I recently had the pleasure of attending and speaking to the Texas Federation of Republican Women (TFRW) at their 2009 biennial convention in Galveston, Texas.
I have spoken to many RWF chapters. I have even spoken at the county level. Yet to address an entire state convention of such a prestigious organization was an honor and a privilege.
I would like to thank Toni Ann Dashiell for taking a chance on some guy living in California. I called her out of the blue, and she did her due diligence, vetting me thoroughly. Mrs. Dashiell is the President of the TFRW, although her term ends at the end of this calendar year. Rebecca Bradford is the incoming President. Along with Mrs. Dashiell, outgoing First Vice President Rebecca Williamson also treated me with kindness.
I had been to Dallas once and Houston once, but had never been to Galveston. What little I saw, I loved. The San Luis Resort where I stayed was pure paradise. I highly recommend it for anyone.
A lovely Friday evening mixer was followed by an even lovelier Saturday evening gala dinner. Texas Governor Rick Perry, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Controller Susan Combs, and many other notables were in attendance throughout the weekend. Attorney General Greg Abbott was particularly inspiring. Physically, he is confined to a wheelchair, but emotionally he lifted everybody in the room. He amused the crowd with stories of how his daughter creatively works his wheelchair into Halloween costumes.
I spoke to Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst for a couple of minutes, and delivered a simple message.
“Mr. Dewhurst, I’m not a Texan. I live in the People’s Republic of California. Everything you have heard about our state is true. It is completely dysfunctional. We have liberals holding the state hostage. You have conservative governance. I am pleading with you, please don’t let what happened to my home happen to your state.”
He assured me that there was no way that would happen. Texans understand concepts such as creating a climate where businesses can actually do business. They know what has happened to California.
In addition to elected officials, party leaders keep Texas on the right track. For those who want to see strong leaders in charge, Cathie Adams is the Chairwoman of the Texas Republican Party.
The convention itself had something for everybody. Several workshops provided a variety of speakers. Workshops on healthcare, climate change, and diversity in the GOP were all providing fresh policy perspectives meant to counter the conventional lack of wisdom. I had the honor of being the other workshop, which was a comedic presentation from a conservative viewpoint.
If somebody would have told me I could wish for anything, I would ask them to airlift me, drop me off at a convention center, and have me land in a room with hundreds of cheering Republican women who appreciated football and red meat.
Ladies from Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Galveston, and all over Texas welcomed me into their state and their hearts. I have made friends I will have for life, and have been extended several invitations to come back to virtually every nook and cranny of the Lone Star State. My goal is to accept every invitation.
As for the ladies of the TFRW, from the President on down to each attendee, it was obvious even to a fellow from California why Texas is a functional state. Men may hold the top offices, but they don’t get elected without the ladies licking envelopes, making phone calls, and of course, holding fundraisers and writing checks. Even the ladies of modest means took great pride in knitting sweaters and blankets for the troops.
It was put in perspective for me when one woman pointed to some of the ladies and told me that, “When President George Herbert Walker Bush enters the room, these ladies call him George.”
That was a reminder to myself that while there was plenty of fun, there were plenty of responsibilities, and these ladies expect things done right. I did my job, and was treated well for it.
The ladies bought copies of my book, and I happily signed copies until my shoulder was ready to fall off.
At the gala dinner, an electrified crowd celebrated the Republican women of Texas. Incoming National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) President Sue Lynch was in attendance. Actress Janine Turner of “Northern Exposure” and “Friday Night Lights” spoke about her experiences.
While I am used to pledging allegiance to the American flag at Republican functions, each event also had people pledging allegiance to the state flag of Texas. Californians might seriously wish to consider adding this ritual at their own state events.
After the gala ended, one of the ladies in the room looked at me eyeing the stage and inquired, “You want to meet Janine Turner, don’t you?”
I looked at her and said, “I want to meet Sue Lynch. Janine Turner is not the President of the NFRW.”
The woman laughed, and introduced me to Mrs. Lynch. I promised to work hard for her nationwide.
Later that evening, by sheer coincidence near the elevator, I did meet Mrs. Turner and her daughter. They were just as kind and thoughtful as everybody else I met.
The best way to understand the ladies at this conference is to understand their work ethic.
The slogan of the Republican Women’s Federated is 5W.
“When Women Work, We win.”
These ladies are an inspiration. More importantly, they were inspired at this conference.
