to help fund this program? Furthermore, name one program the federal government created and ran which was successful? Think about your trips to the local License Bureau or to a Social Security office. Do you really want your health care funded and directed by the federal government?

8. Senator Obama opposes drilling off shore and in Alaska. He supports alternative forms of energy as does any sane person. But, like it or not, we MUST have oil for the near term. However, he will not support drilling off our coasts or in ANWR meaning we must keep buying from foreign nations including some which are becoming less friendly to the United States. He would prefer taxing the “wealthy” oil companies and, somehow, force them to find alternative sources of energy. If additional taxes are placed on oil, the oil companies will pass them on to you by increased prices (see item 2 above). Furthermore, why is it the OIL companies’ responsibility to find ALTERNATIVE energy sources? They are in the OIL business. We need new businesses to deal with that problem. Oh, I forgot, the increase in the capital gains tax will make new business ventures more difficult.

9. Senator Obama has no proven leadership characteristics and has accomplished nothing in the political world. In neither the Illinois Senate nor the United States Senate, Barack Obama has done nothing of importance. Many of his votes in the Illinois Senate were “present” rather than “yes” or “no”. A leader has to be able to take a stand and Senator Obama has not proven he has that ability.

10. Senator Obama has questionable personal ties. His life and political background has been repeatedly tainted by the close associates he has had: hate spewing preachers, a known and proud terrorist, a crook, Wall Street tycoons, etc. Who will he have to advise him while in the White House?

11. Senator Obama will appoint liberal justices to the Supreme Court. One or two justices will certainly retire during the next administration, maybe more. Senator Obama will appoint and the Democrat Congress (see # 12 below) will approve justices that are liberal in philosophy. This will result in a Supreme Court which creates law rather than interprets law and will do so long after Senator Obama is out of office.

12. Senator Obama would put the Federal government under the control of one party. His election, barring some miracles in the House and Senate races, will give the Democrats firm control of the legislative and executive branches of government. Given the far left philosophy of Senator Obama (called the most liberal man in Congress; by the way, Vice President candidate Joe Biden is listed as the 3rd most liberal man in Congress) as well as the far left bent of many in Congress, such a scenario will result in a far left turn for our nation, a turn from which we may never recover.

In my opinion, Senator Barack Obama is a very dangerous individual for those who love our country and the freedoms we have.

Go Sarah!

Now, I do have a daughter named Sarah. But the title of this post is not referring to her.

Go Sarah Palin!

I am not a big John McCain fan. He is pro-life, which is great, but there are many areas in which I disagree with him. Nevertheless, I was going to vote for him in November, especially in light of his socialist opponent. But...

Go Sarah Palin!

Just over 3 months ago I read an article about Sarah Palin and her newborn son. I found the story very interesting and decided to do a little research on her. I was quite surprised with what I found and thought it was fairly amazing that she was such an unknown in political circles. I even mentioned to my "cube mate" at work how I thought she would make a great VP partner for McCain. What a pipe dream that was! But...

Go Sarah Palin!

To my amazement last Friday, McCain announced her as his running mate! I was shocked and, at the same time, excited beyond belief. How could anyone who learned something about this woman and her career plus listen to her speak not like her? Then came Monday morning and the media bashing. For over two days they blasted her for everything including the trivial. The New York papers were attempting to convince her to quit or McCain to drop her from the ticket. Then came Wednesday evening.

Go Sarah Palin!

Wow, what a tremendous speech and what an awesome delivery! Sarah Palin is a real human, a real American, and a real leader. Now I feel I can fully support John McCain for President. Maybe Sarah will change his mind in those areas in which he and I disagree (e.g., drill in Alaska!). How might I help them win? How may I contribute? Sign me up!

At least give me a yard sign, please!

Go Sarah Palin!