THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

The Republicans had a debate on Sunday on Fox News. Despite the fact that it was overwhelmingly light on foreign policy, and did not deal with the War on Terror, it showed republicans could talk about other subjects with insight. Also, since it was on Fox News, it was actually watched.

I own multiple televisions, and one of them had the Steelers-Broncos game. I even condescended to put the baseball game on with no sound on the small tv. The big screen was prime time for the debate, and the quality of this debate was improved by giving a healthy block of time to the candidates that actually belonged on the stage. The lower tier canddiates were given less time, especially early on, to waste our time.

Despite the moderators’ best attempts to turn the debate into fratricide, the candidates refused to take cheap shots at each other. They were respectful, got their digs in, but praised each other when praise was due. The debate would have been better if it was 100% on the War on Terror, but I understand other Americans do not agree with me on this point. It was a substantive debate with four substantive men and some other kids.

http://michellemalkin.com/2007/10/21/gop-debate-claws-out-for-each-otherand-hillary/

https://tygrrrrexpress.com/2007/10/voting-irregularities-at-the-bloggers-choice-awards/ (other news)

Giuliani was asked about Thompson claiming Giuliani was soft on conservatism. He refused to take the bait and attack Thompson, again emphasizing his own record of accomplishment.

Romney also refused to take the bait. He spoke about Reagan, and got in a good line about republicans “being unable to defeat Hillary Clinton by acting like Hillary Clinton.”

Thompson got in a great dig at Ted Kennedy, and reaffirmed his own credentials, including his 100% pro-life record and his support of strict constructionist judges. He mentioned Rudy’s support of Mario Cuomo, but was very respectful in his dig.

Rudy pointed out that Fred was an obstacle to tort reform, in terms of fighting loser pays provisions. Fred responded that he helped pass anti-sanctuary city laws, which Rudy fought for. Rudy reaffirmed his crime fighting credentials, and pointed out that Fred never had executive responsibility.

John McCain, when asked if he was more conservative than Romney, again reaffirmed his own credentials, and stated that he has “been involved with every national crisis since Beirut.” He said that he “did not manage for profit, he led for patriotism.”

Romney complimented McCain for his heroism, but pointed out that he had the toughest Governorship for a republican in America.

McCain pointed out that during a crisis, that is the last time to call in the lawyers, which is what Romney mentioned in the previous debate. He reaffirmed his qualifications. Romney clarified his position on consulting with Congress and the lawyers, and mentioned that President Bush did go to Congress, which Hillary disputes.

This debate was very serious for the first 15 minutes because only the top tier candidates were speaking. Then it was Rupaul time. He was asked about gay marriage, and he answered calmly for once, stating that we do not need to amend the Constitution for it. He actually was totally normal in his answer.

Romney, the only one to support the Constitutional ban on gay marriage, reiterated his position a such.

Giuliani, who opposes the ban, says it is not necessary at this time. If several states allow it, the issue can be revisited, but right now it is not needed. Marriage is a civil institution, not a religious one.

When asked about Giuliani’s abortion position, Mike Huckabee ducked.

Fred Thompson, when asked about his lobbying for pro-choice groups, stated again that his private law practice differed from his public service., which was pro-life.

McCain was asked about his fence mending with the Religious Right. He stated that he has never changed. He said he reconciled with former enemies, such as the Vietnamese, and that he could reconcile with Jerry Falwell. He reaffirmed that they should all support who the nominee turns out to be.

Tom Tancredo was brought in after 25 minutes. When asked about the conservatism of the other candidates, cited the American Taxpayers Union and National Right to Life organizations, which give him A ratings.

Duncan Hunter went after Carl Cameron, accusing him of dividing the party. He then mentioned the Cuban Freedom Fighters, and mentioned Reagan helping the people of El Salvador.

The debate then turned to health care.

McCain mentioned Hillarycare and higher taxes. He also stated that Medicaid grew 10% last year, which is unsustainable. He said the democrats want to destroy health care.

Rupaul, a doctor himself, said after 35 years, managed care is not working. He then said we have to stop trying to expand our world empire. I was worried he would not go off the rails, but he finally fell back into wack job mode.

Romney pointed out that health care is not a democrat issue, it is a republican issue. He ducked the question in terms of if his plan would be applied at the Federal level. He again reinforced his version versus Hillary’s version.

Hunter pointed out that Romney’s plan had mandates, which drives up costs. 90 year olds have fertility coverage, which is not needed. We need to be able to buy health care across state lines. Romney rebutted that the democrats in the Massachusetts legislature left some mandates in, but he got many mandates out.

Huckabee pointed out that we do not have a health care crisis, but a health crisis. We spend too much money on disease, and not enough on prevention. He mentioned the that when “the old hippies find out they get free drugs, wait till that problem happens.”

Tancredo was asked about illegal immigration, allowing him to go bonkers again. However, he turned it back to health care. He mentioned that Michael Moore went to Cuba, but that he came back. He mentioned health savings accounts, but said the Federal government should not be involved with health care.

On education, Thompson said his vote on No Child Left Behind was perhaps a mistake. He stated that the Federal government should turn more power to the states, and give them maximum flexibility. He also mentioned we had a societal breakdown, and we need more fathers to raise their kids.

When asked about the school system in New York, and that it should be “blown up,” he stated that he cared a lot more about the kids than the teachers. He emphasized school choice, and refused to back down about his prior comments. He aid parents should decide school issues, not the government. He called it he “single biggest civil rights issue in the 21st century.”

The candidates were asked why they are currently losing to Hillary.

