THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

Today is Veterans Day. I am loathe to mix politics with such a solemn holiday, but the column was pre-written and scheduled for this day.

I honor and celebrate our soldiers, and support their missions with all my being. One retired soldier I wish to pay homage to is my friend Snooper. He was one of the first people that reached out to me when I was a new blogger. Happy Veterans Day Snooper.

http://snooper.wordpress.com/

Other friends that deserved to be mentioned on such a serious holiday are those at Vets For Freedom, Soldiers Angels,and Sempermax.

http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/

http://www.soldiersangels.com/

http://sempermax.com/

My dad is a veteran. I wish him a peaceful day.

Yet one week ago, we had an election. For republicans, we lost. There are many silver linings, but the main one is that we are alive and free. Soldiers put their lives on the line. Losing an election by comparison is nothing. I am sure John McCain would agree. Give him a tip of your cap today.

While the 2008 Election was a dreadful experience for republicans, there is plenty to celebrate even in these worst of times.

Of course I am disappointed with the results. Of course I prefer being in the majority and actually governing than be reduced to minority status. Yet even this election had some reasons for me to smile, or at the very least, be relieved.

The best aspect of Barack Obama being President is who will not be President. As tough as it is for a party to win three straight elections, winning four in a row is virtually impossible. Had we won in 2008, we would have almost certainly gotten our clocks cleaned in 2012. Had Barack Obama lost, the successful nominee for the Democratic Party in 2012 would have been Hillary Clinton.

Hillary is finished. This is cause for massive celebration. There is nothing Obama could do that would be as awful as what Hillary would do. Obama may be wrong on issues, but at least he treats his opponents as human beings. Hillary believes republicans are enemies, and a Presidency with her would be pure poison. There will not be another Democratic party nominee until 2016, when Hillary would be 68 years old. She may also be facing the same difficulty that John McCain faced in 2008, that being an attempt at winning a third straight election for the party. America is safe. She is done.

Another delightful occurrence of an Obama Presidency is the political death of racial hustlers Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. The men that J.C. Watts referred to as “poverty pimps,” have beaten up their last political hookers. Watching Jesse Jackson cry upon Obama being elected was sheer joy. This man was not crying tears of joy. He was crying at knowing that his own relevance, which should have never existed, had finally been extinguished.

Jesse can claim that he and Martin Luther King just wanted to overcome, but Dr. King never threatened to castrate another black man. Barack Obama managed to balance a political career without abandoning his family. Jesse Jackson found time away from the campaign trail to raise two families with two separate women.

As for Al Sharpton, he can begin hawking Jenny Craig. The last thing Obama wants are riots between Jews and blacks, which seems to be the only skill that Al Sharpton seems good at fomenting.

Who are Jackson and Sharpton going to protest to? What will they do, take it straight to the top? The black man has reached the top, and he did it by not being a racist and an anti-Semite. What an amazing concept.

Yet if the defanging of a nasty woman and a pair of black criminals are reason to smile, then the gay community should leave republicans absolutely jubilant.

I am personally pro-gay rights, but every time I try to support them, they open their mouths and push me in the other direction. I have always believed in the philosophy of “be gay and shut up.” They can’t do it.

In 1992, Bill Clinton wanted to talk about health care. Instead the beginning of his Presidency was bogged down with a furor over allowing gays in the military. The gay community has made rapid advances in recent years. They are closer than ever to getting everything they want. Yet they can’t just shut up. They are determined to eat their own.

Barack Obama wants to deal with the economy. He wants to focus on issues that unite Americans. The last thing he wants is to wade into the culture wars. I know that gay people think that everybody on Earth agrees with them, and that anybody opposing them is a bigot, but when even California does not support gay marriage, they might wish to slow down. Again…Even California said no to gay marriage.

So what are gay people doing? They are rioting in the street. Now I could care less about most activist issues. I just despise people that block traffic. I had an extra long commute home from work the other day because the streets were overrun by a screaming gay mob. This is not the way to appeal to the moderate middle. Will these people have the common sense to leave Barack Obama alone for the first few weeks? Of course not. Republicans should sit back and watch the gay community cannibalize one of their supporters.

Now Obama could show political courage and have the guts to admit that he really does support gay marriage. That is a non-starter. He is a liberal. Political courage and liberalism are mutually exclusive.

This country has been on a rightward drift since Barry Goldwater lost in 1964. It moved further in 1980. Despite the liberals convincing themselves in 1992 that they were going to change the world whether it wanted to be changed or not, by 1994 order had been restored.

