What do money markets, antiques, gold, corn, wheat, and stocks in companies like Google or Apple have in common? They?re bought by speculators.

And yet speculators, especially in oil, have become the bogeyman of economics. On tomorrow?s I Spy Radio Show (11-noon, kykn.com), we talk with Dr. Daniel Fine about America?s energy resources and energy policy. What role do speculators have in the price of oil?

And find out why those who think high gas prices might hurt Obama?s re-election may be in for a big surprise.

* Listen live on the radio, Saturdays 11-noon (Pacific time) via 1430-AM in the greater Salem Area
(Corvallis to Tigard, Lyons to Grand Ronde)
* Listen live from anywhere in the world via kykn.com (11-noon on Saturdays) via the “listen live” tab up
top of web page
* Download the show after it airs. Just go to the Current Show page. The download link becomes active
shortly after noon each Saturday.

Dr. Daniel I. Fine works with the New Mexico Center for Energy Policy. He is a longtime research associate at the Mining and Minerals Resources Institute, MIT. Fine is also a policy adviser on nonconventional oil and gas. He is co-editor of Resource War in 3-D: Dependence, Diplomacy and Defense, and has contributed to Business Week, the Engineering and Mining Journal and the Washington Times. Fine has testified on strategic natural resources before the U.S. Senate committees on Foreign Affairs and Energy and Natural Resources. In this speech, he discusses ?Shale Gas Wars: From Pennsylvania to North Carolina.?

Although my key focus, at this moment in time, should be my university research project on ‘National Right to Life’, I could not refrain myself from procrastinating for that little bit longer by checking out some of the latest campaign ads.  It was whilst procrastinating that I came across this ad.

Now, regardless of some continued resistance here on Redstate, it is clear to see that Romney is, more than likely, going to be the Republican nominee for the 2012 election.  Moreover, Democrats recognize this and have now turned their attention to Romney in an effort to ensure that the incumbent president recieves another four years in office.  This, ad, however, is unexpected in the sense that, in a time where the GOP is divided, it provides conservatives with many reasons as to why they should forget their differences and rally around Governor Romney.

The video opens with Romney stating that ‘corporations are people, my friend’ and that he was a ‘severely conservative Republican governor’; it is from here that the so-called ‘attack’ begins.

Straight away, it can be seen that the creators of the ad are aiming to rubbish the idea that Romney is a ‘flip-flopper’, previously a concern of many Republicans, by painting a very conservative image of the former Massachusetts governor.  Romney is displayed as an individual who is committed to the pro-life cause as well as a small state conservatism in terms of bailouts, Obamacare etc.

At a time when the Republican Party has failed to unite, it has been noted that Romney may be the preferred candidate of just 40% of voters so far, this ad is very much welcome as, having watched most of the campaign videos released so far, this is the one that has the greatest potential to unite the Republican Party behing Mitt Romney and mobilize the conservative base ahead of November’s showdown.

We do not say this often but, for this, we owe a massive thank you to the Democrats of the U.S.A.

You know I’m getting tired of these unattractive attack broads from the Democrat machine going out there and out of one side of their reptilian mouths talk about a war on women and how they stand for women everywhere, and yet out the other side they attack women who choose to stay home and tend to the family as oppose to women who choose to work. It’s not about Ann Romney, it’s about a segment of the female population who are being criticized for being choosing home life over career life. What if Hillary Rosen’s daughter wants to be a stay at home mom? Would she criticize her own daughter? My point is let’s not put down some women as inferior or not as important or capable than other women. You know call me crazy but there might be a situation where a career women chooses to spend time with the kids at home, and vice versa.

But you know the vomit inducing, faces for radio feminist zombie horde who occupy the Democrat machine and the liberal fart bubble really need to think before they open their mouths. My mom was a homemaker in the 1970s and much of the 1980s while my dad, god bless his soul in heaven, was just starting out with his own construction company. Eventually she got out into the workforce and has been there ever since. So I take these attacks on Mrs. Romney and homemakers everywhere as an attack on my mother. When you attack my mom verbally or otherwise I’m gonna knock your motherf**kin head clean off.

You know what Hillary Rosen and all you other feminist heavy bush action lovin’ catcher’s mitt face bitter resentful witches, staying at home providing emotional support to your husband, taking care of kids, getting them up in the morning making sure they have what they need for school everyday, balancing check books and maintaining bills, paying those bills, running errands, cooking, cleaning, comforting daughters in high school, going to soccer, basketball, and football games, being the driver, and on top of that finding time to deal with your own issues and needs is just as difficult as going to a job everyday. Murphy f**kin’ Brown is no better than June Cleaver.