Mitt Romney had compared Hillary to Karl Marx in the past. When asked about her qualifications to be Commander in Chief, he pointed out that, “She has never run a corner store, never run a business. The Presidency is not an internship.” He said she is not fit to be Commander in Chief.

Rudy Giuliani, when compared to Hillary, said, “You’ve got to be kidding.” He quoted Hillary when she said, “I have a million ideas, America can’t afford them all.” Rudy stated, “America can’t afford you, Hillary.” He then disputed the polls, and mentioned the same polls showed Al Gore and John Kerry winning handily.

John McCain was asked about his differences on the war with Hillary. He stated he respected Hillary, but that Hillary tried to spend one million dollars on the Woodstock Museum. He stated, “I am sure it was a cultural event and a pharmaceutical event, but I was tied up at the time.” The crowd went ballistic with applause, and stated “No one can be President that supports these types of programs.” He stated that she is a liberal and he is a reliable conservative.

Huckabee stated that republicans should have gone to the minority debates, and mentioned Aerosmith. He stated that “there is nothing funny about Hillary being President.” He mentioned Islamofacism. It was the first time it was meant all night, and the first time I recall him mentioning it.

Thompson stated again that we have to worry about ourselves as republicans. He then mentioned her being wrong about repealing the tax cuts, and attacking Generals that get tried in the newspapers. He again emphasized that “laws come from God, not Government.” He also mentioned the “comfortable mediocrity” of the democrats.

Rupaul, when asked how he differed from Hillary, said that she would expand the war, and he would not. So Hillary is to the right of him on the war apparently.

Thompson was asked a laundry list of issues dealing with social security and Medicare. The question by Brit Hume last what seemed like forever, and I credit Thompson for remembering it. He said in principle with the question, and mentioned the indexing of benefits to inflation.

Giuliani was asked that attempting to reform benefits of Medicare and social security would be seen as democrats as a “cut,” he said that the first thing we needed was a consensus about private accounts. He again pointed out that allowing individuals to buy private health insurance would benefit everyone, and that those who are not covered are not poor people, since poor people have Medicaid. Private solutions are necessary.

Romney stated he would be bold, but not cut benefits for poor people. He stated that no changes would happen for current seniors. He said he would not raise taxes, but that indexing it to inflation was a bad idea. He stated these problems could be solved, but did not say how. When asked how he could bring people together on the issue when President Bush could not, he said he learned from that experience, and his own. He invoked Reagan again, and talked of common ground, but did not say how.

Huckabee pointed out that privatization should be replaced with personalization, since privatization makes people think of Enron and Worldcom. He did offer an intelligent explanation involving actuarial tables showing that “people just are not saying anymore.”

Rupaul was actually right about the fact that unless you protect the dollar, the rest is irrelevant. He pointed out a dollar is worth four cents. He was actually sounding very bright until he again related this all to the war.

John McCain got a laugh when he said he is glad Americans are not dying at 67 (since he is over 70). He bluntly stated that Medicare and social security are going broke. He stated the solution has to be bipartisan, since neither side has 60 votes. He said the American people respond when they see a crisis.

Duncan Hunter was still on stage, which I had forgotten. He stated the problem was China and the outsourcing of jobs. So therefore, China is responsible for our health care crisis. Brit Hume was incredulous, rightly so.

Tom Tancredo stated that entire structural changes were needed, and again brought up illegal immigration, because he is a broken record.

75 minutes in, and finally, foreign policy was brought up. It was a question about Russia, not the Middle East.

McCain said “I looked into Putin’s eyes, and I saw 3 letters…K…G…B.” McCain called Putin a “dangerous person.” McCain then recommended a missile defense system in Czechoslovakia, regardless of who objects.

Hunter said that Putin offered to work with us on sea-based missile defenses, and that we should work with him on issues involving a partnership in the Black Sea. Hunter was in command on this issue.

Giuliani said that we should engage Russia, expand NATO, and look to Australia and Japan. He said Ukraine would be a good hedge but they “are not quite there yet” in terms of democracy. He said that Reagan believed rightly that increasing military spending would send a message to Russia and China, and we should so again.

Thompson asked if the Turks had a right to go into the Kurdish areas. Thompson called the PKK terrorists, but said the Turks and the Kurds are both our friends, but that people have a right to defend themselves. He pointed out that Turkey is a NATO ally, and that Nancy Pelosi’s Armenian resolution “injected partisan politics into a national security issue.”

Tancredo seemed sad that Thompson stole his thunder on this issue, but said that Nancy Pelosi “was a lousy speaker, but a lousier Secretary of State.”

Huckabee agreed that the PKK was a terrorist organization, but that Turkey had nothing to gain by crossing the Kurdish border. Nobody needs or wants the grief from that situation.

Rupaul wailed and railed. America is looking for trouble. We should talk to people. Rupaul was booed roundly.

Romney brought up the “peace dividend” of the Clinton years. “We got the dividend, not the peace.” He also said, “The UN is failing in its mission to protect against genocide.” He also cited uber-genius Charles Krauthammer.

The stage then shifted to random questions.

Rupaul was asked if the other candidates left the republican party. He attacked the Neocons, and cited Eisenhower in 1952 as an example of taking over from warmongering democrats. He forgot that Ike was a military general.

Giuliani was asked if a nuclear Iran was worse than war with Iran, and he unequivocally said yes. He reaffirmed that credibility on the seriousness of going to war would make the sanctions stronger, and that China would see we mean business on Iran. He contrasted Reagan with Carter, with regards to Iran.