Conservatives need to be patient. On Veterans Day, just remember that the moment the liberals try to look the troops in the eye and explain why they are surrendering in Iraq and slashing the military budget, the pendulum will shift again.

Liberals can whine and cry all they like about how much they love the troops. If they do, they should listen to them for once in their myopic lives.

The troops will continue to perform in a noble and brilliant manner, and as soon as the democrats are done cannibalizing each other as they always do, the troops will have a government that actually supports them emotionally and financially.

eric

YES WE CAN make fun of Obama!

My friend Evan Sayet will be doing his monthly night of politically conservative comedy this Tuesday. The event takes place at the world famous Laugh Factory in Hollywood. For more details, go to his website.

http://www.evansayet.com/

While I will only be a happy spectator for his November show, I will be performing at his December show. Much of my routine is below.

For those that are wondering why I would publish a comedy routine before actually do it, I was concerned that Obama might ban conservative comedy before the show starts. He will not be sworn in yet, but I do not argue with the Messiah.

I find it ridiculous, and not in a good way, that comedians say that it is impossible to make fun of Obama. They say it is difficult. No, it is not. Some say it is because he is black. Others say that he is just so “cool,” Like Will Smith, that there is just nothing to lampoon. While he is not a serial hound dog like Bill Clinton, comedians that cannot find any materail poking fun at Barack Obama are simply lazy.

I came up with a ton of material, and it took me about 15 minutes to do so. Even if only a portion of this stuff works, 15 minutes is not much time to create a routine. At the end of the routine, I will sing the revival of the GOP to the tune of Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive.”

Until then, here is my rough draft at an entire comedy routine lampooning His Royal Earness.

Obama Jokes

People say we cannot make fun of Obama…in the spirit of unity and harmony, let me say, “YES WE CAN. YES WE CAN. YES WE CAN.”

Ok, that was my entire routine, goodnight. (Pretends to walk off stage)

There is plenty to make fun of. This is a guy who thinks that Fannie Mae starred in commercials for Polident.

This is a guy who thinks that the subprime mess was connected to Bernie Mac.

I am not saying his head is disproportioned, but they renamed the Presidential plane Ear Force One.

Some people say he is effeminate. Not true. This guy is a world class athlete. He can jump 20 feet in the air and reach his nose.

I am not saying he is a snob, but picture John Kerry and Jacques Chirac having a baby.

I apologize for that last joke. It is one thing to say a man is half black. It is another to imply a man is half French.

(I then have 2 different approaches to the racial issue)

1)    I’m not saying we have a long way to go before reaching racial harmony, but Senator Robert Byrd did not need to ask Obama to valet his car.
2)    If you really want to prove racial progress in America, Obama should go on the Senate floor and ask Senator Robert Byrd to valet HIS car.

Yes, there still is racism in America, but we have lived long enough to see people bury the hatchet. We will now see a black President put aside racial differences, go to the Senate floor, and shake hands with a Kleagle from West Virginia.

Barack Obama wanted to name John Kerry Secretary of State. This is a perfect choice. Obama favors “tough diplomacy.” Kerry can take Armageddonijad and bore him to death.

(Al Gore can be used in that one as well)

Obama has been given extra Secret Service protection. After all, somebody has to stop people from breaking into the White House since Bill Clinton won’t stop his own wife.

People said Obama was too cocky, that before the election he was measuring the drapes. That’s not true. Hillary took them back in 2000.

Yes, Obama should reach out to people, but do we really want Ted Kennedy as Secretary of Transportation?

People say that Obama is as cool as Will Smith. Will Smith took care of the alien invaders. At least he secured our borders.

People say Obama has a Jewish problem. Yeah right, I have a Jewish problem. Obama doesn’t have to sit across from my relatives at Thanksgiving. My dad looks at Obama and says, “Son, why can’t you get a haircut like that nice young man. You’ll never be President without a shave.”

Obama will never know what it’s like to experience the pain of being a Jewish man until he goes on 20 Jdates.

(Another version: When asked about the suffering of the Jewish people, Obama reached an understanding when he lamented, “Yes, I’ve heard the horrors of Jdate.”)

I’m not saying the media was biased, but Chris Matthews puts on “Eau D’Obama Anus” perfume before leaving the house.

I am not saying Obama can be smug, but he puts it on as well.

I am not saying the black community is crossing the line in celebration, but does Snoop Dogg really need to spank Ann Coulter in his new video?

