Republican Dana Seum Stephenson won the 37th District Senate race, but a Franklin County Circuit Judge ordered the Kentucky Board of Elections to certify her opponent, Democrat Virginia Woodward, the winner. The judge went too far with his order.
Apparently there is nothing that forbids a person who may not serve in an office to run for it in either the Constitution or the Kentucky Revised Statutes . Nor is there any provision in either to allow the runner-up to take the office by default. Ms. Woodward did not win the election. She lost by about 1000 votes. The judge should have stayed out of it.
If Ms. Stephenson were otherwise eligible to serve in office, but died before being sworn in, Ms. Woodward would not normally be considered to take her place. In this instance, would it be reasonable for a Franklin Circuit Judge to order Ms. Woodward be sworn into office? No, it would not. The responsibility for that decision rests with the Senate.
The Constitutional authority of the Senate to choose who it will seat is clear. Subject only to the Constitution and itself, the Senate must be the ultimate arbiter in this race. Though many may say Ms. Stephenson is not eligible to serve, residency in Kentucky is a fluid concept, defined differently in several statutes. We shall see which definition the Senate prefers.
The Senate is unlikely to seat Ms. Woodward. To do so would ignore the expressed will of the voters of the 37th District. We shall see.
GBW
December 29, 2004
December 22, 2004
Oh my aching back!
My lower back has been a bit grumbly lately. No big deal, just letting me know it's there. So I go home last night, lay back on the bed to study a bit for my test (see below), put my legs up on the big wedge pillow to take some strain off my lower back. I was in tall cotton. And then I sneezed.
I'm not sure exactly what happened, all I know is my lower back exploded. I immediately supspected a terrorist bomb triggered by sound waves. When the initial shockwave subsided, I knew I was in trouble. I tried to get up and couldn't. Had to call my Wonderful Wife to assist me out of bed. It was not pleasant. I spent the rest of evening flat of my back by necessity rather than choice, and planned a trip to see my chiropractor first thing in the morning.
This morning, I thought I would be ok since I could get out of bed without help. I was wrong. By the time I finished my shower, I could barely walk. I had to get my WW out of bed (it was 7 a.m. and she was up until 2 a.m. wrapping Christmas presents) to help me. Did the trip to the chiropractor, shot the X-rays, L4 was definitely the problem, had my adjustments, did some interferential E-stim, got hooked up to a portable stim unit, and left to take my test. Did you notice all the review time I got in this morning? Neither did I.
I passed the test. However, the best news of the day is that I haven't sneezed again. And for that, I am very thankful.
GBW
I'm not sure exactly what happened, all I know is my lower back exploded. I immediately supspected a terrorist bomb triggered by sound waves. When the initial shockwave subsided, I knew I was in trouble. I tried to get up and couldn't. Had to call my Wonderful Wife to assist me out of bed. It was not pleasant. I spent the rest of evening flat of my back by necessity rather than choice, and planned a trip to see my chiropractor first thing in the morning.
This morning, I thought I would be ok since I could get out of bed without help. I was wrong. By the time I finished my shower, I could barely walk. I had to get my WW out of bed (it was 7 a.m. and she was up until 2 a.m. wrapping Christmas presents) to help me. Did the trip to the chiropractor, shot the X-rays, L4 was definitely the problem, had my adjustments, did some interferential E-stim, got hooked up to a portable stim unit, and left to take my test. Did you notice all the review time I got in this morning? Neither did I.
I passed the test. However, the best news of the day is that I haven't sneezed again. And for that, I am very thankful.
GBW
December 21, 2004
The Great Society at work.
OK, SWFw/Attitude, here's one of mine. This story was told as true to a friend of mine in Southeastern Ky.
A woman went to the Health Department in a mountain county to talk with a social worker. She asked the social worker if he could help her get a bed. She had eight children and they couldn’t all fit in the beds she had on hand.
After determining she had enough room for another bed, the social worker agreed to help the woman out of her predicament, and told her to come back at the same time the next week.The social worker called around and found a headboard, footboard, side rails, slats, and full-size box springs and mattress. When the woman returned the next week with her dilapidated pickup truck, the social worker helped her load up the bed and tied it down.
The woman turned around and told the social worker, “I sure appreciate you helping me out. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Why, my two youngest have been sleeping in the box the color television came in!”
