Have you ever heard of Anh “Joseph” Cao (R)? Don’t worry neither have I accept only recently. Never mind that. The people of 2nd Congressional District in Louisiana have and they voted him in office over the embattled, but popular, William Jefferson (D).

I had a chance back in November to meet John Fleming’s campaign strategist. He also happened to be congressman Paul Broun’s as well. Both men were in Augusta, GA the night before the general election and I enjoyed discussing politics and strategies with them both. I was invited to go back to Athens for a meet and greet and general election party but I had to work and, unfortunately, could not attend. At any rate, the LA CD-4 campaign came up in discussion and we talked about the particularities of the district and Fleming’s low-profile candidacy to eventual frontrunner over Chris Gorman and Jeff Thompson who the retiring incumbent, Jim McCrery, originally endorsed. He was confident in Flemings chances, and I was confident in his assessment and expertise. 

However, the district is peculiar especially at the micro-level and may easily mislead observers. 

I’m originally from LA and CD-4 is my home district, still is. I have a pretty good feel of the people and the areas. Most of the district is rural and mostly white but does have larger prosperous cities like Shreveport (Democrat and urban went to Obama 51 to 48), Bossier City (Republican, and prosperous went to McCain 71 to 28), Natchitoches (went to McCain 53 to 46) along with two military bases, Barksdale AFB in Shreveport and Ft. Polk in Leesville (which is where I’m from in Vernon Parish and went to McCain by 76%).

During Jim McCrery’s time in congress he received very little opposition or a credible opponent. The district voted overwhelmingly Republican much like it has since most of the south began voting Republican during Presidential campaigns. However, local politics, and party affiliation is another matter. Most of the older residents are Democrats, or Dixiecrats. They are social conservatives, pro-Second Amendment, anti-abortion and religious. They vote Republican nationally because most of the candidates running as Republicans align more to their beliefs as opposed to the usual Democrat counterpart. 

But when a self professed “Blue Dog” Democrat emerges from within the ranks like Paul Carmouche and immeasurable amount of support may exist that otherwise would have been readily available for the Republican. In other words, nostalgia may take grip and send them into a frenzy to elect one of their own. When considering that most Parish Sheriffs (a very capable vote getter and usually one of the bosses of political machines in any parish in Louisiana) are Democrats as well as District Attorneys and state house and senate members the potential for the District to edge out for Carmouche are significant. 

The district went decidedly for John McCain. In all, outside of the sole pocket of resistance in Shreveport, Senator McCain carried CD-4 by 20 points over Obama. However, Mary Landrieu (D) managed a 3-point edge in the district over (recent Republican convert which may have ended up hurting him with the more astute voters) John Kennedy. So, the inclination to vote Democrat is present in the district. Remember, the macro-level is much different than what the numbers produce nationally. 

What may end up offsetting the potential for a Democrat upset is the fact that Obama is out of the picture. He won the general election, and most Democrats who turned out on election day did so to vote for Obama. Carmouch, much like Jim Martin in Georgia, and other Democrats around the nation, enjoyed the residual  of an energized bloc caused by the Obama candidacy. Carmouche will not have that this time and will need the black vote in Shreveport along with the Blue Dog white voters to win against Fleming. Ask Jim Martin what hurt him on Tuesday. He would probably agree with me. There will most likely be enough conservatives in the district that know that another congressional Democrat in Washington would not be a good thing. Too many associate Congress with Pelosi and that may prove too much even for a Blue Dog voter. 

That is why the very popular Governor Bobby Jindal, retiring Jim McCrery and even Vice President Dick Cheney has stumped for Fleming and reminding voters of that fact. By the way, Cheney still remains popular in Southern conservative pockets like CD-4. What benefits Fleming is that he consistently conservative, has a wonderful record of social, professional and personal accomplishments without the political blow back that Carmouche is susceptible to as, at least in some regards, a spotty District Attorney.

In the end, these last few factors will likely produce a victory for Fleming. But, this is in no way a gimme as has been the case the last 20 years when Congressman McCrery represented the district. The potential for a surprise is should be enough to worry the Louisiana GOP and they are taking the necessary steps to prevent an undertow of support from sweeping this election away.

The latest InsiderAdvantage/Poll Position with the help of Southern Political Report for the Georgia U.S. Senate race has Saxby Chambliss beating Jim Martin by 4%.