The black community has a new breakfast special. Barack Obama is a cool glass of milk, Michelle Obama eggs people on to support her husband, Charles Rangel brings home the bacon, Al Sharpton provides several pounds of bull, and best of all, Jesse Jackson is toast.

I’m not saying Jesse Jackson is angry and bitter, but Bill Clinton came up to him and said, “Honey, let’s go back to Chappaqua.”

I know some liberals that don’t own a tv, and get their information from NPR. They say they are proud to vote for a black man. How the heck do they know he’s black? All they have is a radio! I thought they were against racial profiling.

Barack Obama was asked if he would send the military to hot spots with black populations where suffering was occurring. While he did not commit to send troops to Darfur, Bill Clinton did say that South America policy should consist of finally invading Donna Brazile.

I am not saying Obama has more to learn about the Jewish community, but I did appreciate the holiday card he sent me wishing me a happy Chaka Khan.

Thanks to Obama’s election, I am now an environmentalist. I’ve reduced my emissions by 30%. I no longer have VP dreams about Sarah Palin.

I’m not saying I say “I’m not saying” too much…I’m just saying…

eric

While my experience at the 2008 GOP Convention in Minneapolis was about republicans, I did meet and interview some liberal democrats. One person I had the genuine pleasure of meeting and interviewing was Donna Brazile.

http://donnabrazile.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Brazile

Donna Brazile was the first black woman to head a major Presidential campaign. She was the campaign manager of Al Gore in 2000.

As pleasant as she was, we are both partisans. For this reason I delayed publishing my interview with her until after the 2008 election. I did not wish to say anything positive about anybody on the left during the heated campaign season. Now that the election is over, in the spirit of unity, Ms. Brazile and I have both taken steps towards unity. She wrote a very poignant column herself yesterday showing compassion towards the losing side of this election. She understands the pain of losing an election, and her words are very sincere.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/07/brazile.losers/index.html

One of the reasons I am so glad to have met Ms. Brazile is that it allowed me to walk away with a positive feeling towards somebody that I had previously held a very negative opinion towards. The 2000 recount was a frenzied time in American history, and I had only hostile words towards Ms. Brazile at that time. To this day I confess that my attitude towards her former boss Al Gore is not a warm one.

Yet Ms. Brazile and I have both grown over the years. In an article entitled, “The Green Room,” she spoke of how she got to know political opponents while sitting in the famed waiting room with them. She developed a positive attitude towards former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich. She found out he was not the caricature that television portrayed him as.

At the convention, the Louisiana raised Ms. Brazile told one interviewer that Republican Mississippi Senator Trent Lott came through for her during Hurricane Katrina.

“Trent Lott saved my family. I needed three things from him personally, and he came through for me. He made sure that the ice that we desperately needed was delivered. He got us ice, insulin and water. The food came as well. He put politics aside and made sure my family was ok. I will always thank him for that. We were not republicans or democrats during Katrina. We truly were all Americans, and he came through for me.”

Yet the moment when I truly developed a liking for Ms. Brazile came during the 2008 campaign. She went on the Colbert Report and had one of the most hysterical interview sessions in recent memory. In an appearance that was as funny as it was salacious, she and Stephen Colbert implied that they were going to have a sexual rendezvous after the show. They would meet in a Kansas City hotel room and get to know each other. She and Stephen Colbert both began singing the song “Kansas City” to each other.

“Kansas City here I come…crazy littler women there, and I’m going to, get me one.”

When I spoke with Ms. Brazile, I was upfront with her about my political leanings. A person can be partisan and still be fair. She was generous with her time, but I kept it brief anyway.

The interview took place before the financial crisis and the election, so her words have an almost prophetic quality to them.

1) What are the most important issues of 2008?

DB: “The economy is most important. It is off track. Yet in any election, one has to always be prepared for unforeseen events.”

2) Despite your being in a very partisan position as Al Gore’s campaign manager, you have said very positive things towards the other side. What do you do to reduce the acrimony between republicans and democrats?

DB: “People are human beings. Bob Novak of all people was one persn who truly made me feel comfortable. If you are nice to me, than I am nice to you. I live by my mother’s advice, which is that the Golden Rule is the way to go.”

3) Who are your 3 favorite political heroes?

DB: “Barbara Jordan is one. Her 1976 speech in New York inspired me to get into politics. Shirley Chisholm is another one. She was a dynamic speaker, and the first black woman to run for President. Lastly, the Reverend Jesse Jackson. I know he is controversial, and not a popular figure with many, but he hired me in 1984. He gave me my first job in politics.”