GBW
A woman went to the Health Department in a mountain county to talk with a social worker. She asked the social worker if he could help her get a bed. She had eight children and they couldn’t all fit in the beds she had on hand.
After determining she had enough room for another bed, the social worker agreed to help the woman out of her predicament, and told her to come back at the same time the next week.The social worker called around and found a headboard, footboard, side rails, slats, and full-size box springs and mattress. When the woman returned the next week with her dilapidated pickup truck, the social worker helped her load up the bed and tied it down.
The woman turned around and told the social worker, “I sure appreciate you helping me out. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Why, my two youngest have been sleeping in the box the color television came in!”
GBW
I know, I know, it's off to test I go...
If you are a praying person, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you said one for me. Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. I will be taking a computer certification test called Server+. Fun, fun, fun.
The Bible mentions people who are "ever learning, but never coming to an understanding of the Truth." If you are considering a career in Information Technology, that is a pretty apt description of the certification tracks. It. Never. Ends.
I'm sure you can tell how excited I am about this. But, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, and then do it again at least twice next month for Network+ and a Microsoft course.
(sigh)
GBW
ps: Stop laughing, John!
The Bible mentions people who are "ever learning, but never coming to an understanding of the Truth." If you are considering a career in Information Technology, that is a pretty apt description of the certification tracks. It. Never. Ends.
I'm sure you can tell how excited I am about this. But, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, and then do it again at least twice next month for Network+ and a Microsoft course.
(sigh)
GBW
ps: Stop laughing, John!
December 20, 2004
Senator McConnell in Newsweek
In an MSNBC/Newsweek article, Howard Fineman gives us an interesting look at Senator Mitch McConnell's views on building a consensus in the new Congress. Looking forward, Senator McConnell says, "The key now will be whether there are a group of Democrats willing to join with most Republicans in a coalition of the center-right."
Many of the strategies used to turn Kentucky from Blue to Red are attributed to Senator McConnell, who also played a major role in establishing the Republican majority in the Senate. If, as many suspect, Bill Frist runs for President in 2008, Senator McConnell is generally considered next in line for Senate Majority Leader, a position the Senator from Kentucky would fill ably, admirably and honorably.
Following the 2002 elections, the Kentucky Post called Senator McConnell "the master strategist of the state GOP..." Here's hoping his efforts as Senate Majority Whip are as effective in Washington as he works to move the Republican legislative agenda forward.
GBW
Many of the strategies used to turn Kentucky from Blue to Red are attributed to Senator McConnell, who also played a major role in establishing the Republican majority in the Senate. If, as many suspect, Bill Frist runs for President in 2008, Senator McConnell is generally considered next in line for Senate Majority Leader, a position the Senator from Kentucky would fill ably, admirably and honorably.
Following the 2002 elections, the Kentucky Post called Senator McConnell "the master strategist of the state GOP..." Here's hoping his efforts as Senate Majority Whip are as effective in Washington as he works to move the Republican legislative agenda forward.
GBW
December 3, 2004
Thanks for the memories...
My wonderful wife and I went to see "Christmas with the Kranks" this evening. A good time was had by all. I heartily recommend the film. Lots of laughter throughout and applause at the end.
As we were walking out to our car, B said, "If it weren't for women, there wouldn't be any memories." You'll see what prompted her to say this when you watch the movie.
It took a few seconds for that to sink in. You know, I had to agree with her. Most of the things I remember about Christmas are things that directly involved the women in my life. There's the smell of woodsmoke when we got to my Grandparent's home for breakfast Christmas morning. My Grandmother liked to cook on the old woodstove in the room across the dog-run (read "Old Yeller" and think screened windows). The wonderful aromas of food, no, make that Food! So much food you couldn't eat even a little bit of everything if you tried, not that we didn't try. Lots of country ham, sugar-cured and salt-cured, bacon, sausage, fried chicken, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, pickled eggs, fried apples (the real thing, not the sad stuff they to pass off as fried apples at Cracker Barrel and other restaurants), biscuits that my Grandmother squeezed off in her huge flour bowl, toast, fried potatoes, ham gravy, sausage gravy, corn fritters, hashbrown, sweet potato and several other breakfast casseroles, fresh churned butter, homemade applebutter, jellies and preserves, pancakes, and waffles. Coffee, OJ, milk, hot chocolate, and Oh, my Aunt Barbara's spiced apple cider! Can I get a testimony? Amen! The women in our extended family can flat-out cook!