She then had the nerve to get all butt hole hurt on CNN and accuse conservatives of faux anger in order to score political points with women. Are you sh*tting me? Hillary Rosen a Democrat is accusing Republicans who were just as recent as last week accused of comparing women to caterpillars of trying to score political points by playing up anger over what she said about Ann Romney and a large segment of our population in this country? These are the same a-holes who flippin’ played up their outrage over the golf course in Augusta having a “No Women” rule in terms of who could join their club as full time members.

You know I have this long standing sort of “Under development” theory of why left wing women hate other women and especially conservative women so much. I don’t think it has anything to do with politics or abortion, I think it has to do with the fact that a lot of these long time feminist ghouls who paid their dues the way an inmate pays his dues at Rikers Island. They been at this for decades just plugging along with their feminist talking points immersed in the political system like quicksand, a mainstay within the machine like a boil on your a*s, and they aren’t happy. All they bitched and complained and marched about and what they did to get to this point has made them bitter and unhappy. The original feminists actually stood for something bigger than themselves and we of course appreciate and honor their service as great Americans. But these 1960s, 70s dried out cooter,  doped out, stringy haired, godless, and butt ugly radical baby murdering, violate themselves with the finger of Ann Richards wannabes hate stay at home moms, hate Ann Romney, hate Sarah Palin, hate Michelle Bachmann, and conservative women in general because conservative women generally speaking lead happier lives than they do. Conservative women and stay at home moms aren’t at war with men, they aren’t at war with the corporate world, they aren’t at war with other women who don’t agree with them on certain issues. But those boot strapping spawns of Satan are; and that’s sad.

The Defense Rests.

Romney is no “Obama Light” as is the too often repeated cliche among those who have an emotional or intellectual challenge regarding his past political history and now future as the GOP Presidential nominee.

I will simply post a list and expect vilification from those who can’t handle the perfect coiffed, married, father of five handsome sons,  grandfather, Mormon, former Governor, entrepreneur capitalist, moderate, who happens to have never been broke, and enjoys making and spending money, candidate.

What has me tired of anti-Romney chat is this:

Emotions are the stuff of liberal practices. Yet the childish cry against Romney with such newly minted nouns as “Mittens” and “Obama-Light” ad nauseum, is so intellectually vacuous; so riddled with obscure slurs based upon highlighted past alone, that no serious discussion of accomplishments seems to come to the forefront; no examination of actual capabilities, just the incessant sophomoric chants of radio-wave and other sarcasm-driven skeptics and pundits plus emotional parroting fan base.

To this conservative/independent (no political party affiliation, just “Tea Party”) the Primary season presidential cheerleader rhetoric nonsense is getting a bit worn out.

The numbers are not “emotion” driven. We have what we have now.  Inevitability of Romney as the GOP candidate and presumptive conservative torch bearer is the real deal.

Time to act adult and examine the side of the coin all the nay-sayer Facebook (friends of mine) chanting, ”We’re screwed now...” and “Stuck with Obama-light…” when Santorum dropped out, do not seem willing to examine.

ADULT REALITY CHECKLIST:

1. Romney is overtly capitalist. By all metrics Obama is a socialist. Romney has created jobs. Obama has lost jobs.  (We could probably stop here and just start voting…)

2. Candidate Romney served as an “Executive” of a government — Massachusetts. Obama served as a community organizer, a “present” voting State Senator, and US Senator with 2 years experience.

3. Candidate Romney served as CINC of a state National Guard in wartime. Obama served as… well a war protester before becoming Commander in Chief of all US Armed Forces.

4. Governor Romney inherited a state debt of 3 billion. He immediately cut spending and raised revenue cutting the deficit by 1.5 billion in the first year. At the end of 4 years he left the state with a balanced budget and a 2.3 billion “Rainy Day Fund.”

5. Governor Romney was a Republican Chief Executive in a left-of-left state who managed as a fiscally responsible adult, eschewing cronyism, offering budgets every year, creating revenue while cutting spending in a total liberal tax &  spend environment.  (Reagan was in the same situation as CA Governor for 8 years, by the way)

6.  Mr. Obama has been favored with zero opposition in his first two years as a first-timer executive, never presented a budget until 2012 (defeated in the House 414-0), increased the deficit by over 5 trillion dollars, and favors tax increases including increasing capital gains and a “Special Billionaire Tax” (Buffet Rule) among attempts to foment discontent and incite class warfare on America’s producers.

