One of the most contentious issues in politics today remains the subject of abortion. The debate creates intense emotions on both sides. The debate runs the gamut from the pro-life belief that abortions should be banned under all circumstances to the pro-choice extreme of abortion on demand as a matter of constitutional right with little or no restrictions approaching infanticide. Of course, these are the | Read More »
When looking at most of the literature regarding the effect of economic data on presidential election outcomes, most pundits point to the big three: GDP, unemployment, and gas prices. GDP is a general gauge of the overall health of the economy, unemployment and gas prices are obvious. However, several economists have found higher correlations regarding economic data like the ISM Manufacturing Index and electoral outcomes. | Read More »
Sean Trend of Real Clear Politics recently had an analysis of a Pew Study regarding the upcoming presidential election. Specifically, he cites the fact that when people were asked whether they had an opinion of Obama, 90% had to 8% no. Regarding Mitt Romney, the split was that 69% had an opinion, but 28% had not. Most importantly, with independents who had not reached a | Read More »
There is nothing new in the fact that Canada has been held up as a model for banking reform. During the height of the crisis and in its aftermath when reform was debated, many economists were looking to where there was limited financial disruptions and Canada and, to a lesser extent, Australia were cited. In fact, among international watchdogs of the financial sector and banking, | Read More »
We have made it through the July hinterlands of primary elections and the season picks up now through September 18th when Massachusetts will hold their primary. However, there are a few interesting races that will occur in the first half of August that will set the fields for the Congressional races and of the six states holding primaries from now until August 11th, five states | Read More »
For anyone who is an opponent of corporate welfare and pork, you must surely be aware that one of the most wasteful federal programs are “farm bills.” For anyone who believes in free market solutions to problems, especially as they apply to agriculture, you must surely be aware of the 1980s reforms in New Zealand. For any opponent of farm subsidies, New Zealand is the | Read More »
Amidst the uproar over Fast and Furious and any other number of Obama Administration scandals, not to mention the numerous czars, is his green energy program. On July 16th at a rally in Cincinnati, Obama insisted that although he will not make the same mistake twice (Solyndra), he remained steadfast in commitment to green energy programs. But, as any free market expert would tell you, | Read More »
One of the biggest programs enacted under Roosevelt’s New Deal was Social Security. Since then, the system has been sacrosanct in American politics. However, Social Security as the be-all-end-all of retirement security was never the goal nor the intentions of Roosevelt. When enacted in 1935, there were about 44 working age Americans for every retiree. At that time, more than 50% of seniors were living | Read More »
Before getting into the specifics of this entry, I am a firm believer in American exceptionalism. We are “not just another country” out of many. We have been a beacon at times when the world was dark- World War II, the Cold War, a stand against Islamofascism (until Obama came along). People from around the world immigrate to our shores- sometimes legally, sometimes illegally- to | Read More »
Lost amid the news this past week with headlines filled with a nutcake on the rampage in Colorado, Bain Capital, and Mitt Romney’s tax returns is the fact that the Frank-Dodd Wall Street Reform law celebrated its second birthday. Many rightfully believe that the Affordable Care Act (a/k/a Obamacare) may be one of the most ill-conceived laws in history, and it certainly ranks up there. | Read More »
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