We call it breakfast, but it's really a brunch, and that means there are desserts on the sideboards. Don't even get me started on them. Imagine what they do for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners when it's piled on like that for breakfast! (I think I gained 4 pounds writing this!)
And you know the men had but little hand in the preparation, though through the years we have been getting more involved. The women still call the men and children in to eat first while the womenfolk go in another room (get over it, it's a Southern thing) to rest a while and listen to the flatware clattering on the plates, the pass this and pass that, and the groans as everyone fills up. Make no mistake, we all lavish them with praise for the fine job they've done, and they bask in it.
Decorations for holidays are almost all done by women. Excepting the outdoor variety, under the fairer sex's supervision of course, the men usually aren't very interested in all that stuff. Frankly, if it were left up to the average man, at Christmas there wouldn't be any darling red bows on the lampshades, no candles surrounded by cranberries on a crystal plate, no greenery swags, no holiday centerpieces, no ribbons around the columns like candy canes, no candles in the windows, no wreaths on the doors, nor stockings hung. No snowmen, reindeer, or other Christmas knick-knacks around the house, no cards hanging around the doors, no Dickens villages, no sleigh bells on the door, probably not even a Nativity tableau on the mantle, nor carols playing in the background. The Christmas tree would most likely be a life-sized poster hanging on a wall. Not that we don't enjoy it. We just don't want to do it, just don't feel the need for it, and if we feel that way about Christmas, imagine what we wouldn't do for the other holidays.
Have you thanked the women who have laid the foundations of memory year after year in your life? I know I'll be making some phone calls tomorrow.
GBW
As we were walking out to our car, B said, "If it weren't for women, there wouldn't be any memories." You'll see what prompted her to say this when you watch the movie.
It took a few seconds for that to sink in. You know, I had to agree with her. Most of the things I remember about Christmas are things that directly involved the women in my life. There's the smell of woodsmoke when we got to my Grandparent's home for breakfast Christmas morning. My Grandmother liked to cook on the old woodstove in the room across the dog-run (read "Old Yeller" and think screened windows). The wonderful aromas of food, no, make that Food! So much food you couldn't eat even a little bit of everything if you tried, not that we didn't try. Lots of country ham, sugar-cured and salt-cured, bacon, sausage, fried chicken, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, pickled eggs, fried apples (the real thing, not the sad stuff they to pass off as fried apples at Cracker Barrel and other restaurants), biscuits that my Grandmother squeezed off in her huge flour bowl, toast, fried potatoes, ham gravy, sausage gravy, corn fritters, hashbrown, sweet potato and several other breakfast casseroles, fresh churned butter, homemade applebutter, jellies and preserves, pancakes, and waffles. Coffee, OJ, milk, hot chocolate, and Oh, my Aunt Barbara's spiced apple cider! Can I get a testimony? Amen! The women in our extended family can flat-out cook!
We call it breakfast, but it's really a brunch, and that means there are desserts on the sideboards. Don't even get me started on them. Imagine what they do for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners when it's piled on like that for breakfast! (I think I gained 4 pounds writing this!)
And you know the men had but little hand in the preparation, though through the years we have been getting more involved. The women still call the men and children in to eat first while the womenfolk go in another room (get over it, it's a Southern thing) to rest a while and listen to the flatware clattering on the plates, the pass this and pass that, and the groans as everyone fills up. Make no mistake, we all lavish them with praise for the fine job they've done, and they bask in it.
Decorations for holidays are almost all done by women. Excepting the outdoor variety, under the fairer sex's supervision of course, the men usually aren't very interested in all that stuff. Frankly, if it were left up to the average man, at Christmas there wouldn't be any darling red bows on the lampshades, no candles surrounded by cranberries on a crystal plate, no greenery swags, no holiday centerpieces, no ribbons around the columns like candy canes, no candles in the windows, no wreaths on the doors, nor stockings hung. No snowmen, reindeer, or other Christmas knick-knacks around the house, no cards hanging around the doors, no Dickens villages, no sleigh bells on the door, probably not even a Nativity tableau on the mantle, nor carols playing in the background. The Christmas tree would most likely be a life-sized poster hanging on a wall. Not that we don't enjoy it. We just don't want to do it, just don't feel the need for it, and if we feel that way about Christmas, imagine what we wouldn't do for the other holidays.