The results:

Chambliss, 50%
Martin, 46%
Undecided, 4%

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With Mumbai attacks fresh on everyones mind and, if anything positive can be made of it, maybe it will be a jarring eye opener of just what is at stake with the war on the West. But one constant theme has been played through it all from the Bush administration and that theme has been a very proactive, security first, bad guys last, approach to national security.

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That is the question that is being kicked around by few folks in various parts of the nation. Will he or will he not use his full name to include, of course, the Muslim one ‘Hussein?’

In the past Obama opted not to be referred to using his middle name. Apparently it was a sensitive issue.

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The Obama juggernaut was built off of millions of little pistons, right? So many Americans (and foreigners but we won’t go there for now; read below) believed in Obama and his new form of politics. Millions of small donors, the meager, humble, hopefuls generated support and fueled his candidacy into the history books $20, $50, $100 bucks at a time. Well, it turns out it was a big fat fabrication. And one of many that has recently surfaced about Obama’s fundraising. What is even more interesting and may come at a shock to the left; Obama received roughly the same amount of small donors as President Bush did in 2004.

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And it is mainly because of focus groups like these that see color and race in their cheerios. It is the paranoid minority mind-set that said a black man would not be elected president in their lifetimes. While their white counterparts said that there would be a black man elected during their lifetimes.

CNN Polll

80 percent of African-Americans say Obama’s election a “dream come true” 71 percent say they never thought they’d see a black president in their lifetime 59 percent of white respondents say they thought they’d live to see black president Poll shows most blacks view election the start of new era; whites appear to disagree

It is this negativity and sense of hopelessness preached by black ‘leadership’ and focus groups that is contagious and becomes a wet blanket for the entire culture that only breeds suspicion towards their country and its institutions. It is a philosophy based off ignorance backed by a message of indifference.

The leaders (Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton) have made a wonderful living on speaking up for their constituents because they tell them that their voices aren’t loud enough to do it on their own — they are not big enough or legitimate enough even though they are American citizens. The oppression is too great for a single individual to make a difference they say. It’s created a culture of helplessness and exclusion; of bitterness and dread. The sub-culture that already persisted became the accepted and true identity of “Black” America. The ones on the outside of it all. The ones left out of the mix so they existed as they were within their own world. All of this galvanized these beliefs until an outcast identity became mainstream black culture. There was no where for them to go in a system rigged to benefit the blessed, not the oppressed. The whites, not the blacks.

When in actuality, the exact opposite is the truth.

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Promoted from the diaries by Erick.

If he does run then I’m moving to Pennsylvania and will run against him as a Democrat. Because I’m just as relevant as that cackling old lady. It’s because of Matthews that keeps me baffled at the unemployment rate in this country. If he is considered a ‘talent’ and sought after then we should have 100% employment.

I suggest that President-elect Obama gets himself more security. Because there is no telling what Matthews has planned once he meets Obama.

The crowd was plenty. Nearly a thousand braved the cold and snow flurries in a state that has the most to say about who the Republican nominee will be. In Iowa, they like to pick them early and there are already a few who like what they see. By the time Gov. Jindal was through speaking many were satisfied that a new Conservative-Republican had entered into the fray. A warm relief has settled on some that the GOP can return back to tangible, workable, conservative principles that propelled them to the height of power for over decade.

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Chris Cillizza from The Fix at the Washington Post has compiled a very good list of Republicans to watch for 2012. Of course, my man, is number one.

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You know what? I won’t say anything. Just watch it for yourself and remember this is the U.S. President the Leader of the Free World — Your President.

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This comes as a bit of a surprise as his name was mentioned for the RNC and recently started up a political action committee, FredPac. I wonder if he will hear his name as candidate for governor of Tennessee as has been rumored? Or does this signal the end to his political aspirations outside of lending his name, reputation, and voice to GOP candidates?

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In his book, which was released this week, chronicles the events of the campaign as well as his thoughts, feelings and opinions on it and the candidates. In fact, his opinions are a little too forthcoming to some and many are saying he is settling old scores, or is attempting an early campaign against possible challengers. He flatly states that many of those that ran are partly to blame for the GOP’s lack of success in ‘06, ‘08 to include the presidential election. That, of course, means John McCain. During the course of the interview with CNN, Huckabee said that he would have ran a different campaign than McCain did and (lightly) criticized the Senator for suspending his campaign only to support a $700 billion dollar bailout that most in the GOP abhorred.