Thompson was asked about campaign stumbles and laziness involving Terry Schaivo and the Everglades. Thompson mentioned being a husband and father at 17, a prosecutor at 28, a Watergate Counsel at 30, and a landslide winner in two senate races. He also mentioned shepherding John Roberts through the Senate and ontp the Supreme Court. “If a man can do all that and be lazy, I recommend it to them.”

The focus group had some embarrassments. Some said Hillary would destroy America. This is nonsense. However, more sane people in the room said she would raise their taxes, and is wrong on the issues. This is true. The consensus on the candidates, even if for differing reasons, was on point.

Fred Thompson was sharp, Rudy Giuliani nailed the education question, and the crowd loved any anti-Hillary red meat. McCain is a fine man, but just does not sell himself well. Romney spoke in generalities and did not offer specifics. Huckabee did not help or hurt himself. The other candidates offer so little that I almost turned on the baseball game. I then remembered it was baseball, and at least Rupaul is entertaining.

Thompson and Giuliani won this debate.

eric

Campaigns recently came to an end for Sam Brownback, and for me. Mine may or may not have been triumphant, pending final results, while his was disappointing. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about the process from this experience.

First I want to say that I think that Sam Brownback is a decent, honorable, genuine human being. He has served the people of Kansas well, and could be their next Governor in 2010. He simply had no shot at being President. He did the right thing by dropping out.

He had every right to run. Yet the socialistic notion that all candidates deserve equal face time doesn’t wash. A person has to establish credibility first, and then they get the face time and the money. Sam Brownback came across as rigid. Even though he preached optimism, he sounded bland, if not dour. Even if the social conservatives were enough to win the nomination alone, which they are not, they simply felt other candidates were better. Unlike some people, who refuse to get off the stage, Sam Brownback showed class by accepting the results and leaving the race with dignity.

I have been thinking about this since I have been competing in the Bloggers Choice Awards. http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/21020

I went to bed last night knowing that I was in the top 3, with the votes to be announced on November 10th in Las Vegas. Yet when I woke up this afternoon at 1:30pm (what a nice way to start the day), I noticed that the Daily Kossacks had a few more votes added to their total. The rules clearly stated the contest ended Friday, October 19th, at 11:55pm. Are we really at the point in society where possible controversy can erupt in a blogging competition for crying out loud?

If anybody still wants to vote for me, they can, but I am done campaigning. It is draining. When Sam Brownback dropped out, he got the ability to do something that the candidates still in the race have trouble doing…spend more time with their families. Mr. Brownback is a family man, and I suspect he would rather be with them in Kansas then touring around the country on a quixotic journey.

I say this because I entered the blogosphere on March 11th, 2007. I have only been doing this 7 months. I never wanted to blog. I am technologically incompetent. I got dragged into it by a hot, Jewish republican woman who told me I had to do it. I would rather she tell me I had to do…well, that can wait for another column. I do want to treat her like a ketchup bottle, but she hammered me in a car and told me I had a message and style worth spreading.

I sat down, over the next few days and had to figure out several things. I was not going to do this half-baked. Several questions needed to be asked.

First of all, would I enjoy doing this? I came to the conclusion that I would, and it has been a joy, The minute I will stop enjoying it I will cease doing it.

Secondly, what was the purpose of my entry into the blogosphere? What was my cause? I did not want to just have an online diary where I told people, “Today I had a piece of toast. It was delicious. I went with margarine instead of butter.” If I wanted to bore people with nonsense, I could spend time with family and friends, who tolerate me up to a certain generous point. It turned out that I did have one cause that I wanted to talk about, that being “ideological bigotry.” There is a hatred of people in this country just for being conservatives, or republicans, or religious in any way. I felt ideological bigotry was as poisonous as any other kind of hatred, and I wanted to try and stop it wherever I witnessed it. I was especially interested in ideological bigotry in my own Jewish community.

Third, I had to figure out a way to say the same things everybody else was saying, but in a different way. I figured my seriousness of purpose mixed with warped humor, with a splash of occasional inappropriate sexual commentary unbecoming a republican, would lead to a spicy column. However, my main thrust was that I was going to raise the level of discourse. I would be hard hitting against liberalism, but I would not take cheap shots against human beings. My disagreements would be political, and not personal.

The fourth goal would be to see if this could turn from a hobby into a successful business. I promised myself I would give it one year, and after one year, I would see where I was. I would either solicit advertisers, or fold the operation completely. Then I began blogging.

I would excitedly look at my counter, and notice that one day I had 12 hits, but another day I had 15 hits. Heck, one day I even cracked 20 hits. Yet as much as I felt confidence in my writing, I was not a salesperson. I was not a marketer. I had to do the one thing I hate doing, which is shouting to the world, “Hey, notice me.” As a WordPress guy, I contacted other political blogs on WordPress and asked them to notice what I wrote.

Then one of my friends suggested I start posting my columns on RealClearPolitics. I read that site every day, but did not know there was a place for bloggers.

One day a blogger named Snooper read some of my stuff and liked it, and asked if he could do a “pingback,” or “trackback.” I had no idea what he meant, but he explained that he wanted to put my words on his site, with a link to me to make sure I got proper credit. Other bloggers such as Spree, Blandly Urbane and the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler noticed my stuff. I began to attract notice around politically conservative circles that I was a common sense conservative republican who wrote well.