We were all Galvanized in Galveston.
As the 2010 elections get closer, there is palpable energy and optimism.
I know I will do my part. There is no doubt that the ladies of the TFRW will do their part.
Besides, one year after the 2010 elections is another major event. The TFRW have their 2011 biennial convention in Fort Worth.
It will be tons of fun, but for now there is plenty of work to do. It was an honor to kick off the 2010 campaign with some of the finest women in America, the ladies of the TFRW.
eric
I’ve known quite a few Texans in my day, and most of them, like everyone else, are good folks. But the politics in Texas? Well, it’s shame. Texas has a lot of very deep and troubling political problems, and they’ve had them for what seems like forever. The state has always been notoriously corrupt, regardless of the party in power. For be it Democrats or Republicans on the surface, there is really just one political party in Texas: The Texas Party. They are a unique entity unto themselves, best summed up by our good hosts observation that “each event also had people pledging allegiance to the state flag of Texas.” Texas is truly one of a kind. No, they’ll never be like California, but California is another completely unique entity with it’s very own set of problems (of which none of them have to do with “liberals,” but that’s another story).
While I find pledging allegiance to flags pretty stupid – no extremely insipid – I think it gets to where conservatives really stand on things. They love ceremony, pomp, uniforms, decorum. It’s all just a useless display of pride and insecurity, jingoism. It has no intrinsic value. It accomplishes nothing but for accomplishing itself. It reinforces the status quo and offers nothing of substance that is new.
“The convention itself had something for everybody. Several workshops provided a variety of speakers. Workshops on healthcare, climate change, and diversity in the GOP were all providing fresh policy perspectives meant to counter the conventional lack of wisdom.”
If by “something for everybody” you mean “the same ol’ conservative contradictory on everything reality.” That would be more “something for people who all just want to believe whatever suits them.” More superior moral justification for selfishness. Global warming? Not if I have to pay a dime to do anything about it! Healthcare for all? Not if I have to pay a dime to do anything about it! Diversity? Well, it’s kinda hard to be diverse when your range of opinion is narrowed completely to “Not if I have to pay a dime to do anything about it!” I mean, heck, you guys don’t even pay for wars anymore! At least you used to do that! Now you just don’t pay for anything and so you doubled the national debt in all of eight years! Just three Republican presidents – Ronald Reagan, GHW Bush, and GW Bush – managed to increase the national debt more than ALL the other presidents combined. Amazing.
Texas will be Texas. It ain’t gonna change. But America will never become Texas. THANK GOD.
JMJ
“They love ceremony, pomp, uniforms, decorum. It’s all just a useless display of pride and insecurity, jingoism. It has no intrinsic value. It accomplishes nothing but for accomplishing itself. It reinforces the status quo and offers nothing of substance that is new.”
Pot, meet kettle.
You mean the kind of pageantry and ceremony we see moonbats casting cross the streets whenever they dont get what they want ?
You mean like gay pride parades ?
Dont even go there on the debt buddy. Are you totaly blind or is this just some lame attempt at humor ?
Your messiah has broken all records comibned
Speaking of ceremony, I recall the first time I heard the “black national
anthem”. Frankly, I was shocked, and initially had to hold myself
back from falling on the floor. I thought, ” a black anthem”, am I hearing
right?
Dozens more times throughout my career I heard this song, and
got never really got accustomed to it.
I thought, what about the Asians, blacks, Jews/Christians, people of
Polish, Russian and even indian backgrounds, why don’t they have
an anthem?
You want pagentry, ever attend a farewell dinner, for certain
minority groups, I have? Even the caterer was displayed with
pomp.
So, I don’t mine if Texas has their own..in fact, I find it wonderful.
But I live in California We don’t have pagentry, just an unemployment
which still is increasing, albeit at a lower rate. We are a state with
over 12% out of work. I shudder to think of those underemployed
or who have given up looking.
Don’t believe me, read Saturday’s LA Times..it even has a graph.
I won’t repeat the news here.
Hey guys, talk about liberal state dysfunction…hows bout the
latest pinko schools and the protests against higher fees for
getting a higher education. What a mess.
At one time, the UofCalifornia charged less than 100.00 semester
for tuition. Now it’s what, 10,000 year? I guess that’s 4 quarters?
Parking must be equally miserable…as well as housing on campus
and off campus.