7.  Romney followed constitutional authority when his state sought to enact a comprehensive health care program (State’s rights–10th Amendment). Obama is now arguing the constitutionality of liberal driven Obama care with 26 states bringing law suits before the Supreme Court.

8.  Romney enacted illegal immigration reform as Governor. Obama sues states who seek to control illegal immigration where the Federal government refuses to do so (think Arizona).

9.  Under Romney Massachusetts gained 51,362 jobs while gaining 26,500 new residents. That resulted in a 2 to 1 job creation. The state’s unemployment rate fell from 5.6% to 4.7%.  Obama’s unemployment success rate has grown from 7.8 to 8.3% since taking office, with a job loss of 740,000. (“Bush’s fault”)

10.  Within a year of leaving office (having offered 250 “line-item vetoes” the year before to the 2006 legislature proposed budget) the tax and spend legislature and new Governor ended fiscal 2007 with a $307.1 million deficit and in fiscal  year 2008 with a $495.2 million deficit.

11.  State tax reform was encouraged by Romney with repeated hammering on the legislature until a roll back from 5.3% to 5% (flat tax) was achieved.  ‘He also proposed a “tax-free shopping day”, a property tax relief for Seniors,[27] and a manufacturing tax credit.’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney)

John Adams said, “Facts are stubborn things.” All the negatives on Romney have been repeatedly brought to the front of our attention. The “flip side to facts” tell the truth as well.  If after reading the short list above, you still believe Romney is “Obama-light” and “We are screwed now…” — as so many intellectually challenged conservatives fear – then there is no hope until you chill out, and leave the liberal plantation of ”information-light” and emotionally charged skepticism as the driving force behind your actions.

Romney is NOT LIKE YOU. He is perfect in looks, wealth, family, and faith (oops a Mormon…back tracking), sometimes a moderate, and I say, “SO WHAT.” Time to continue the Tea Party challenge of a constitutionally, fiscally sound, and morally responsible government. As an attitude, we may wish to adopt what Reagan often said in attempting to foment change in all branches of government:  “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

James Michael Pratt

Rick Santorum exits the race for the Republican nomination. This leaves a barely relevant Newt Gingrich struggling to explain the purpose of his dwindling campaign, and a dominant Mitt Romney consolidating support.

So, as I’ve done in the past, this leads me to a ByeKu.

What is a byeku? Just as it sounds, it’s a haiku used to say ‘bye’ to a candidate as he or she exits the race.  I did not coin the term, as I believe James Taranto from Best of the Web did that. However, as I started creating byekus and tipping my hat to him each time, I think we’re at a point that it’s just a standing “ditto.”

With all that said, here’s the Rick Santorum byeku posted earlier today on Twitter.

Social issue lion,
Had conservative values,
But not delegates.

After good friend and fellow conservative Brady Cremeens said he liked it (you should follow him and fellow RedStater AG_Conservative, by the way), I decided to put together some other byekus of the recent campaign:

• Rick Perry
• Herman Cain
• Tim Pawlenty
• Mitch Daniels
• Donald Trump
• Mike Huckabee
• Haley Barbour

And, as a special treat, ByeKu, terrorist edition!

• Muhamar Ghaddafi
• Osama bin Laden

Follow me on Twitter

For many of us the evening of that Tuesday felt like the beginning…of the end. This was not what we had hoped for, worked toward. Now we are faced with another election– this time we have a chance to undo what occurred in 2008.  We have an opportunity to work against Obama and fight the failed policies he has enacted.  But how? What is our strategy?  Doubtless there will be many strategies, but one thing we must combat is the main stream media.  This may be a tough assignment but for those of us who enjoy a challenge and a battle against the forces of evil it be fun and another experience behind us.

Enter the Citizen Journalist.  Andrew Breitbart has become a hero to many of us.  His willingness to fight against what he believed to be wrong is inspiring.  I may not agree with him on everything, but his enthusiasm is contagious– he had a cause which he completely believed in.  I find that admirable. He was willing to risk everything for the sake of truth and justice.  Now we must carry on.  We are the Citizen Journalists of this nation.  We must be the ones to spread the truth that can defeat the socialism which has attained a foothold in our nation. If we do not do it who will??