Yet while that increased my readership, the next decision made an even bigger difference. I decided that I would embrace people who fiercely disagreed with me and encourage them to visit my site. They were not allowed to use profanity or engage in hate speech, but disagreeing with every word I said was within bounds. The point is I encouraged dialogue. I wanted to raise the level of discourse. For the sake of honesty, talking only among people who agree with me is not only boring, but it allows my razor sharp intellectual edges to go dull. Debate is healthy. Little by little, word spread among liberals that while I was definitely not balanced (heck my guidance counselor said I was unbalanced), I was fair. My site was the politically conservative republican site where liberal democrats could visit and be treated respectfully (at least by me, I give my commenters wide latitude).

I started getting over 200 hits per day within a couple months, and a friend of mine told me about a conservative blogging site called Townhall. I somehow managed to have one of my smart-aleck remarks published on their front page for three weeks. I then also set up a  blogspot site so that Google through Technorati would bring me up on searches.

Yet the real change came when I heard about the Bloggers Choice Awards. I decided to enter in the political category, and told myself I would only actively pursue it if I could win. I had no desire to waste time and energy.

I am not a campaigner. Asking people to vote for me is demeaning. I am just not a salesman. Yet I had enough support to make it into the top 20. Others knew about the contest months before I did. So for three months, I went full bore and asked people to vote for me.

Some would argue that winning this would just be a popularity contest, and was meaningless since there was not monetary prize. To me this is nonsense. The Iowa Straw Poll is the same thing, and some candidates even pay people $25 per person to vote for them. Also, like the Iowa Straw Poll, some famous bloggers did not actively solicit votes like I did. I was competing against people like Michelle Malkin, Arianna Huffington and the Daily Kos. They could snap their fingers and have more votes than me, so even if I beat them, they did not try to win.

This is false. In the last few days of the competition, people at the Daily Kos saw a spike in their votes. They were competing.

Ann Coulter’s people told me that putting a link to my blog was against the rules. Michelle Malkin’s site was much friendlier.

It is one thing to contact people and ask them to look at my blog. It is another to ask them to vote for me. Townhall people were supportive, and so were many on WordPress. Yet in the last month of the contest, I actually got banned from contacting people on the website Stumbleupon because three people complained I was a spammer. So what? I was polite, friendly, and yes, I was soliciting them to vote for me. A bunch of people liked me, and now I cannot even return their friendly messages. Oh well.

In the last few days, I even went on two sites I swore I would never go on…Facebook and MySpace. I was told anyone over 30 on those sites was a sexual predator, but I had an election to win. Facebook sent me a warning to slow down my contacting of people. MySpace was more lenient.

The Grizzly Groundswell Governors helped me out significantly during the final push, as did others. Pastor Ed Boston was very helpful.

I also changed my strategy from “vote for me,” to “vote for me and help me crush the Daily Kossacks.” I am sure I accidentally contacted a few liberals who then voted for Kos…oh well. Nevertheless, one day before the contest “ended,” I had surpassed the Kossacks. Whether I finish 1, 2 or 3, the Kossacks got knocked down to fourth. Thank you to all who helped!

Everything, however, comes at a price. As a single Jewish man, I have neglected Jdate lately. My recent trips to Atlanta and elsehwere had no romance because I was busy chasing votes instead of women. My goal in life is to impregnate a Jewish republican brunette, and putting that on hold at my age is not wise. In fact, the last two days there were plenty of social events, and instead I chose to stay home and solicit votes by telephone and email. For two days this is ok, but it will not become my way of life. I skipped a political forum Thursday night, a softball game Friday night, and several invitations to Temple that would have been so much fun.

I still have so much to learn. There are actually two different blogging conventions in Las Vegas back to back in the same convention center. One on November 8th and 9th will be led by Blog Expo and Media World, and Hugh Hewitt will be there. Yet the Bloggers Choice Awards is through PostieCon, and that will be November 10th. I might have to skip the first one. Yes, Mary Katharine Ham will be there, but no, even that is not enough to get me to miss two days off of work. I have only two vacation days left, and I want to see my parents in December. I might go to the second one.

After November 10th, win or lose in this contest, I have two more thing to figure out blogwise.  First, do I want to compete in the blogging competition again? I do not know. It starts the day after this one ends. I refuse to be a year round campaigner. I want my social life back. Some people begin running for president the day after a presidential election. That is not me. I will campaign four months, and that is it.

Secondly, and more importantly, can I charge advertisers? I have no idea how to do it. This conference will teach me. I was going to wait a year, but after 7 months, it is time to find out what my role, if any, in the blogosphere, awaits me.

I doubt I will disappear completely, since as I said, I enjoy it. I have made some wonderful friends. However, I have friends in real life, and I am looking forward to coming up for air today and seeing them.

Whether or not I won this contest, I will still have them. I will also feel more ocmfortable around them knowing I do not have to ask them for anything, even if they are happy to help me.

My obligations are to myself. My main obligation is to keep my integrity, and that includes the integrity of my column. Winning a  blogging award is meaningless if the quality of my writing slides.

So on November 10th, either http://www.angryharry.com/, http://www.feministing.com/ or me will be the 2007 Best Political blog at the Bloggers Choice Awards. I hope they are there, so I can get to know them. They were worthy competition, and if either of them win, I will have a hearty congratulatory handshake for them. I personally would prefer somebody that is already not a household name like Huffington or Kos win. New talent needs to be discovered to keep old talent from getting stale.

If I do not win, I am still proud of what I accomplished in the last seven months. Now I can go back to increasing my readership. If next year I am old news, and do not attract any support, I will not hang around. I will do the honorable thing, like Sam Brownback did, and return home to those who care about me whether or not I have a dollar to my name. I now top 500 hits per day, approach 1000 hits per day, and whether that goes to 4000 per day or zero, it has been a thrilling experience.