4) How would you like to be remembered 100 years from now? What would you want people to say about Donna Brazile the person?

DB: “That I inspired a new generation in the same way the previous generation inspired me. I believe that our democracy itself is very inspiring.”

5) Can America finally crack the glass ceiling and elect a bald President in the modern era?

DB: “It has been a long march to equality. We have cracked the door, and opened the window. Tonight, the nomination of John McCain is another milestone. So whether black, women, or bald, yes we can.”

6) Is there anything can be done with regards to Stephen Colbert? Is there any hope?

DB: “There is a place in America for diversity of views and opinions. I may cook my gumbo differently from you, but that does not make mine better. I may just use different ingredients. Politics has gotten so spicy, and we need to cool it down some. We may find that your recipe for gumbo is just as good.”

I thanked her very much for her time, and let her know three things.

“Ms. Brazile, I would like to let you know that since you are from Louisiana and I am from New York, I can assure you that your gumbo tastes significantly better than mine. Also, my girlfriend is a liberal democrat and an Obama supporter, so I agree with you about reaching out. We can never tell who we will appreciate until we give them a chance.”

She was pleasant and friendly, and she laughed at my last pair of questions. She knew exactly what my reference was regarding Stephen Colbert, and like a true Southern woman, she handled it with gentility and grace. Yet it was the last thing I said to her that truly made the experience special.

“Ms. Brazile, I just wanted you to know that in 2000, I did not like you very much. I said some harsh things about you. The reason I did not like you was because I did not know you. If I convey anything to my readers at all, it will be how likable you are in person. I am glad my perception has completely changed.”

She was genuinely a delight to meet. She is 100% right when she points out that while we can disagree about politics, we have to come together and heal as a nation. We cannot let politics become personal.

She is most likely beaming with pride at the 2008 Presidential race. While I am sure she still wishes 2000 had turned out differently, she does not live in the past. Neither should we. If we are truly to move forward, we have to stop fighting that election.

While It was a joy to speak with her, I have to reiterate that the one fundamental disagreement I have with her will not be bridged.

Her gumbo is far superior to mine, and I am relieved that she never challenged the Bush campaign to a gumbo cookoff.

eric

While I am not one that enjoys recrimination and regret, in politics it is eventually part of the process.

Barack Obama did plenty of things right, but John McCain made some critical mistakes. John McCain remains a hero of mine, and it is with deep respect that I hope the Republican Party learns from this.

First of all, the only people who care about campaign finance reform are the media, John McCain, and the 12 people that work at Common Cause. There are absolutely no penalties whatsoever for violating campaign finance laws. Campaign finance reform is inside baseball. The people could care less.

Some will say that Barack Obama lied. He did. So what? Most people would have done the same thing. Obama saw that he could raise much more money than what he would get through public financing, so he made the smart business decision. He correctly realized that there would be absolutely no penalty for breaking his word.

The media loves campaign finance reform because it gives the media more power. They use that power to influence the public towards their candidate of choice. Since Obama was their choice, he could have burned money in his fireplace to keep warm and Chris Matthews would claim it was a new form of alternative energy.

John McCain should have gone on television and said that since Obama broke his word, he would opt out of the system himself. He could have had the moral high ground and more money. Instead he decided to be like Charlie Brown thinking he would kick the football. He was starved for cash near the end of the campaign.

The wicked irony in all of this is that it was the very horrendous McCain-Feingold legislation that ate its own creator.

May this campaign be the death of public financing. Republicans have always been better at raising money, and we need to raise into the stratosphere. What will Obama do, complain?

Obama has every right to raise money. McCain should have done likewise. Then again, Obama now has saved me $3 on my taxes since that stupid box will no longer be checked off anymore.

Another disaster was the bailout package. Yes Obama was a deer in the headlights, but McCain acted like a liberal. He came in like a crusader, vowing to “do something.” Sometimes doing nothing is the answer. Obama had no idea what to do, but his hiding from public view was seen as calm and steady leadership. McCain did everything but bang the table in anger. Instead of appearing decisive, he appeared unsteady.

It also did not help that the bailout package was terrible, and politicians who voted against it were rewarded. Every time McCain thinks that he is “saving the republica” being the bailout package, the Gang of 14, or campaign finance reform, he is just angering republicans and making democrats swoon until they realize he is not truly one of them.