As a Citizen Journalist I am joining the #BreitbartNet Team.  Together we have a goal to create great grassroots response to the liberal opposition. Spread the truth. There have been numerous problems that have come up during this administration that the media has given a pass: Fast & Furious, Solyndra, the Libyan crisis, the invading our personal freedom through ObamaCare, Obama’s Media Matters connection, NDRP, the doubling of the deficit, the rudeness to our nation’s allies, the suppressing of religious freedom, etc. There is nothing right in this and it should be confronted; this is our job. The mission of the #BreitbartNet Team.  I encourage you to join us to get the momentum built!!  The battle starts here– on our blogs and Twitter.

Cross-posted on my blog.

It’s come down to four Republican candidates. They have survived the rigors of a presidential campaign–and there are many. It’s gotten nasty at times, with candidates attacking candidates of the same party. Something that Reagan warned ominously against. But that was when party was sacred, and the person to beat wasn’t Obama.

It wasn’t that Obama was a good president. After presiding over the biggest deficit in US history, he has the US teetering on the closest approach a country founded with a democratic-republic ever came to pure socialism.

But the remaining “four” Republicans have refused to bow to the minor option of ‘green energy’. More importantly, all are committed to reduce taxes, cut government spending, and cut ‘Big Government’ as a whole.

One is particularly good at business dealings, and money handling. One is a specifically good cost-cutter, spendthrift, and bean counter. The other is a specialized orator, who understands all the ins and outs of daily politics.

One candidate is different, though. He is good at all the aforementioned items, but has special claims to many of them.  Most understood Reagan conservatism was a three-legged stool with economic, social and national defense legs.

This candidate’s repeated calls for a Balanced Budget Amendment, unleashing America’s vast domestic energy, and eliminating restrictive regulations, has put forward more concrete proposals to create middle-income jobs than any other presidential possibility.

He stated the way to stop today’s runaway government is to realize it reflects the collapse of core values, and lacks any glue to keep families together. There is no candidate today clearer on this.

With his increase in popularity, many had anxiety attacks about his perceived spirituality. While trying to discuss his economic plans, the media seems only obsessed with his personal religious opinions.

Typically he always has to confront anti-Catholic prejudice, and accused of being too “far right” to win. He has a reverence for all life, heterosexual marriage, and devotion to a strong family life. He considers amniocentesis as a ‘Death Panel’ on deciding who lives and who dies.

He knows the words “separation of church and state” are not contained in the Constitution, and the phrase from Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists had a much different meaning than what’s construed.

The media hates him for it, and has launched an all-out attack against him. CNN’s John King told him he was a Democrat’s dream. “A lot of Democrats were celebrating, … last night, saying, in their view, you’re on the extreme right on many of these social issues and they think, for them, it’s a good thing that these issues will be front and center.”

Shockingly, ABC’s “GMA” sycophantically promoted “polyamory” (practice of having more than one open romantic relationship at a time) the morning after his electoral tie in Michigan.

Infuriatingly frustrating to the media, most of his campaigning was done with handshakes, gatherings, and door-to-door discussions. ‘Big bucks’ were never affordable for his campaign. 

Previous Obama campaigning shows Romney as the opponent Obama and the liberal machine wanted nominated. It seems that the difference in social issues alone, is what scares them the most.

When you think about it, one other person was typically chastised for His beliefs, and the elite hated Him as well.

As one realizes by now, the only non-named Republican in this race is Rick Santorum. He, and his wife Karen, have seven living children, and leave behind Gabriel who died prematurely after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Their eighth child, Isabella, was diagnosed with Edwards syndrome (Trisomy 18). She was recommended for abortion, having a 10% chance of survival to one year. The Santorums ignored that advice, and now live with their daughter.

What may be the most telling point of all, is one of the least publicized statements by Santorum that has rarely, if ever, been uttered by a politician running for the highest office in the land: “You may not like what I say and you may not like how I say it, but you can always know I will tell Americans the truth.”

Santorum meant what he said on 1/24/12 to that crowd >1000 people at the First Baptist Church (Naples, Fl). The question is, can the people of Naples, and the US, survive knowing that a politician will tell them the truth?

———————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Kevin Roeten can be reached at roetenks@charter.net.

By Javier Manjarres

Coral Springs,FL- Newt Gingrich was heckled by a woman who managed to make her way to the front of the crowd, and he was clearly distracted by her obnoxious attempt to try and gain his attention.  Gingrich attempted to address her incoherent line of questioning as best he could, and as you will see in the video, Gingrich responded to her perfectly.  We asked the woman if she was a Ron Paul supporter or if she was part of the Occupy Wall St. movement, she said indicated she was not associated with either.