Thank heavens this contest is over. There are republican Jewish brunettes on Jdate and at social events, and they are not going to get pregnant by themselves (I should consult Feministing or Angry Harry on this one, maybe they can).

Off to play football, eat red meat, and pursue the aforementioned ladies. On Sunday it is watching football, and only Monday will I return to politicking.

Of course, when I say politicking, I mean blogging, not campaigning for myself. Ick!

eric

Mitt Romney spoke at the Republican Jewish Coalition 2008 Candidates Forum. As always, he was engaging, funny, and deadly serious when necessary.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mitt Romney earlier in 2007 in Los Angeles at the California Republican Party Convention. I was unfamiliar with him, and he was barely above an asterisk in the polls. George Allen had just self-destructed, providing an opening for a fresh face. He had a couple of great lines I still remember.

“People criticize me for not getting along as well with the democrats in the Massachussetts legislature as Arnold Schwarzenegger gets along with the democrats in California. Of course Arnold gets along better with the democrats. He sleeps with one.”

“When I was asked to head up the Olympics, and my face was on the cover of magazines and sports pages, my sons came to me and express that in all their lives, the last thing they ever thought they would see is their dad anywhere near the sports section.”

https://tygrrrrexpress.com/2007/03/more-than-just-dilberts-mormon-manager/

I asked him a question at that event, but because it was not a serious question, I did so privately.

“Governor Romney, despite your willingness to be tough on crime, your state does not have tough drunk driving laws. Are you facing any opposition from anyone in your state with regards to strengthening these laws?”

He laughed and replied, “I just try to stay off the road when he gets in his car, and on the road when I get in mine.” 

I then took a picture with him with my surprisingly effective 18th century camera.

Before getting to the substance of Mitt Romney’s remarks, which were plentiful, a couple issues should immediately be confronted for good.

First of all, people refusing to vote for a man because of his being a Mormon are bigots. Period. End of discussion on this issue. Next, some people complain that he is too perfect. Yes, he looks like a prototypical successful management type out of “Dilbert.” His hair is perfect, his jaw is perfect, his wife and family are perfect. People who object to this are guilty of jealousy. I think we should celebrate the fact that a man in a career as tough as politics produced good children. Those who think he is all image, too “slick,” and “polished,” should remember that we live in a media driven world. We want candidates to look an act a certain way, but if they do it “too well,” we denigrate them. We criticize some candidates for marital problems, divorces, and even baldness, and then turn around and criticize a happily married man with good hair. Those who claim that he is “scripted” do not seem to have that objection to the democrats running for President, and they read off of scripts that were popular 40 years ago.

Mitt Romney is not a top tier candidate because of his style. His appearance before the RJC reflected a man who clearly “gets it” with regards to what America is facing. With that, here are the bulk of his remarks.

“I believe all Jewish liberals should be converted…to republicanism.”

“In Alaska, Jewish democrats pray at the Synagogue of the Frozen Chosen.”

“Boundaries are not the issue in the Middle East. A Palestinian state is not the issue…nor is Palestinian poverty. A lack of healthcare and housing is not the issue.”

“The Palestinians have their view and the Israelis have their view. Isn’t there some truth to both views on Israel? No!”

“Todays democrats are like Neville Chamberlain.”

Governor Romney then outlined four pillars of foreign policy.

“1), Sucess means no safe havens for Hamas and Hezbollah. We also should have refused to provide security for Khatami to the airport from Harvard. Armageddonijad (my spelling) should be indicted in New York, not invited to New York.”

“2) We need to ask the dmeocrats point blank…’Will you stop a nuclear Iran?’ I will.”

“3) We must pressure Arab states.”

“4) We must let the Iranian people know that being a nuclear power is not a source of pride.”

He continued with his remarks along the same lines.

“America will never allow the destruction of Israel.”

“Israel is a nation that arose (literally) from human ashes. Never again.”

“We must overwhelm global jihad…and add 100,000 more troops.”

“The United Nations has failed. Only free nations should work in a new group.”

“(With regards to) The U.N. Human Rights Council, the U.S. should end support for this sad spectacle.”

Governor then took questions. The first one was about fossil fuels. He stated that the President “must be the Educator in Chief, must show the horrors of $100 or even $150 per barrel of oil. We need more nuclear power, and more uses of liquified coal.”

One person asked a question regarding torture. It was a question I had thought of many times. The person wanted to know exactly what torture was, and what did not rise to that level (burning cigarettes as opposed to sleep deprivation, etc). The fellow listed many tiems, and Governor Romney jokingly interjected, “You need to add to that list.”

When the fellow asked the Governor to flat out state what was within bounds and what was out of bounds, Governor Romney replied, “I will not do that, no Presidential candidate should definte what torture is, because that will aid the enemy. America does not torture people, but we will not tell our enemies exactly what we will and will not do.”

Anybody who wants to accuse Governor Romney of pandering should reconsider, at least with this issue. I reversed my own view,and accepted his explanation as one I had not thought of before.

At one point his wife came slightly closer to him on the stage, and he asked, “Would you like to say something?” She replied, “I just want to stand next to you.” He responded, “You can always stand next to me.” Whether that was scripted or spontaneous should not diminish that they are a happily married couple, which again, in our society is something positive.

He then offered other responses to questions asked.

“President Bush has kept us safe for the last six years. He fought for the Patriot Act.”