Have you thanked the women who have laid the foundations of memory year after year in your life? I know I'll be making some phone calls tomorrow.
GBW
November 30, 2004
Ignorance is bliss? May be...
My Mother-in-Law often observes the world is a terrible place and getting worse all the time. I don't agree with her. People are people wherever they are, whenever they lived. The difference the constant bombardment of information. Since the invention of the telegraph allowed news to travel great distances almost instantaneously, information has gone from a sprinkle, to a shower, to the deluge we "enjoy" today. One hundred years ago, life was bad enough right where you were. You didn't want to share everyone else's troubles. Your own were sufficient.
Are we better off flailing around in an indiscriminate information ocean? (I don't exclude this blog.)
I refused to look at news on TV or listen to talk radio the last four days. The closest I came to breaking over was walking thru the livingroom when my Dad switched over to Fox News. It took a lot of willpower, but I just walked by into the kitchen without stopping. (the desserts on the counter didn't have a thing to do with it. It was willpower, I tell you!!)
What did I miss in those four days? Celebrity trials, celebrity plane crashes, celebrity births, knifings in the midwest, abandoned baby in Arizona, missing children, murder # xxx in New York, Dems trying to figure out the election, pundits telling everyone the painfully obvious or ridiculously obscure, Republicans grandstanding... I could certainly go on and on. And by the way, if you think I cheated and looked back at the news, you're wrong. All these just swam from the murky water between my ears right onto the blog. I didn't even listen to Bill Bennett this morning or Hugh Hewitt this evening. Hey, that makes it five days. Well, I'll admit I did look at RealClearPolitics.com this afternoon.
Will Rogers was often quoted saying, "All I know is what I read in the papers." Would we be better off it that was all the information we had? I don't think so, particularly if all one read was our local liberal rag. But, it would be more manageable, easier to assimilate and actually has some potential value to us locally. Maybe that is what attracts many people to blogs. Bite-sized bits of information about things they really care about in one spot, with links if they want them.
Maybe the day will come when we can really customize the news we want to see, and can filter out all the junk that shouldn't have been reported more than 50 miles from where it occured. I'm not saying that less news will make us happy. I'm just saying it might make us less sad.
GBW
Are we better off flailing around in an indiscriminate information ocean? (I don't exclude this blog.)
I refused to look at news on TV or listen to talk radio the last four days. The closest I came to breaking over was walking thru the livingroom when my Dad switched over to Fox News. It took a lot of willpower, but I just walked by into the kitchen without stopping. (the desserts on the counter didn't have a thing to do with it. It was willpower, I tell you!!)
What did I miss in those four days? Celebrity trials, celebrity plane crashes, celebrity births, knifings in the midwest, abandoned baby in Arizona, missing children, murder # xxx in New York, Dems trying to figure out the election, pundits telling everyone the painfully obvious or ridiculously obscure, Republicans grandstanding... I could certainly go on and on. And by the way, if you think I cheated and looked back at the news, you're wrong. All these just swam from the murky water between my ears right onto the blog. I didn't even listen to Bill Bennett this morning or Hugh Hewitt this evening. Hey, that makes it five days. Well, I'll admit I did look at RealClearPolitics.com this afternoon.
Will Rogers was often quoted saying, "All I know is what I read in the papers." Would we be better off it that was all the information we had? I don't think so, particularly if all one read was our local liberal rag. But, it would be more manageable, easier to assimilate and actually has some potential value to us locally. Maybe that is what attracts many people to blogs. Bite-sized bits of information about things they really care about in one spot, with links if they want them.
Maybe the day will come when we can really customize the news we want to see, and can filter out all the junk that shouldn't have been reported more than 50 miles from where it occured. I'm not saying that less news will make us happy. I'm just saying it might make us less sad.
GBW
'Scuse me whilst I drag my knuckles...
If the Left was as open-minded, tolerant, and caring as they claim to be, this excellent article by Bernard Moon wouldn't be necessary.
Course, us Neanderthals ain't got no reel idee whut the reel smart peepul in the city thank about up thair in thur ivuree tairs. Brung 'em on up ta Red cuntry. Weel shoot 'em, skin 'em and eat 'em fer dinnr.
GBW
Course, us Neanderthals ain't got no reel idee whut the reel smart peepul in the city thank about up thair in thur ivuree tairs. Brung 'em on up ta Red cuntry. Weel shoot 'em, skin 'em and eat 'em fer dinnr.