Karin Hoffman, Gingrich’s Broward County Co-Chair (previously been featured here on the Shark Tank) attempted to try to diffuse the situation. Unfortunately, Hoffman only compounded the situation when she grasped at the woman and put her hand on her, prompting the woman to object. Another campaign advance man stepped in to explain to her that her safety could be in danger, and she took offense and tried to turn it around on the campaign.

Inexplicably, Hoffman turned around and struck the photographer and the video camera, right in front of two police officers.(End of video) Assault charges could be forthcoming, and it’s fair to ask if she is suited to be representing Newt Gingrich in Broward County.

Gingrich Heckled, Staffer (Karin Hoffmann) Assaults Cameraman at Campaign Event(End of video) Assault charges could be forthcoming, and it’s fair to ask if she is suited to be representing Newt Gingrich in Broward County.

At Common Law, an intentional act by one person that creates an apprehension in another of an imminent harmful or offensive contact.-Legal Dictionary

Watch the video

Conservatives know everything about Mitt Romney.  We know all of his press releases and talking points.  We know of his resume highlights about Bain Capital and “saving the Olympics”.  We know Mitt Romney well from the last time he ran back in 2008 when he actually had most of our support over John McCain.  We’re told to look at Mitt Romney as a business man from the private sector.  We’re told that he has the best “executive experience” because he was governor of Massachusetts.  We’re told he’s a nice guy with a great family.  We’re told that Mitt Romney is a Conservative and Romney proves it by spending millions of dollars from fundraising and his Super PACs on negative attack ads focusing on his Republican rivals.  Especially if those candidates are considered conservative or tea party or anything like that.

On paper, Mitt Romney looks like he has everything and the media plays up his looks like a president, has lots of money, great organization and name recognition from 2008 run but what Mitt Romney is lacking is Conservative principles.  Mitt Romney is not winning over his Conservative base that he desperately needs to beat Obama in the general election to become President.  Just as McCain had Amnesty through immigration reform that he never admitted to, Romney has forced an individual mandate of health insurance on his citizens as governor of Massachusetts that he still refuses to admit was wrong or a mistake.

Here’s my problem with Mitt Romney.  Mitt Romney is not a Conservative.  When Conservatives have looked into Romney’s “executive experience” as governor of Massachusetts, Conservatives find Romneycare.  The Obamacarebefore Obamacare.  As Conservatives, We must Naturally reject and object to Romneycare and the individual mandate that Romney supported, fought for and signed into law with a big smile and clappingstanding right next to Senator Ted Kennedy.  Here is actual video from that bill signing with Liberal Senator Ted Kennedy.  Romneycare is not a State’s Right Issue or a 10^th Amendment Issue. An individual mandate is an individual mandate.  For Romney to stillnot admit that Romneycare was a mistake or wrong just makes Conservatives even angrier.  Romney upsets Conservatives further by defending it and trying to make it out to be something we know it is not.  Romneycare is a disaster.  Romneycare is as big government as big government gets.  The National Conservative Tea Party Movement was created, in large part, to Obama fighting as long and as hard as he did to get Obamacare finally passed against the wishes of the American people and with no support from Republicans.  Romneycare takes over 1/6^th of Massachusetts’ economy forcing every citizen to purchase health care insurance or pay a fine whether they want to or not.  Whether they can afford health care insurance or not.  Romneycare is a nightmare destroying health care in Massachusetts.  The whole premise of why Mitt Romney felt that he needed to enforce Romneycare on the people of Massachusetts is ridiculous.  Romney says he needed to pass Romneycare to cut down on the “free riders” that were taking advantage of the existing system.  Mitt Romney actually suggested three times in 2009 that Obama imitate Romneycare.  Mitt Romney’s urging Obama to embrace the individual mandate is well documented by Erick Erickson of Redstate and well known among Conservatives.  Mitt Romney actually advocated for Obamacare and then lied about it as reported by Jon Chait of New York Magazine and posted on RealClearPolitics.  Virginia Attorney General, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli fears Romney nomination would neutralize health law as issue.  I know I am not alone in this insecurity about Romney vs Obama on health law issue.