But there are schlorships and I understand according to the news,
graduated fees for families of students earning less than 70,000.
One student said she will drop out, not being able to afford the higher
(32%) increase/year. That’s too bad really. But maybe working one year,
then reapplying? Hows about it.
You know, the liberals believe in the Feds funding just about everything,
from birth to death and then some. Maybe, this idea would help: reduce
the 4 years in college to get a degree to 3. Let students take a few advanced courses while in high school..(there are empty seats considering
over 50% of high school students drop out in some districts prior to or during G12.
Typicallly I pass a new high school several times/year. I mean it’s huge, bigger than most private colleges. There is an athletic field and plenty of
parking space. Hows about it folks?
Also, why do college students need 2 years of a language anyway?
I took French and Italian. Buon jorno and allez-vouz, or something
like that. Who cares? I never used these languages here in California,
nor was it needed for my major.
And then there is my question, why do companies require a college
degree to begin with? Most jobs teach on the job. I can understand
professionals needing degrees and post graduate degrees, but
business administration, insurance, accounting, marketing, sales..
oh come on.
Perhaps to pay for all this, the liberals could charge a fee for anyone
dropping out, like to have a baby. We pay for 12 years..not 10..with
those physical facilities. Hows about a having a baby fee or they could
pay back the time lost, over the years.
But then again, who would collect the fees, the iRSS?
Speaking of IRSS, are we aware that the tax gab each year (taxes
due and not collected if reported honestly) would be 15% of the yearly
budget (Federal).
Sooooooo, on a 3 trillion dollar budget, 450b is not paid over to the
US Treasury, ever. I’m sorry, 75b will be ultimately collected by the IRS agencies: audit, collection, exam and CID, and departmenbts: estate, gift tax and bankruptcy. But it requires over 120,000 employees.
Hmmmmmmmm, collectors and enforcers for the health care single
payor system, taxes and a why did you have a baby while in high school.
What a mess.
Every time I pay the additional sales tax just approved, AND the ES State taxes..I wish I had moved to Texas.
If I remember my history, California has more oil than Texas, so what
is wrong? I believe we also have more cotten.
But to be frank, having been in Texas, we don’t have their heat, their
bugs, their frogs and their other miserable weather.
Micky, it’s one thing to march for a cause, or to protest for change. It’s quite another to gather together to worship flags and pat each other’s backs just for existing.
Dan, you have no substantial link between “liberal” and California’s problems. You want to know why CA is in such a rut? PROPOSITION 13. That stupid, selfish, CONSERVATIVE proposition that imposes a 1% cap on property taxes. That stupid, cheap, selfish, malevolent, greedy, nasty, CONSERVATIVE proposition forces the state government to impose steep income taxes, forces some communities to raise sales taxes to almost ten percent, and on and on and on. YOU GUYS DID THAT. CONSERVATIVES DID THAT. NOT LIBERALS.
JMJ
“Micky, it’s one thing to march for a cause, or to protest for change. It’s quite another to gather together to worship flags and pat each other’s backs just for existing.”
Just for existing ?
You mean like the liberal websites I go to where they ban anyone with an opposing opinion and pat each other on the back while telling each other a bunch of crap they like hearing ?
We dont “worship” the flag you disengenouous (redacted).
We give it respect for what it stands for no different than you moonbats clapping for Joy Behar at the beggining of her show or making little kids sing “Barack Hussein Obama, hmmm hmmm hmmm”.
Your partys constituents have elevated a simple human to a status of diety and worship him as some supernatural entity like I’ve never seen applied to any human before and you talk to us about worshiping the oldest symbol of our countrys greatness ?
That flag stands for a hell of a lot more than this useless POS president ever will. Or any president for that matter.
You guys claim to have so much insight yet you fail to see what our flag represents. Instead all you see is some died and stitched fabric.
You might want to toss the worship issue up in front of your dear leader next time he envokes some scripture or grabs his ankles and bends over in front of other world leaders. The day he did that I almost wanted to marry him.
Wise up
You guys are the kings and queens (pun intended) of public pageantry, displays, antics, posturing etc, that in my opinion most of is not relevant to the big picture.
By the way. Its Californias history of democratic policies that got it in this rut of being unsustainable. Not prop 13.
When states are looking to legalize weed for the revenues you can betcher a$$ that they’re not doing in the interest of anyones civil rights
And please, dont try to tell me Arnold is a conservative.