“When captured, Khalid Sheik Mohammed said, ‘See you in New York with my lawyers.’ No, he did not go to New York with his lawyers. He went to Guantanamo Bay where he belongs.”

When asked about healthcare, he stated, “Higher regulations lead to higher premiums. We need to focus on private, market based solutions.”

When asked why Evangelical Christians might be hesitant to support a Mormon, he replied, “I don’t know, ask my neighbors.” The crowd laughed, and he continued. “Evangelicals share my values. Iowa has evangelicals, and the polls show me ahead in Iowa. I am doing well in New Hampshire. My own polls show me ahead in South Carolina, of course I make them up.” The crowd laughed again, and he got in a very subtle dig at his competitors. Actually, I would not even call it a dig it wa sso mild. “The issue is not Mormonism, divorces, or age. The issue is leadership.”

When asked why we would support Fatah, given that they are just as bad as Hamas, Romney did not tell the crowd what they wanted to hear.

“As for Fatah, I want more evidence about them. How can you have peace talks when there is no one to talk to?”

He ended with some remarks about the nobility of America.

“In the history of the world, people win wars and take land. America wins wars, but does not take the land.”

Mitt Romney is a self made millionaire with a clear grasp of the defining issue of our time, that being the War on Terror. He has never wavered on that position, and he clearly understands that everything our forefathers fought, bled and died for is at stake.

Governor Romney deserves to be a top tier Presidential Candidate.

Now if only I could only get my hair to be half as perfect as his is.

May God Bless his him and his family. Good luck on the campaign trail Governor.

eric    

Fred Thompson was the last candidate to speak at the 2008 RJC Candidates Forum. As a tribute to liberals, I will be doing the reviews backwards. Before going over the substance of Thompson’s remarks, which were in abundance, let’s get the nonsense out of the way.

Every joke about him seems to involve canines. One reporter referred to him as “Deputy Dog,” and Stephen Colbert (a candidate himself…as Don King says, “Only in America”) referred to Fred as an “Alpha Dog,” due to his prowess with the ladies. Also, the lazy, plodding, lumbering bassett hound in “Smokey and the Bandit” was named Fred.

Now for those who actually care about serious, intelligent matters, let’s discuss the real Fred Thompson. When people say that he acts like he did not always have a burning desire to be president, he replies, “Yes, you’re right. I didn’t spend my entire life wanting to be president.” Just because the man does not rant and rave, or give fire and brimstone speeches, does not mean he lacks passion or fire. He simply conducts himself with dignity and class, which more people should do.

https://tygrrrrexpress.com/2007/03/from-the-king-of-the-hill-to-the-white-house/

Having said that, the question would be if a southerner Christian driving a pickup truck could connect with a Jewish audience, many who were not from the South. Based on his performance at the forum, absolutely. Below are some of his remarks.

“As the last speaker of the day, I know I stand in the way of you and the refreshments. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“After hearing remarks from my spouse, I know I’m a comedown, there is nothing I can do about it.”

“Laws come from God, not government.”

“We (Americans) have shed more blood for other nations’ liberties.”

“The prosperity threat is the same old siren song of raising taxes.”

“The alternative minimum tax was supposed to affect 155 people. It affects 20 million people.”

“Under the left we will fall into a comfortable mediocrity and second rate status.”

“The liberal philosophy must be rejected at all costs.”

“This war will be with us long after Iraq is in the rearview mirror.”

“NATO is spending less and less on defense.”

“(With regards to) America and Israel, our cultural and religious ties are strong, our security interests are clear, and we share a common goal…peace.”

“Iran is the premier state sponsor of terrorism in the world today.”

“If we lose (in Iraq), we will have another Tehran, Gaza…another fundamentalist Islamic state.”

“We must do more to protect the next generation.”

“General Petraeus keeps warningus about Iran. We need to listen.”

“Lebanon is now a hostage state. Iran will not become a nuclear threat.”

“The nuclear option is never off the table.”

Senator Thompson then took questions, and I was the first person to ask him a question. I spoke quickly to pack many words in without droning on.

I stated, “Senator, it’s an honor sir.” He thanked me. I then continued.

“Senator, I am a republican blogger (yes, this was a shameful attempt at self promotion, and it worked) who understands that with freedom of the press comes responsibility. Are you willing to enforce the Bush Doctrine that anyone harboring or aiding terrorists is a terrorist, even if it means cracking down on our own cultural institutions? Two examples are Poison Ivy League universities doing Tea With Mussolini and Columbian Coffee with Armageddonijad, and our troops getting killed because their movements are being given up by the Jayson Blair Times (the crowd and the Senator cracked up at that point, where I said, “The Jewish fellow running that paper does not speak for me”)? How do you as a member of the media yourself balance freedom of speech with the fact that we cannot have our media getting our troops murdered, and we cannot have our students being lectured by a terrorist who belongs in Guantanamo Bay?”

Fred Thompson started out by wagging his finger at me in mock anger and indignation and said, “First of all, let me say that I resent being called a member of the media!”

The crowd erupted in laughter, and I said into the microphone, “I apologize.” The Senator then continued.

“I was once a member of the media. I did a little television and movies now and then. I will do what is necessary to keep the American people safe. Yes, I will put pressure on institutions that break the law. If they cross the line, I will get them. Political pressure can be applied, but so can market pressure. We believe in the free market, and we have a right to apply pressure. The wingnuts have a right to speak, but they fail to understand that normal Americans also have a right to speak. There are more of us, and we need to make our voices loud and clear that we will not tolerate violations of law. We have the power to vote with our wallets.”