GBW
November 25, 2004
Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation 1863
Washington, DC—October 3, 1863
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In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well as the iron and coal as of our precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Abraham Lincoln
Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A.D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Abraham Lincoln
Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A.D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
November 20, 2004
There's a new blog in town.
Cardinal Coalition is a new cooperative blog started by GotDesign. I'm very pleased to be able to participate. SWFw/Attitude is also posting there, and I expect others may join in as time goes by.
Cardinal Coalition was recognized on Hugh Hewitt's blog after his live broadcast Friday evening from the Frazier Historical Arms Museum. Congrats to the local bloggers who were able to speak to Hugh last evening and received an on-air mention. I must admit I'm a bit envious, as I was unable to attend the event. I have every intention of making the next one a priority.
So, I recommend Cardinal Coalition for your consideration as well as the other fine blogs listed in my blogroll. Remember, we want to hear from you, too. Leave a comment.
GBW
Cardinal Coalition was recognized on Hugh Hewitt's blog after his live broadcast Friday evening from the Frazier Historical Arms Museum. Congrats to the local bloggers who were able to speak to Hugh last evening and received an on-air mention. I must admit I'm a bit envious, as I was unable to attend the event. I have every intention of making the next one a priority.
So, I recommend Cardinal Coalition for your consideration as well as the other fine blogs listed in my blogroll. Remember, we want to hear from you, too. Leave a comment.
GBW
November 19, 2004
I really haven't abandoned my blog!
I have been unable to post since last Thursday. All I get are errors. My posts via email never make it, either.
I'm keeping this one simple in hopes it doesn't disappear into LaLa Land like the last several I have tried
GBW
I'm keeping this one simple in hopes it doesn't disappear into LaLa Land like the last several I have tried
GBW
November 11, 2004
Mandate, shmandate, we're WINNERS!!
Does anyone really think that the Democrats wouldn't be acting as though they had a mandate if the results had been reversed? Does anyone really think the Democrats would be talking about the 56 million people who would have voted against them? Does anyone really think that even if they didn't talk about a mandate the Democrats wouldn't be pushing the Liberal agenda down our throats?
Remember, we're stupid. We don't have the sense to get in out of the rain unless talk radio tells us to.
Remember, we're bigoted. We have to be shown the way to sexual and racial enlightenment.
Remember, we live in an outdated past. We have to be dragged into the 21st Century, away from the "Dark Age" morality we espouse.
Remember, it's for our own good.
Liberals reading this would shout, 'YES, HE GETS IT!!"
But.
Remember. Bush won. We picked up 4 seats in the Senate. Four. And four more seats in the House.
It's about time we quit talking and started acting like winners. Remember?
Remember, we're stupid. We don't have the sense to get in out of the rain unless talk radio tells us to.
Remember, we're bigoted. We have to be shown the way to sexual and racial enlightenment.
Remember, we live in an outdated past. We have to be dragged into the 21st Century, away from the "Dark Age" morality we espouse.
Remember, it's for our own good.
Liberals reading this would shout, 'YES, HE GETS IT!!"
But.
Remember. Bush won. We picked up 4 seats in the Senate. Four. And four more seats in the House.
It's about time we quit talking and started acting like winners. Remember?
Veterans Day
When the Tree of Liberty is "freshened with the blood of patriots and tyrants," the men and women who serve in our armed forces carry the brunt of the cost. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have served, and currently serve in any capacity in our armed forces.
The greatness of our country is due in greatest part to the sacrifice of those who placed themselves in harm's way for our sake, who were not afraid to say, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day so that my child may have peace."
If you are a veteran, or currently serving in the armed forces, please accept my sincere gratitude for your service and sacrifice.
If you are not a veteran, please make the time today to thank someone for their service.
The greatness of our country is due in greatest part to the sacrifice of those who placed themselves in harm's way for our sake, who were not afraid to say, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day so that my child may have peace."
If you are a veteran, or currently serving in the armed forces, please accept my sincere gratitude for your service and sacrifice.
If you are not a veteran, please make the time today to thank someone for their service.
November 10, 2004
Hut, two, three, four...
In my youth I spent a number of years in marching bands, both in high school and college. If you've ever watched a marching band, I'm sure you've noticed that all the members are in step. At least, they're supposed to be.