One other terrible blunder regarding the bailout package was the misstep over floating the trial balloon of skipping the first debate. He should have had a quiet conversation with Obama, where they could reach an agreement or not. Instead he decided to skip the debate, and then Obama successfully called his bluff. Had McCain skipped the debate, the polls could have gone either way. It would have been brilliant or stupid, but at least it would have been bold. Once McCain backed down, he looked weak, and indecisisve. Obama looked calm and steady.

Lastly, and most importantly, McCain never seemed to understand that he was only the darling of the left when he was bashing the right. They liked him when it was convenient. In the same way Gore ran away from Clinton and lost, McCain did the same. While Preident Bush was unpopular, McCain should have fiercely defended him anyway for the sole reason that separation was impossible. Trying to out-democrat the true democrat was impossible.

Many republicans, myself included, like President Bush. So while McCain did pick Sarah Palin to please the base, he was too quick to castigate President Bush, leaving the base demoralized. The reason the President has such low poll numbers is because his enemies keep attacking him, and his own side refuses to defend him. That is gutless. McCain was going to be tied to the President no matter what.

Lastly, McCain refused to bring up Reverend Wright. He chastised conservatives who did, further demoralizing his own base again. The Obama camp through Joe Biden had no problem implying that McCain was senile. The code word was “unsteady.” Obama never criticized his own surrogates who engaged in hate speech, such as John Lewis. McCain called Lewis a hero, and Lewis thanked him by calling him a racist akin to George Wallace.

McCain never figured out what President Bush understood. Liberals despise conservatives. Even conservatives that try to deny who and what they are eventually get hated. George W. Bush showed no mercy on John Kerry. Kerry was an elite snob that had utter contempt for the President, and the President gave that contempt right back in the form of blistering attack ads. McCain truly believed that if he acted like a gentleman, that graciousness would be returned.

As Rush Limbaugh pointed out, McCain never understood who his friends were. He never understood that the Jayson Blair Times would rip him to shreds once he became the enemy, which happened within seconds of winning the primary.

McCain also never made the case for the Iraq War. He kept saying that the surge worked, but then Obama would say the war was wrong from the beginning. McCain believed it was the right thing to do, and never forcefully advocated why Saddam needed to be removed. Liberals would have remained unconvinced, but moderates and independents needed to hear why it was right to forcefully remove Saddam. Again, it does not matter if the argument wins. It still has to be presented. Again, McCain fought with one hand tied behind his back.

George W. Bush said it in one sentence when the left brought up WMDs. Dubya said that “Saddam Hussein was a weapon of mass destruction.” This is not about being right, although he was. It is about a great sound bite. The policy and the political meshed.

McCain also never forcefully argued for free trade. Obama claims that he wants to get along better with our allies. If we do not approve free trade deals with Columbia and South Korea, they will cozy up to Venezuela and North Korea.

Yes this was a hostile year for republicans, and yes Obama was formidable. This does not change the fact that we as republicans lost a very winnable race. People can blame George W. Bush in the same manner that Al Gore blamed Bill Clinton. This does not change the fact that Dubya and Bubba both got elected twice on their own. Gore and McCain did not lose because of Dubya and Bubba…they lost because of themselves.

John McCain is a good decent man, and I respect him tremendously. Yet make no mistake about it. The people on the left that praise him for his gracious concession speech would never have praised him had he given the most gracious victory speech on the planet. They see him as the lovable loser, and romanticize his 2000 race because he lost. Had he been the nominee back then, they would hate him just as much as they hate Dubya. Conservatives are hated by the left. Period.

I supported Rudy Giuliani. Despite all of his baggage, he would not have been afraid to take verbal brickbats to the head of any political opponent. Those brickbats work. Just ask David Dinkins.

As for why Rudy blew up in the primaries, in a sense he ran the campaign that McCain ran in the general election. Rudy would not criticize McCain, because McCain was his friend. McCain was also his main competition.

In 2012, we will have a nominee that can do the job. What I am not convinced of is whether we will have a candidate that is ready to slash and burn to get elected.

Some will call that poisoning the well. I call it acting like a liberal. Dubya gave them tastes of their own medicine, and McCain refused to do it. Dubya got to govern. He may not be popular, but he got to sit in the Oval Office and govern. McCain never will.

Politics is rough, and we need a battering ram that will take the liberals and use them as human floor sweepers like we did in the 1980s and the 2000s.

Liberals want to win at all costs. That might be the only area of life where we truly could learn from them.

eric

The American people have spoken.

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/

John McCain conceded. There are no hanging chads or recounts. The election is over.

There will be many days ahead where I will offer everything from analysis to criticism to self reflection.

Today, as much as I am disappointed, I offer only congratulations.