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Gov. Bobby Jindal is a depth guy. There is more to his personal philosophy than simply opposing the other side. In other words, he likes to articulate and put forth his vision for solutions and positive change. He has taken a state that many pundits watch for entertainment and amusement, and has practically revolutionized the tax structure, government transparency, economic development, healthcare and education. He’s gotten more done for the citizens of Louisiana and security of the state itself in one year than has been seen in decades. Did I mention he showed a true model of efficiency by successfully fighting off a hurricane?

That is a record of accomplishments and the traits needed in a person that make people sit up and listen. As he says, the GOP has to be more than the “NO” party. The Republicans have to be the party of big ideas and solutions to problems, not just a spirited opposition group. Demand better accountability within its own ranks and address the 21st century economic problems without involving too much government by empowering the American spirit and restoring confidence in the markets.

“We don’t need to abandon our conservative principles; we can’t just be the ‘party of no.’ We need to offer real solutions on making health care more affordable, on the economic challenges facing families, on the international threats.”

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The International Atomic Energy Agency revealed yesterday that Iran is stockpiling vast amounts of enriched uranium which is needed for for weapons-grade material and can be made into a nuclear weapon.

The agency says that, as of this month, Tehran had amassed 630kg of low enriched uranium hexafluoride, up from 480kg in late August. Analysts say Iran is enriching uranium at such a pace that, by early next year, it could reach break-out capacity – one step away from producing enough fissile material for a crude nuclear bomb.

“They are moving forward, they are not making diplomatic overtures, they are accumulating low enriched uranium,” said Cliff Kupchan, an analyst at the Eurasia Group, a risk consultancy in Washington. “These guys are committed to their nuclear programme: if we didn’t know that, they just told us again.”

Iran will remain defiant as long as they perceive that the U.S. is thoroughly occupied in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are hell bent on being a regional power and Western agitator in the region as evident from the Israeli/Lebanon conflict in 2006. And at the moment, Iran is practically free to conduct business as it sees fit.

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As in changed drastically from his campaign mode. The only thing many are seeing from Obama is the rather smooth change he has made from the rhetoric and promises as a presidential candidate to the actual actions as President-Elect. It has some of his supporters uneasy.

It started with the partisan, heavy hitter, Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff and later to the anti-climatic reconciliation with Joe Lieberman, which had the left fuming by the way. Now, as each new name is released, Obama’s cabinet is starting to look like a Washington insider’s breakfast club. The new type of politics and message of change looks a lot like business as usual.

Another chunk of Obama support, the pacifist and anti-war crowd, are a little concerned too. Obama hasn’t announced that he intends for the military to lay down their arms yet, and that is causing alarm. That, plus the fact that Obama has invited “Hawkish” members into his cabinet. As reported, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates are both good candidates to be in the Obama Cabinet, as well as other reports suggesting that there are candidates for top security posts who also backed the Iraqi and Afgan wars.

Who can blame them? The Obama from the primaries all but said that war is never a legitimate option and the troops would be called home and reprimanded for invading other countries. Now there is a noticeable drift from his earlier underdog days. He has backed off the Iraqi timetable and acts like a man who intends to make the war and foreign policy a top priority, not a nuisance better suited for retarded unsophisticated cowboys. Not one of Obama’s, so far, candidates were against the war. All the major names that have been released supported the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan: Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Clinton, Richard Lugar, as mentioned Sec Gates, VP Biden and U.S. diplomat Richard C. Holbrooke.

This obviously has a very passionate party of his base uneasy. The problem is, though, they helped create the Cult of Personality, the Hero-Worshipping, that is “Obama.” Any acts of dissent and criticism will likely end up in riots, rants, hate crimes allegations and, a new development from the left, charges of being unpatriotic. And now, it looks like he intends to use this awesome force to his full advantage.

If we can convince Obama to back off abortion, believe in the markets and not bailouts and support the economy and not tax hikes, he may turn out to be a pretty good Republican after all.

With the left ready to cannibalize one another — Hey, things aren’t looking so bad.