When a member is out-of-step, it's usually pretty obvious to observers. The person marching sometimes takes a while to figure it out, but when they do, they hop and skip for a moment until they get back into rhythm.
Kind of reminds me of the hopping and skipping I'm seeing from some Democrats in print who are trying to figure out how to get back in step with the center. However, a very large portion of the Left hasn't figured it out yet. They still think the center and right are the ones out of step, kind of like the dad who remarked to a bystander, "Look at that, everyone in the band is out of step except my son!"
Like that poor dad, I don't think they'll ever figure it out.
When a member is out-of-step, it's usually pretty obvious to observers. The person marching sometimes takes a while to figure it out, but when they do, they hop and skip for a moment until they get back into rhythm.
Kind of reminds me of the hopping and skipping I'm seeing from some Democrats in print who are trying to figure out how to get back in step with the center. However, a very large portion of the Left hasn't figured it out yet. They still think the center and right are the ones out of step, kind of like the dad who remarked to a bystander, "Look at that, everyone in the band is out of step except my son!"
Like that poor dad, I don't think they'll ever figure it out.
November 3, 2004
Great turnout??????
Fantastic turnout! How do you figure?
Compared to last time! So?
About 72% of registered voters went to the polls. Exciting until you flip it and and realize 28% stayed home. About 43 million registered voters stayed home! Plus the tens of millions who aren't registered but are otherwise eligible to vote?
GOTV has a long way to go on all sides.
The next challenge: the under-30 vote
Looking at the demographics of who voted for who across the country, it seems to me the Republican Party's next great electoral challenge is the under-30 voter. This must be a grassroots effort. Personal relationships with younger voters is the only way to make any headway here. Conservatives who are passionate about their values must share them in a passionate, logical, reasonable way. We must become the party of persuasion to this age group.
The younger we reach them, the better. Democrats have an advantage that is not easily overcome. By the time students have completed their "Liberal Arts" education, too many have become too thouroughly indoctrinated with the Liberal Agenda. According to Michael Barone's comments last evening on Fox, voters with advanced degrees are overwhelmingly Democrat. Contrary to Liberal elitist tenets, it isn't because smart people are naturally Liberal. (or that Liberals are naturally smart)
Polls are saying Bush won every age group except the under-30 folks. True, a large portion of the age group doesn't seem to interested in voting, but I have to believe that the passion we saw from the Right in this election, passed on to passionate, committed younger voters, would translate into large gains for the Republican Party in years to come.
So, each one, mentor one. Find a younger voter with whom you have some personal credibility and let them in on your side of the issues. Treat them like adults. Don't talk down to them or make proclamations from On High. Persuade them with the truth.
Friends, it's time to enlarge the Base. Will you do your share to grow it?
The younger we reach them, the better. Democrats have an advantage that is not easily overcome. By the time students have completed their "Liberal Arts" education, too many have become too thouroughly indoctrinated with the Liberal Agenda. According to Michael Barone's comments last evening on Fox, voters with advanced degrees are overwhelmingly Democrat. Contrary to Liberal elitist tenets, it isn't because smart people are naturally Liberal. (or that Liberals are naturally smart)
Polls are saying Bush won every age group except the under-30 folks. True, a large portion of the age group doesn't seem to interested in voting, but I have to believe that the passion we saw from the Right in this election, passed on to passionate, committed younger voters, would translate into large gains for the Republican Party in years to come.
So, each one, mentor one. Find a younger voter with whom you have some personal credibility and let them in on your side of the issues. Treat them like adults. Don't talk down to them or make proclamations from On High. Persuade them with the truth.
Friends, it's time to enlarge the Base. Will you do your share to grow it?
November 2, 2004
"...we esteem too lightly."
"...we esteem too lightly."
(See the full quote on the previous post.)
Somewhere between 40-50 million people who are otherwise eligible to participate in the upcoming election are not even registered to vote. Some may decide upon arising from their slumber this morning, that it is a good day to vote. Some may even avail themselves of the provisional vote now allowed under Federal law. But by and large, most of them will go about their normal day. On Wednesday, when they find out who won, they will rejoice or complain about the results, but will have no hand in determining them.
It is shameful.
When I hear someone complaining about an elected official, I am compelled to ask, "Did you vote last election?" An affirmative response keeps my attention. A negative response usually sidetracks the conversation into a discussion of why I should listen to the opinions of a person who does not participate in the process that produced the official about whom they are complaining.