Conservatives know there is a solution to this problem already.  It is called Medicaid and a portion of our hard earned tax dollars goes to funding it every paycheck.  Every state has Medicaid and it’s designated purpose is to insure the poor and needy.  Every governor in every state in America faces these same kind of financial hardships in health care in their respective states.  Mitt Romney is the only governor to force an individual mandate in health care on the people he was elected to represent.  If You ever listen to or get a chance to actually hear Mitt Romney talk about what he did as governor in respect to Romneycare, you’d hear with your own ears and see with your own eyes exactly how proud and excited he gets when the subject does come up.  IF Mitt Romney is so proud and so confident about his role in passing Romneycare, Where are all of his campaign ads where he is describing how good and positive Romneycare is for Massachusetts and America?  They don’t exist.  They are not coming either.

The pure and simple truth is that Romneycare is a huge government intrusion into the Massachusetts health care system. That is neither Conservative or fiscally responsible.  Did Mitt Romney know and understand exactly what he was doing when he signed Romneycare into law as governor of Massachusetts?  Was Romney forced into it or bullied into signing Romneycare by the over 85% Democrat legislature he faced in Massachusetts?  The answers to these questions are hard for Republicans and especially Conservatives to stomach.  Mitt Romney is in his 60’s now while running for President.  He was in his 50’s, married with grown children and over 25 years of private sector experience when he passed Romneycare into law. I’m 34 going on 35.  I’m also married with two great kids and over twenty years of experience in the private sector.  If I know at 35 it would not be Conservative or in line with the Republican Party Principles to sign a massive individual mandate on health insurance as governor representing your party as head of your party of your state, Romney was older, wiser and further set in his ways when he fought for, championed and passed Romneycare.  Conservatives are supposed to ignore that fact and act like that is not significant or a monumental decision that ultimately defines what kind of governor he actually is. Not what he says or pretends to be on the campaign trail.  Politicians twist themselves into pretzels trying to be all things to all people. They do this in hopes for gaining as many votes possible for them to win the office they are running for.  Mitt Romney is this kind of politician.  Not all politicians are like this but Mitt Romney certainly does fall just perfectly into this category of politicians running for office.   Many analysts have called campaign ‘plastic and dishonest’.  Conservatives have a great quality for spotting these kinds of fakes or phonies. Conservatives are not fooled because they know the issues and stand by their principles.  They study and evaluate every candidate on the issues and principles.  I know Conservatives do this research of the candidates because I am such a Conservative. I vet all of the candidates running because I want to know which one is best and most qualified to be in office representing me and my Conservative Principles.  I’m a Conservative that is not necessarily loyal to a particular candidate or party running for office.  I look for the best overall candidate who best represents my Conservative Principles that I can trust to follow through once elected into office. The snag for many voters is they think certain candidates are best because of the way they look or talk or carry themselves in public.  While those are important, that is all style over substance.  Conservatives don’t believe the hype or settle for anything less than candidates championing their Conservative Principles.  Nothing less will do for us.  The other snag for some people are those who think a candidate who is well known and well liked by the Republican Party Establishment should be the candidate that all Republicans should line up behind and get on board with. Again, Conservatives don’t necessarily go with the flow or follow the pack.  They tend to be Independent Free Thinkers who know and understand exactly what they want and expect out of their candidates in every election no matter what election it is.  We don’t base our opinions off what others do or think.  We make up our own minds based on our principles.  That’s it.

Romneycare is not the only problem that Conservatives have seen in Mitt Romney’s extensive resume in public office.  Romney is also on record of supporting Manmade Global Warming even after climategate, Ethanol Subsidies, classwarfare rhetoric and mandatory minimum wage increases.  Romney also has no problem ruthlessly attacking his Conservative rivals calling Newt Gingrich “mentally unstable” and Rick Santorum an “Economic Lightweight”.  Then Mitt Romney is very careful when he marks his words when speaking about Obama.  This only helps remind Conservatives how Senator John McCain choose to run his Presidential campaign back in 2008.  In 2008, McCain never batted an eye when he criticized his GOP competitors in the primary leading up to his nomination but would chastise and dismiss any level of negative attacks on Barack Obama.  McCain rejected those kinds of comments even calling Obama “a good man who would make a good president”.  His words.  They still suck and are dead wrong.  So here is Mitt Romney who apparently learned right out of John McCain’s playbook to have no mercy on fellow Republicans but keep the gloves on to Obama.  Great strategy except it didn’t work out too well for John McCain in 2008 and it won’t work out well for Mitt Romney either.  You would think that the same Republicans that voted to nominate Senator John McCain in 2008 would have learned their lesson by now four years later after an Obama Presidency that has increased our National Debt, total size of governmentand no end in sight for an out of control government hell bent on spending the next generation’s future on today’s whims.