Micky, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the people who idolize Obama are just as stupid as the people who demonize him. And I’ll say this again too: flag worship is stupid. It is idolatry and it is stupid.
Prop 13 IS the reason CA is in the mess it’s in now. If CA’s communities could raise the revenues they need, the state wouldn’t be broke right now. CA is a libertarian nightmare and I still have never seen one single valid example of “liberal” anything causing CA’s problems. Prop 13 was created by rich people in places like Santa Clara and Marin counties so they didn’t have to pay high property taxes on their expensive homes, sold as a bill of goods to moronic voters, 30-odd years ago, and CA has been paying the price for it ever since. Get rid of prop 13 and local people can decide for themselves what they want and don’t want to pay for and the state could get off their backs and stabilize it’s budget. You’d THINK true conservatives would completely and totally agree with that, but you guys have become so knee-jerk contrarian, you don;t even like your own ideas anymore.
JMJ
Oh, and if we did legalize weed, we’d make this a much better nation, regardless of the motivations of those who want to legalize it.
JMJ
“Micky, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the people who idolize Obama are just as stupid as the people who demonize him. ”
So what does that make you ?
Because so far every conversation with you on the guy has represented nothing more than a huge butt kissfest.
heh, but of course, this is the way you controvert everything.
Of all the issues I touched on you go to the least substantial issue and make a claim to it based on your opinion.
“Prop 13 IS the reason CA is in the mess it’s in now.”
Oh BS !
California has a history of dishing out entitlements that they couldnt afford.
Its not about what they cant bring in brother.
Its because they’ve always spent more than they could afford.
“Oh, and if we did legalize weed, we’d make this a much better nation, regardless of the motivations of those who want to legalize it.”
Thats besides the point, nice try.
The point is that if the left gave two craps about your rights they’d of moved to legalize it long ago.
Now that they’ve spent themselves into oblivion are they only thinking of legalizing it with no thought as to the constitutionality of it or those who were imprisoned.
They could care less about your rights.
” still have never seen one single valid example of “liberal” anything causing CA’s problems. ”
Now I know you’re truly certifiable.
California has been done in by two decades of chronic overspending, overregulating and a hyperprogressive tax codes all placed by the party thats been the dominant force.
Whos been running the show there for the last 20 years Jersey ?
Yeah, liberals ! Thats right ! Liberals ! And what comes with liberals ?
LIBERAl POLICIES !!!!!
Crust o mighty you cant even mow your lawn so the damn thing burns down when a wildfire comes too close !
“California’s state expenditures grew from $104 billion in 2003 to $145 billion in 2008.
California has the worst credit rating in the nation.
California has the fourth highest unemployment rate in the nation, 9.3 percent — higher even than the car manufacturing state of Michigan.
California has the second highest home foreclosure rate.
California’s tax-paying middle class is leaving the state. California’s net loss last year in state-to-state migration exceeded every other state’s. New York, another Left-run state, was second.
Since 2000, California’s job growth rate — which in the late 1970s was many times higher than the national average — has lagged behind the national average by almost 20 percent.
California has lost 25 percent of its industrial work force since 2001.”
Whats really funny is that these stats reflect whats happend to the country in the last 11 months
“So what does that make you ?
Because so far every conversation with you on the guy has represented nothing more than a huge butt kissfest.”
Micky, I’m pretty sure I’ve been quite realistic about the Obama administration. I’ve pointed out that they’ve been holding back on the stimulus money for a political reason: so they could put it out on the table next year, for a mid-term election bump. I’m quite unhappy with that, but that’s politics for ya’. I’ve pointed out that Obama has not undone some of the blatantly unconstitutional “unitary executive” measures started by the Bush administration. I’m unhappy with Giethner. I’m unhappy with Gates. I want him to get rid of Bernanke. Etc, etc. Unlike you conservatives, who will flip your opinions on a dime just because some shmuck you voted for decides to change his mind (think “nation building” here), I can disagree and criticize people with whom I have a lot otherwise in common. Remember too – I’m not a Democrat. You seem to have a hard time recalling that fact.
“Its not about what they cant bring in brother.
Its because they’ve always spent more than they could afford.”