I was thrilled by his answer, because he did not give the mealy mouthed tepid line about we cherish the Media’s right to absolute power under the first amendment to destroy anything else. Let them stop harassing my second amendment, and I might hold them in less miserable esteem. More questions followed from others.

One woman asked if there was such a thing as Moderate Arab governments. The Senator handled it deftly.

“Jordan is a moderate Arab government. Jordan is friendly. Saudi Arabia is not friendly.”

When asked a question about our violent culture, he replied, “Music and prime time television does factor in, but the big problem is the breakdown of the family. Blaming everything else is not the solution, and I am not going to legislate the second amendment.”

With regards to federalism, he stated, “People think a Federalist stance means a larger federal government. It doesn’t. I don’t like to use the phrase ‘states rights'”

When asked about the founding fathers, he pointed out that not everything is the same as back then. “For one, transportation and communication are different from when the founding fathers were around.” He explained that some issues do require flexibility with the changing times.

When asked about what joint operations the U.S. would undertake with Israel, in relation to a recent Israeli strike against Syria, Thompson was emphatic.

“Nobody running for President can reveal joint USA/Israeli strikes.”

For those who thought he was willing to pander to a Jewish audience, he laid down the law when asked about clemency for Jonathan Pollard.

“No. He spied on my country, and needs to serve out his term.”

Many in the audience, including myself, appreciated his candor. I also agree with his answer, to the consternation of others.

When asked about negotiating with North Korea, he replied, “North Korea has never lived up to any agreement.”

A softball question about Arthur Branch, and how they could beat Hillary, was answered humorously.

“I don’t like to brag…actually that’s not true, I do like to brag…When Arthur Branch is being warm, fuzzy, and lovable…that’s me. When Arthur Branch is being mean and surly…that’s not me.”

Thompson then went on to explain correctly that framing the election around Hillary is a mistake. It has to be about our ideas and principles, and when we adhere to conservative principles, we win. He said,  “I refuse to move to the middle like Hillary. I stick to conservative principles. Don’t react to Hillary, we have to focus on ourselves. The election is us and the people, not us versus Hillary.”

Sticking with that theme, he said, “We must elect judges who interpet the constitution, not make it up.”

When asked about Reagan as the geat communicator, Thompson replied, “Reagan was an actor, but that is not why he was a great communicator. Reagan was a great communicator because he was believable. He was believable because he truly believed.”   

When he was done, he did again warn the audience that he was perfectly willing to stay around, but that the refreshments had arrived if they didn’t. Many stayed. I managed to meet him personally. When I asked to take a picture of him, and he saw my disposable camera that I buy at the grocery store and throw out after using it, he replied, “Now that’s my kind of camera.” His wife was near us, so I asked that she be in the picture as well, and she happily obliged.

I have to say that while his intial remarks were funny, I was worried he might get off to a slow start when the laughter subsided. Fred is simply not flashy. Yet he got stronger as his speech went on. The crowd liked him, and respected that he was honest with us.

Fred is simply a very likable fellow, and I went into his speech not sure of what to make of him. Now I can say that heis presidential timber, and deserves his status as a top tier candidate.

To steal a line from “Die Harder,” all I can say is, with regards to the presidential primaries, “Back ’em, stack ’em, and rack ’em.”

This Alpha Dog has little bark, but serious bite.

Go get ’em Fred.

eric   

I had the pleasure of attending the Republican Jewish Coalition 2008 Candidates Forum in Washington, DC.

This was not a pep rally. It was an ultra serious policy conference. It was also better than anything one will see on any debates.

Debates are set up so that candidates are prepared to give off snappy one liners and rehearsed jokes from the stump. This forum did not have the candidates on stage at the same time. Sam Brownback, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson each addressed the crowd for about an hour. Mike Huckabee was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict. The empty threats of protests from the Rupaul supporters never materialized. He was not invited due to this being a Jewish audience, and his record on Jewish issues is what it is.

There was also a breakfast for all women attendees featuring the wives of the candidates. It was well attended and well received.

The one thing I want to emphasize is that this was not a crowd looking for slogans, or condescending pablum about Israel being important. Yes, Jewish audiences are concerned about Jewish issues, but unlike a liberal crowd, the Republican Jewish Coalition sees a direct parallel between the survival of Israel, and America’s greater Global War on Terror. This audience considered the War on Terror to be the primary issue of our time.

To condense each candidate’s remarks would cheapen them, and the event itself. Therefore, over the next few days I will break down each candidate’s appearance. In addition, several U.S. Senators attended a midday luncheon, and their remarks will be covered as well.

Lastly, I want to take a moment ona  personal note to apologize to Sam Brownback. I was late attending the event due to taxicab problems, and when I arrived, I noticed others were late as well. I remarked that Sam Brownback was asked to speak first so that nobody would miss anything if they were late. I found out afterwards that Mr. Brownback was asked to speak first due to alphabetical order, and nothing more.

I have been very tough on the lower tier candidates, and I still belive at some point soon they should be banned from the debates. However, Sam Brownback was gracious and classy enough to attend this event, and what I did hear of his speech was passionate and sincere. He is a decent, thoughtful human being, and he deserved the respect of those that he addressed. I did not give him that respect, and for that I apologize to him.

Some of you after a few days will say, “Enough with the Republican Jewish Coalition.” People feeling that way should read my “about” page and see that my religious faith and my political beliefs comprise a large part of who I am. In addition, the RJC is an excellent example of a constituency that focuses on issues that matter to most Americans, not just narrow special interest group issues.