If you are a Mitt Romney supporter reading this, please understand that we  know the good, the bad and the ugly about Mitt Romney.  We reject him and everything he stands for.  Romney does not stand on our Conservative principles. We’re not dumb or ignorant when it comes to who and what Mitt Romney really is.  We know.  Maybe you need to re-evaluate the Mitt Romney you think you know and trust.  We don’t trust Romney because we know his history and reject his “executive experience”as governor of Massachusetts.  Romney’s over twenty five years in the private sector experience at Bain Capital and his saving the Olympics didn’t help or serve his well as governor.  Why should Conservatives think Mitt Romney has finally learned how to be a Principled Conservative now if elected president?  Does that sound logical at this point in Romney’s career?  Not to mention that he has every Establishment Republican “Insider” endorsing him.  What do they like and see about Mitt Romney?  Could it be Romney’s weakness to cave in and give in to big government?

Still think Romney will repeal Obamacare if elected president?  Think again. Please consider this.  Mitt Romney stands by Romneycare.  Romney defends Romneycare just as McCain still refuses to call immigration reform “Amnesty”.  Romney Advisor Norm Coleman predicts GOP President won’t repeal Obamacare.  When pressed and pinned down by anyone about his exact plans to repeal Obamacare, No further details are given beyond check out what is posted on his webpage.  Mitt Romney offers no exact plan to repeal Obamacareon his webpage.  Mitt Romney talks a big game about repealing Obamacare on the campaign trail these days. But in the wake of the law’s passage, he had a more modest goal: “repealthe bad and keep the good.”  Then you have to cringe and shutter when Conservative Tea Party Republicans like BobMcDonnell, Niki Haley, Pam Bondi and Ann Coulter not only defending Romneycare as conservative but actually defending it as a good free market solution.  That goes too far and is unacceptable.  Mitt Romney may have a few Conservative Tea Party Republican candidates endorsing him and defending his individual mandatebut that is to their peril.  Not ours.  Again, Conservatives are individual free thinkers who judge candidates based on their principles.  Not loyal to any candidate or party.  These four people I listed above are the exception.  Not the rule. They may be ok with shelving their Conservative principles for whatever personal reasons they have in their life. That does not make them right or the standard we should follow.

Bottomline.  I will vote for Mitt Romney in the general election if he wins the GOP’s nomination.  I did vote for Senator John McCain back in 2008.  That doesn’t mean that other like-minded Conservatives will do the same. Many may decided to stay home or write-in a candidate they really like just to spite Mitt Romney and the Republican Party.  I don’t agree with those two options but everyone is different and not everyone agrees with what is best for this country.  I hope and pray that Conservatives will unite and vote for whoever the Republican Nominee is at the end of this primary.  Even if that nominee is Mitt Romney.  I’ll be open and honest by saying I will not vote for Ron Paul under any circumstance. I don’t care what he says or does. We all have our standards and lines we won’t cross.  I won’t support or vote for Ron Paul.  I have many valid quality reasons for that.  Ron Paul is my only exception.  Other Conservatives may have that similar feelings about Mitt Romney. I do not agree but not all Conservatives agree on everything all of the time.  As I stated earlier, Conservatives are independent free thinkers who don’t go with the flow or follow the pack.  I know and understand that.  Will Mitt Romney ever get that?  Will his supporters ever understand it?  I doubt it. That is their problem.

I actually still like Mitt Romney and would absolutely vote for him if he is the Republican nominee. That being said, I don’t think America will choose Mitt Romney in 2012 just like they didn’t choose him in 2008. Mitt Romney lost to John McCain in 2008 and I predict he will lose again to Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich. Nothing against Mitt but America Needs a Solid, Articulate, Passionate and Battle-Hardened Champion to Lead and Represent them as President going forward. As Good as Mitt Romney may have been or still is, Romney’s Best still falls short again in 2012. Sorry Mitt.

Sincerely, Conservative Voters across America

Thanks to the likes of Coldwarrior, Loren Heal, et al. we are reminded that we should all be elected Precinct Committeemen and familiarize and utilize GOTV efforts for our chosen conservative and Republican candidates.  Both jobs or roles are vitally important and are sorely underappreciated at the national, state and local levels of the GOP.

However, it occurred to me that we have been forgetting about one of the most important jobs we can do, especially at election time – poll watching.