Well, Micky, that’s the rub. In reality, as opposed to conservative Wonderland, people want things but at the same time they don;t like paying for things. Yes, I know, it’s contradictory, but in the real world, as opposed to conservative Can-Only-Hold-One-Idea-In-Your-Head-At-A-Time-Land, people often hold conflicting views at the same time. The problem with Prop 13 is that it imposes an arbitrary, unrealistic and undemocratic cap on spending. So, when the people do want something, they can’t pay for it. It’s pretty simple really. What amazes me, is that here I, a liberal who does not care much for property taxes, sees this obvious fact, and here you, a conservative, who ostensibly believes property taxes are the most local and democratic and fair method of taxation, doesn’t see it. Amazing.
As for the loss of manufacturing jobs in America, you can thank all the “Free Traders” for that sleazy cannibalization of our nation. And that’s not a partisan thing. They’re all in on it. It’s truly amazing. All those years of Red Baiting, and they sold us off to the largest communist nation on the planet and called it “Free Trade.” Truly amazing. It just goes to show, when a Wall Streeter says we should fear some other people, just remember, what they really mean is that we can’t make any money from them. Otherwise, it’s all gravy baby! Amazing.
JMJ
“Micky, I’m pretty sure I’ve been quite realistic about the Obama administration. ”
No you havent.
I’ve pointed out countless failures on his part that you either ignore or have no answer to. The simple fact is that you and the rest of the liberal kissfest cant seem to admit that hes nothing but an orating gasbag full of broken promises, missed deadlines and failures.
Change his mind ?
More BS.
They guy hasnt ?changed his mind” hes done the exact opposite of what he said and promised he would do.
Everyone with any screws left in their head knows that he wons the failures in the last 11 months and he cant blame Bush for them anymore.
His numbers are tanking in every poll whether its his personal likeability of job performance.
“Can-Only-Hold-One-Idea-In-Your-Head-At-A-Time-Land,”
Keep telling yourself that and you just put yourself in the ranks of the birthers and truthers.
Dont talk to me about one idea when any freeking idiot can see that the left has only one idea for what healthcare should look like but instead keep spitting out bills that all say the same thing but with different language.
Conservatives have presented many different options, compromising hybrids to the healthcare bills but weve seen only to have every single one of them dismissed by the party in charge.
You guys suck.
You’re congress would be voted out right now if an election were held today.
Only a delusional fool with an incredibly ignorant political bias would say something as dumb as not having a 1% property tax on Ca. has been the root of their financial demise.
They’re mostly a liberal entilement menatallity thats simply spent and prioritized way past whats feasable.
” and here you, a conservative, who ostensibly believes property taxes are the most local and democratic and fair method of taxation, doesn’t see it. Amazing”
No, see, this is where you get pegged again for being full of sht and being the reason I chose not to take you seriously or at times not even bother with you at all.
You make up these arguments that are absolutely patently false and derived of reaching so far up your a$$ so often that I’m surprised you havent had to have corrective surgery to keep that thing shut.
I never said that I had anything against property taxes, did I ?
NO. Actually my argument was against you saying that the failure to implement the tax was the reason for Californias economic shortfall.
JMJ;
“Prop 13 IS the reason CA is in the mess it’s in now. ”
Once again, this is hysterical bullsht.
Theres so many reasons that California is in the mess its in and the failure to apply this tax is as big a contributor to their downfall as a gnat is on an elephants a$$.
“If CA’s communities could raise the revenues they need, the state wouldn’t be broke right now.”
No sht sherlock.
But the statement is actually a misnomer because they do in fact raise the revenues they need. They just spend it like idiots.
Did you miss the factual part where California’s tax-paying middle class is leaving the state. California’s net loss last year in state-to-state migration exceeded every other state’s. New York, another Left-run state, was second ?
HUH ?
YEAH, they’ve taxed the crap out of everyone they can nail so badly that they’re leaving the state. So bad that they’ve gone to the extreme of wanting to legalize pot not because of some righteous desire to give anyone their rights but only because they need the money.
Its really quite elementary dude and all your hyperbolic BS wont change the fact that they’ve simply spent more than they can afford.
Dems have been the predominant force in Ca. for years and are simply making an example of what liberal policies will do to the country.
When dems are in charge California is almost always an example of the course the rest of the country will take.
” I’m not a Democrat. You seem to have a hard time recalling that fact.”
Who gives a sht
You defend almost every asinine thing they do so I could care less what hybrid fancy schmancy label you put on yourself.