You may say, "Why, GBW, that person has as much right to an opinion as you do!" Sure they do, but I don't have to listen to it.
It isn't rocket science. Even if you can't read, you can get assistance filling out a voter registration card. Twice a year, at most, you go to the polls (assistance is available there, too), flip a few levers, fill in a few circles, or whatever your ballot system requires. Why is this so difficult for so many people?
In my last post, I wrote, "...a substantial portion of our people, uneducated in the history and foundation of our country, desiring only what is easy and without personal effort or cost, no longer have the desire or will to work for what they want." Have too many become too soft, too dependent? Have the costs paid by so many brave men an women in lonely places all around the world lost any meaning? Are our wars to small to stir the patriotism and citizenship of the population at large? Do so many care so little because it has cost them so little?
I wonder how many members of the families who lost loved ones Sept. 11th will not vote today? I wonder how many members of families who have loved ones in harm's way in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Balkans will fail to cast their vote? How many men and women serving our country in uniform don't care enough to participate in the governance of the country they protect? I expect most of them will find a way to make it to the polls.
They've paid the price. They know what is at stake.
I hope the poll count proves me wrong today, but too many have obtained too much, "too cheap," and will disenfranchise themselves for petty reasons at best, ignoring the cost paid by others and having no appreciation for it.
Please vote. It is your right. It is your duty.
God bless the United States of America.
(See the full quote on the previous post.)
Somewhere between 40-50 million people who are otherwise eligible to participate in the upcoming election are not even registered to vote. Some may decide upon arising from their slumber this morning, that it is a good day to vote. Some may even avail themselves of the provisional vote now allowed under Federal law. But by and large, most of them will go about their normal day. On Wednesday, when they find out who won, they will rejoice or complain about the results, but will have no hand in determining them.
It is shameful.
When I hear someone complaining about an elected official, I am compelled to ask, "Did you vote last election?" An affirmative response keeps my attention. A negative response usually sidetracks the conversation into a discussion of why I should listen to the opinions of a person who does not participate in the process that produced the official about whom they are complaining.
You may say, "Why, GBW, that person has as much right to an opinion as you do!" Sure they do, but I don't have to listen to it.
It isn't rocket science. Even if you can't read, you can get assistance filling out a voter registration card. Twice a year, at most, you go to the polls (assistance is available there, too), flip a few levers, fill in a few circles, or whatever your ballot system requires. Why is this so difficult for so many people?
In my last post, I wrote, "...a substantial portion of our people, uneducated in the history and foundation of our country, desiring only what is easy and without personal effort or cost, no longer have the desire or will to work for what they want." Have too many become too soft, too dependent? Have the costs paid by so many brave men an women in lonely places all around the world lost any meaning? Are our wars to small to stir the patriotism and citizenship of the population at large? Do so many care so little because it has cost them so little?
I wonder how many members of the families who lost loved ones Sept. 11th will not vote today? I wonder how many members of families who have loved ones in harm's way in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Balkans will fail to cast their vote? How many men and women serving our country in uniform don't care enough to participate in the governance of the country they protect? I expect most of them will find a way to make it to the polls.
They've paid the price. They know what is at stake.
I hope the poll count proves me wrong today, but too many have obtained too much, "too cheap," and will disenfranchise themselves for petty reasons at best, ignoring the cost paid by others and having no appreciation for it.
Please vote. It is your right. It is your duty.
God bless the United States of America.
October 22, 2004
"What we obtain too cheap..."
"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands is now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet, we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly....Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its good; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated."
Tom Paine
In a comment to a previous post, GotDesign (see below for link to his blog) mentioned entitlement. Best I can tell, our Founding Fathers' ideas about entitlement were pretty much exhausted in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. According to them, there are those things to which we are entitled as men (rights), and those things we obtain through effort (the pursuit of happiness).
Liberal thinking today confuses the pursuit of happiness with rights. The War on Poverty in the 1960s solidified this concept. Generations of people in much of Appalachia and many inner cities gave up what was once a proud independence and self-reliance and nuzzled close to suck at the Government teat. The "You deserve it, it's your right" mantra of the left, constantly repeated by the liberal politicians as they dangled morsels in front of the populace, festered and spread throughout our nation until a substantial portion of our people, uneducated in the history and foundation of our country, desiring only what is easy and without personal effort or cost, no longer have the desire or will to work for what they want.