Senator Barack Obama won this race fair and square. We can argue about merit and policy, and in the coming months we absolutely will. However, getting elected in politics is a game, and Barack Obama played it well enough within the established rules to win.

Was he lucky? Absolutely. Yet winners capitalize on lucky breaks. Barack Obama cannot have predicted the financial crisis, but enough Americans felt that they could trust him with the nation’s highest office.

Am I worried? Absolutely. However, I am willing to wait and see. Barack Obama is a complete mystery to me. There is still much about him that we do not know.

Is he a stark raving leftist ideologue or a ruthless cold pragmatist?

Will he govern from the left or the center?

I want to see his cabinet.

For now, I want Senator Obama to know that I love my nation more than I ever disagreed with him. I saw how the left treated George W. Bush. I will not become part of an angry mob. I do not hate this man. I genuinely want to work with him.

If he truly wants to govern in a bipartisan manner, I will hear him out. If he decides that those that disagree with him are enemies, than I will work full throttle to protect and defend what I believe in.

For now, I offer some disjointed thoughts.

For one, it is a genuine shame that his grandmother did not live to see his achievement. I lost my grandmother 6 months ago. Given that my grandmother was a democrat, I am sure both of these women are in Heaven smiling right now.

For another thing, I pray to God for Obama’s safety. God forbid…I do not even say, since it is unthinkable…it would rip this country apart for half of a century. Get this man double or triple the Secret Service protection, whatever it takes to keep him and his family safe. Our very survival as a nation could depend on this.

I am also thinking how much I love America. I am not bitter today. I am a republican, and republicans have won 7 of 10 Presidential elections prior to this one. We cannot win every single one of them.

I am grateful that we live in a land where the transition of power is peaceful.

I hope that Barack Obama has the decency and class to now recede into the background until January 20th, 2009. George W. Bush is still our President, and he deserves to finish his term with dignity.

The tone in Washington has been poisonous for the last 20 years. The way George W. Bush is treated in the next 10 weeks could impact how Barack Obama is treated over the next several years. For those who think that George W. Bush does not deserve an ounce of good will, just remember that Obama has promised unity.

I believe that Barack Obama is more interested in accomplishing things than in exacting revenge. After all, he has not been part of the acrimony. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were not part of it, and yet the hatred that has been going back and forth since Robert Bork was “Borked” by Ted Kennedy has not subsided.

Barack Obama keeps speaking of wanting to unite people, and a few kind words about our current President would be a well received olive branch.

Beyond that, I can only say that we live in a nation where a black man can become President. We will one day have a female President, a Jewish President, and perhaps even a black female Jewish President. Farfetched? Not in America.

Some will criticize the voters for making the wrong choice. I refuse to do this. As Karl Rove has said many times, “The masses are not @sses.”

The American people are the ones that won liberty from England, invented television, put a man on the moon, invented the internet, defeated Nazism and Communism, and found a way to balance deep religious convictions with a functioning secular democracy.

The American people chose Barack Obama. I disagree with the verdict, but respect the American people too much to question it.

I have spent years castigating the left for never giving George W. Bush a fair shot.

I will extend the courtesy to Barack Obama.

Most importantly, I will not despair over this election. I determine my own fate. My success is not defined by who wins elections. Rush Limbaugh has said that phrase, and even those who disagree with him should agree with this view.

I will go to work, love my family, be good to my friends, and continue to build a life with the love of my life.

On Sundays, I will watch football.

This campaign has been draining for me, and I am only a blogger. Like everybody else involved on any level with the campaign, I could use a break. There are other topics.

I will do what we should all do. I will live my life as best as I can.

Good luck Senator Obama.

Excuse me. Make that President Elect Obama.

You earned this, as well as the upgraded title you will get again in 10 weeks.

Use your future title wisely. America and the rest of the world depends on this.

eric

Dear John McCain,

Let me begin by saying that on election Tuesday, I will absolutely be voting for you. You are an American hero, and an inspiration to everything that is decent and right in this world.

My worry is that my support might not be enough. I have donated money and time, and truly believe that you have the potential to be a truly great President.

If you win, I will plead with you to spend time governing as the winner of the election. You are under no obligation to govern from the center. I know that you received plenty of adulation from the left when you criticized the right, but the left turned on you as conservatives knew they would. You cannot win everybody, but you can lose everybody.

Do not spend one minute of a McCain Presidency worrying about people who will despise you no matter what you do. You come from the political lineage of Barry Goldwater. Yes times are tough in 2008, but that does not change the fact that conservative policies from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush over the last quarter of a century have worked. The people who dispute this simply despise conservatives.