Poll watching is not the most glamorous jobs and it’s certainly not the most entertaining of jobs considering the amount of downtime over the course of Election Day (bring a book in case there is lengthy time gaps between voters arriving at the polling place).  Despite the lack luster appeal of the job, poll watching is one of the most important jobs we can do for a multitude of reasons.

First, poll watching allows you to double check the job of the election judges.  With voter fraud rampant in some parts of this country and in particular parts of some of our states (I’m looking at you Chicago), poll watching can help ensure that voter fraud is kept to a minimum.

Poll watchers cannot interfere with the election judge duties, but merely sit near the election judges with their voter lists in hand checking off who has voted and who has not voted while making sure the election judges are doing their jobs correctly and following the law. 

Poll watchers are the last line of offense in GOTV efforts because around 4pm Election Day, you should step outside the polling place and start calling your “hard Rs” that haven’t voted yet to remind them to vote before the polls close.  If time allows, you should also be calling the “soft R”s.  Poll watching works best in teams, but can be done solo.  With a team in place, one person can keep track of who is voting inside the polling place while the other is calling those that haven’t voted. 

Poll watchers can object to unqualified voters voting in their precinct.  Election judges make the final call on whether somebody is allowed to vote but if you feel your objection was wrongly overturned, you can (and should) call your County Clerk’s office immediately and your state’s Board of Elections if the County Clerk does not give a satisfactory answer or if not action is taken by the County Clerk’s office.

Poll watchers help deter electioneering at the polling place.  They should be watching for campaign signs too close to the polling place or people standing outside the polling place soliciting votes.  In addition, a poll watcher watches for electioneering inside the polling place by objecting to voters wearing campaign t-shirts or campaign buttons while trying to vote or trying to solicite votes inside the polling place.  Those wearing campaign material should either turn their shirts inside out before voting or remove any campaign buttons before they vote.

Poll watchers should be at the polling place before the polls open because part of the poll watcher duties is to make sure the ballot box is working properly and the counter starts at zero with an empty ballot box.  In addition, the poll watcher should stay after the polls close to ensure no extra ballots are added in last minute and see that the results of your precinct are posted at the entrance of your polling place.  These results and overall voter turnout should then be reported back to your county chairman and/or your campaign HQ.

So how do you become a poll watcher?

In my state, each political party is allowed 2 poll watching credentials per precinct.  In addition, each campaign is allowed 1 credential per precinct.  To become a poll watcher, you need only to contact your GOP County Chairman who can get the credentials via your County Clerk’s office.  If you are with a campaign, you can get your credentials through the campaign via the County Clerk’s office.  You need only to sign your credentials and return them to the County Clerk’s office.  Also, you don’t have to live in the precinct you are poll watching.  If somebody has already taken up the alloted credentials for your home precinct, then you can poll watch a different precinct as long as you have credentials for that precinct.  You can also get credentials for multiple precicnts but it’s very limited as to how many you can have at one time – ie. you can’t have credentials for all precincts in your county.

So how do you know what to look for if you’ve never been a poll watcher?  Simple.  Each time before an election, your County Clerk will hold election judge training.  You should be at that training as well so you know each job an election judge has to do, basic voting laws and definitions of electioneer which can vary greatly depending on where your polling place is located.  If you didn’t or can’t attend the election judge training, then election judge duties and applicable voting regulations about electioneering are available at your state’s Board of Elections website.

Poll watchers are not always welcomed in the polling places but you are protected by law to be there.  My precinct doesn’t care if I’m there or not, but when my girlfriend was a poll watcher at a different precinct they treated her like she was an intrusion and made her as unwelcome as possible.  It’s not always like that though.  I poll watched a precinct one time where the election judges brought in food for a potluck.  I ate like a king that day, which reminds me to also get credentials for that precinct this year…  Word of advice whether you are a Precinct Committeeman or a poll watcher for a particular precinct – bring donuts for the election judges, they’ll love you.

It’s not too late to become a poll watcher if your state’s primary is coming up soon.  I am getting my credentials Friday from my GOP County Chairman for our primary on Tuesday.  If you missed your chance to poll watch because your state has already voted, have no fear because the general election will be here before you know it and we need as much GOTV and as many eyes on the ballots as we can get this November.

Get your credentials to be a poll watcher.  Poll watching is a sure-fire way to help thwart voter fraud and report voter fraud that is allowed to happen by election judges.  Poll watching helps GOTV efforts because you can accurately track who has voted and who has not voted.  Finally, as a poll watcher, you are helping ensure that each election is a free and fair election which is the cornerstone of any democracy.