Lastly, the candidates did not pander to us. This is patently false. In fact, some of them said hard things we did not want to hear at all. Also, none of them advocated bombing Iran. They simply refused to rule it out.    

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/NATION/110170091/1002

The people who attended the event were an overwhelmingly diverse crowd, and they were also diverse in the one way that liberal crowds often are not…intellectually. There were sharp disagreements among the attendees on certain issues, but this was about an up close and personal look at several men, one of whom might be the next President of the United States.

The substance was overwhelming, and deeply relevant, and I look forward to the Tygrrrr Express bringing that to you over the next few days.

eric

The Tygrrrr Express made it’s way from Birmingham to Hotlanta to Washington DC.

I am now back in Los Angeles as of 20 minutes ago. Between my cell phone crashing, losing my charger, and my laptop working nowhere, society was spared my column for one day. Like Gloria Gaynor, I did survive.

I attended the Republican Jewish Coalition Candidate Forum, and it was spectacular. I took detailed notes, and took my picture with one of the top tier candidates. It will take me an entire week to discuss the whole event, because it was that meaningful.

For those used to rapid responses to your emails, and to your comments being approved quickly, yesterday was an aberration.

Ok, I have to be at work in 8 hours. Time to get some sleep.

Westbound and down.

Oh, and the Blo9gges Choice Awards ends in 3 days. Vote for me and have all your friends do so as well.

http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/21020

eric

I had the pleasure of attending a Republican Jewish Coalition in Birmingham, Alabama. Yes, there are Jews in Alabama, and no, they are not to the left of Leon Trotsky. Yet in what appeared to be the reddest of the red states, things were not as they seemed.

Mike Hubbard is the Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. I can say two things with certainty after attending the event he was speaking.

First of all, his assistant is stunning. My lord her fella is one lucky man, and I do hope a free trade agreement can be worked out to export more of these republican southern belles to California in exchange for some of our Birkenstock wearing tree huggers.

Secondly, and more importantly, Alabama is not as red as people think. Yes, Governor Riley is a republican, as are both U.S. Senators. So is the Attorney General. So why can’t Alabama proceed at warp speed?

Because the legislature is blue…and I mean heavily blue. True, the last few years have seen republicans win seats in areas that democrats held captive since reconstruction. However, Alabama is democrat country in terms of their legislature.

Some would say this does not matter, because Alabama democrats are conservative, and not Massachussetts democrats. People who think this have never been to Alabama. For one, like many Mid-Atlantic and New England states, Alabama democrats are held hostage by powerful teachers unions. According to Mr. Hubbard, several democrats want to support the republicans on education reform, but the Alabama version of George Soros attends sessions and stares at them from the gallery. Sometimes this fellow will point to his nose to tell them to vote “no,” and point to his eyes to tell them to vote “aye.”

One key group that agrees with Alabama republicans but does not always help them is the Alabama business community. Business tends to favor republican policies, but businesspeople are always willing to put pragmatism above ideology. I wish liberal politician would do that once or twice. The business community sympathizes with republicans, but makes sure to give to democrats that are already in power. It is almost a form of blackmail, even though most people see it as politics as usual. THe business leaders can elect democrats who might do them some economic harm in terms of taxes, or they can refuse to donate, at which point they can be even more harmed if the democrats win again and come after them.

Sucess feeds on itself, and the only way the republican party in Alabama can break this cycle is by showing that they have te ability to take over the legislature. Until this appears imminent, businesspeople will hedge their bets. As Mr Hubbard put it, “Business likes us, but they won’t do our job for us. We have to do it ourselves.”

Another aspect of the people I met, and there were plenty of them at this function, was that they were not the “bible thumpers” they were made out to be. For one, social issues were not even mentioned, and nobody…not one person…asked about them during the question and answer session that followed. There was nothing about abortion or gay rights. Those discussions happen when a party is in power and control everything. When a party is out of power, and needs to be united, they focus on what republicans agree on, in this case lower taxes, less regulation, and more freedoms. Heavy on the minds of people was the corrupt teacher’s union.

Another issue dealt with the Presidential race. People want to win, and they are deathly afraid of Hillary in Alabama. When I asked people who they liked, they did not immediately gravitate towards Fred Thompson. Apparently not all southerners are the same, which blue staters might be interested in knowing. Several people mentioned Mike Huckabee as a likable guy, but that he was not going to win. What really might surprise some is that the name bandied about most in a positive light was Rudy Giuliani. Yes, the twice divorced, pro-choice blue state Mayor was seen as somebody who could beat Hillary. The people I met knew his positions. They simply did not care as much as they did about winning the War on Terror, and preventing socialized medicine. Those were the two reasons given for wanting him. Duncan Hunter also got a couple of positive mentions, but it was acknowledged that rooting for him was wishful thinking.

I am not saying Alabama is California. God forbid. Mr. Hubbard laughed when, after he thanked me for coming from California, I replied, “I apologize for the 75% of Californians you read about in the paper.”

The truth is, there is no such thing as a hopeless county. Every are in America is up for grabs in the sense that even if republicans do not win, they can force democrats to defend once reliably safe turf.

As Mr. Hubbard reaffirmed, “Alabama is a red state, but now we need to make it redder.”

As for those on both coasts who like to sneer at the deep south, and how dysfunctional they perceive it to be, just remember…the people trying to pass all the laws are still democrats, and have been for some time. True, there are people trying to change things for the better, and, as with most places, much like Alabama, they are republicans.

eric