You have promised that if you are elected you will lower taxes, including capital gains taxes. You will pursue free trade agreements. You will pursue a muscular foreign policy that is not afraid to handle the hard power of the military. You will stand strong with Israel and make sure that Iran will never ever get the bomb. You will drill baby drill. You must keep these promises. We all know you are a man of honor and rock solid integrity. This is one time when doing what is right will perfectly correlate with what is politically sound strategy.

I will plead with you not to even consider any more campaign finance reform. Barack Obama is not a better man than you. He just has more money. You agreed to limit your expenditures and he did as well. You kept your word and he broke his. Your intentions were noble, but…naive. That is normally a word I ascribe to Mr. Obama on everything else, but on this issue, you acted unilaterally out of hope. He is naive on foreign and domestic policy, but you were naive on politics, and the depths the left will go to in order to win.

McCain-Feingold is why Obama is saturating the airwaves while you cannot. Yes I know you want to win with honor, but this is not Vietnam. It is a political disagreement, and I still believe you are wrong regarding money and politics.

Nevertheless, even on the issues I disagree with you on, I am prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt because I have an enormous amount of respect for you.

I know you will not lie to me. I just hope that you do not put the desire to be liked by those who have never truly liked you over what is best in terms of policy and politics.

George W. Bush is intensely disliked by the left. That does not make him wrong. Based on the poison of the left, it makes him even more right.

Speaking of President Bush, conservatives do not hate him. We believe he has done many things right. He has kept us safe. Do not triangulate. Al Gore ran away from Bill Clinton, and look where it got him. Rather than demoralize the right and embolden the left, if you win, offer a full throttled endorsement of conservatism. Remember, if the left cannot win this election, they cannot win anything. They will rip each other apart trying to figure out why they keep losing. Do not offer them a lifeline. If the voters reject them, do not offer them cabinet positions, ambassadorships, or anything else. You can offer something to a conservative democrat, but nothing to a liberal, especially if they spent the last several months castigating you at every turn.

Again sir, I truly believe you will make a great President if you win. I also think Sarah Palin will make a spectacular Vice President. That is a big if.

I hope you can do it. America will be much better off with your service as Commander in Chief.

There are a million things I want to tell you sir, but for now, I just wish you good luck.

God Bless you sir. I appreciate your service to America, and hope that my fellow Americans agree that you should be promoted one more time.

Respectfully,

eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

Dear Barack Obama,

Let me begin by saying that while I will absolutely not be voting for you, my disagreements with you are political, not personal. I do not think you are a racist, an anti-Semite, a closet Muslim, a terrorist sympathizer, or any other extremist hatemonger. I think you are a good and decent man who loves his family and his country. I just think that you are fundamentally wrong on some key issues.

I want to make it clear that if you win the election, you will be my opponent, never my enemy.

My concern is that you will be a repeat of Bill Clinton. Some people romanticize the 1990s, but there were so many negatives, and you seem hell bent on making some critical mistakes.

First of all, you have repeatedly given your word that you will cut taxes for 95% of Americans. This is impossible because 40% of Americans pay no taxes at all. Also, you are proposing one trillion dollars in new spending on social programs. The bottom line is that the numbers in your plans just do not add up. Many say you are a liar on this issue. Perhaps you truly believe you can get the numbers to work, but I don’t see it. I see you as raising taxes on the very middle class you claim you are cutting taxes for. Bill Clinton made the same promises in 1992, and broke them 3 weeks later. This was after he defeated an incumbent that told people to read his lips.

Senator Obama, if you raise taxes on the middle class, your credibility will be shot. The media is swooning over you now. Yet after an election, there is nobody to run against. You will not be able to blame republicans for everything. That works in a campaign. Leaders have to govern.

This brings me to your promise to unite people and bring them together. I say with all sincerity that this is not achievable. We are divided because we disagree. Those disagreements have been around since George Washington left office. You do not have a record of bipartisanship.

Even if you want to be bipartisan, again this brings us back to 1992. Bill Clinton claimed he wanted to govern from the center. Yet Dick Gephardt and David Bonior would not let him. George Mitchell, an ardent liberal, was actually fairly cooperative. Yet the House dragged Clinton to the left, and dragged the democrats into a dysfunctional abyss. Asa  republican, I was thrilled that we took over the Congress in 1994, but that does not change the fact that for 2 years America had no leadership.

I want to make it clear that you are under no obligation to govern from the center. It bothered me when President George W. Bush was told to govern from the center because the election was close. This is nonsense. If you win by 1 electoral vote, you should govern how you promised you would govern. Just understand that this is still a center-right country. If Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid pull you far to the left, you will be leading as you promised, but as republicans said you would.

I am very worried about your Israel positions. I say positions because they do not seem consistent. I worry that you have associated with too many advosors that are hostile towards Israel. Some people have said that they think you will be so scared of being seen as anti-Israel that you will be the most Pro-Israel President out of pure expediency. I am not sure I accept that thesis because after a brief trial period, people get complacent. I need to see concrete evidence that you will not betray Israel. If Likud, which you have bashed, comes back into power, I need to see Benjamin Netanyahu treated with respect. He is a friend of America, and the only hope for Israel at this point.

I am scared to death of the protectionist stance of the democrats, including you. You claim that you want to work to repair our alliances around the globe, but you ignore the fact that some of our allies will be furious with us if we renege on free trade deals. South Korea and Columbia are waiting to see if we mean it when we say that we want free trade over protectionism. Free trade has been an American policy for the last quarter of a century, even with Bill Clinton. He got many things wrong, but he got trade right. Protectionism is mutually assured destruction. It leads to trade wars. You speak of a global world without borders. On trade, we absolutely must have this.

The stock market is worried about you. Higher capital gains taxes, combined with your health care plan, has the markets reeling in fear. Some have said that you are deliberately trying to destroy the investor class because once they give up on the stock market forever, people will decide to put their cash into “safer” vehicles, such as government. That theory is a little too conspiratorial for my tastes, but I do believe you might not understand the stock market. What you call “investing” is really spending. Investing is not about government. It is about private businesses and individuals taking risks. If people believe in the stock market for long term real investing as I do, that leaves less money for government. Do not raise capital gains taxes. The stock market is not for fat cats. It is for ordinary people like me.

Senator Obama, we tried raising taxes on the “rich” in 1990. It was a miserable failure, and the worst of those taxes, the “luxury tax,” was repealed in 1993. Attempts to punish yachts and jewelry purchases led to yacht makers and jewelry makers being decimated. Raising taxes on the rich hurts the middle and working class because the rich pass those costs onto us. You cannot prevent this.

Lastly Senator, I have plenty of qualms about your lack of foreign policy experience. Joe Biden claims experience, but on major foreign policy issues he has been completely wrong. He was wrong on the first Gulf War, and on partitioning Iraq into three separate nations.

Senator Obama, I am giving you my word that I will not reflexively oppose you. When you are right I will back you. I supported Bill Clinton on NAFTA and welfare reform, and fought him every time he tried to raise taxes or use the government to harass businesses such as Microsoft and Intel.

You claim to be for nuclear power and clean coal, but I suspect you support neither of these. You will not drill domestically, and this tells me you will be held hostage to the Greeniacs. On everything from Jeremiah Wright to Palestinian terrorist supporter Rashid Khalidi to policies such as taxes, trade, national security, and oil drilling, I have deep concerns.

What I am saying sir is that I love the fact that in America, we have a peaceful transition of power. Our military is under civilian control, and we have checks and balances to prevent “change.” Americans are evolutionary, not revolutionary. We like slow, incremental movements. Do not confuse frustration with republicans for a rejection of conservatism. If anything, republicans are being punished for not sticking to conservatism. Even if you win the election, liberalism has not returned as a desired form of government.

Lastly, please do not use the powers of the Presidency to destroy your opponents. Bill Clinton used the IRS to harass his opponents. This election has seen you punish journalists who disagree with you, and your supporters harass and investigate private citizens such as Joe the Plumber. I know you cannot be blamed for what supporters do in your name, but the bully pulpit requires you to condemn bad behavior.

You have never had a Sister Souljah moment. You have never taken on your own party. When the leftist wack jobs issue hate speech, you offer very tepid responses, not forceful condemnations.

Senator Obama, I have said that you are not the right man for the job. Yet if you win, enough Americans will believe that you are. I just hope that your words can be backed up with deeds.

Senator Obama, if you win, keep taxes low, sign free trade deals, keep a muscular foreign policy that respects hard power, and most importantly, keep your word. Character matters. Republicans will be enraged if you coopt their ideas, but that will not change the fact that you will still be doing what is right.

I will absolutely give you the benefit of the doubt, with plenty of skepticism.

It’s up to you sir.

Respectfully,

eric aka the Tygrrrr Express