The myth of the disenfranchised
Great article from Jonah Goldberg from TownHall.com that echoes my post of 10/21.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/jg20041022.shtml
Saying so don't make it so. Where's the proof?
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/jg20041022.shtml
Saying so don't make it so. Where's the proof?
October 21, 2004
Some don't understand the personal responsibility of voters?
(A recycle from the 2000 election with a few minor edits)
Well, it's election day, and somewhere, sometime, people are going to be whining, "They did this," or "They did that (whoever They are), and I didn't get to vote." I don't understand it. It seems some people are unable to understand the simple concept of, "It's my vote, and I am responsible for seeing it cast, and cast correctly."
There are few requirements for which I am responsible.
First, I must be legally eligible to vote.
Second, I must be legally registered to vote, that is, within the correct time period allowed for registration, and within the correct precinct and for primaries, registered to a party that has candidates on the ballot.
Third, I must go to the proper polling place to vote.
Fourth, I must provide to the poll workers legal proof of my identity that agrees with my registration information.
Fifth, I must know for whom I will be voting.
Sixth, I must understand how to cast my vote correctly. All the information necessary to successfully cast a legal vote is readily accessible to anyone who cares to know it.
Under Kentucky law, if I am not legally registered, I do not have right to vote. If I am at the wrong precinct, I do not have a right to vote there. If I cannot provide legally required identification, the poll worker is required by law to deny me access to the voting booth. If I cast an incorrect or blank vote because I haven't taken the time to understand, or asked for instructions about the voting method, I have no one to blame but myself. If any of these occur, it is not some conspiracy by (fill in your favorite bug-a-boo here) to disenfranchise you, it is your failure to secure your right to vote.
I have worked polls in the past here in Kentucky. It is the duty of the poll workers to ensure, to the best of their ability, that the votes which are cast are legal, and cast correctly. Poll workers must ensure the identity of the voter. Any voter may ask for assistance from the poll workers. Representatives of both parties then assist the voter. Some counties use paper ballots (no punch cards of which I am aware, you fill in a circle with a pencil), some machines in which you flip a lever for your candidate. Instructions are posted outside and inside the voting booths. Sample ballots are available to study before you go in to vote. If you have a disability, you have the right to bring in a person of your choice, with a few exceptions, to assist you in casting your ballot. Provisional ballots are on hand for the appropriate circumstances.
Poll watchers who have received the same training as poll workers are allowed inside the polling place. They, just as a poll worker, can challenge a voter's eligibility to vote. However, if you are legally registered, are at the correct polling place, and have identification, you cannot be stopped from voting in the appropriate races. If you let a challenge intimidate you and do not vote, you have no one to blame but yourself.
For years, I was challenged at every election. Poll workers and watchers would not, rightfully so, allow me to vote in city elections because I resided 20 feet out of the city limits. I was in the correct precinct, but was not a resident of the city. I could have called the challenge harassment, could have stayed home and complained about someone else taking away my right to vote, could have charged that my rights to vote in the city elections had been denied, or I could have gone to the polls and cast the legal votes I was eligible to cast. I never missed an election.
I don't care what color you are. I don't care about your sexual orientation. I don't care about your religion. I don't care what part of town you live in, and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about these things or any others. Be responsible for your vote. Do what you need to do to be able to cast a legal vote, and then go do it! Be an proud, responsible citizen and get the job done.
And if you don't, well, STOP WHINING ABOUT IT!!!!
October 11, 2004
Do we make a difference?
At a meeting this evening, our Pastor said, "It's one thing to be a success, it's another to be significant."
That's a real challenge. It's not enough to be good, we should make a difference. How have we touched another's life today in a positive way? Has something we said or did today made a positive difference in someone's life? Does the way we live our lives have a continuing influence on others?
No coasting allowed here. Significance is seldom accidental. Pastor's challenge this evening was for us to purpose to make a difference, to look for the opportunities to exercise our intention, and continue to stretch beyond what we think we can do to what God can do through us.
That's a real challenge. It's not enough to be good, we should make a difference. How have we touched another's life today in a positive way? Has something we said or did today made a positive difference in someone's life? Does the way we live our lives have a continuing influence on others?
No coasting allowed here. Significance is seldom accidental. Pastor's challenge this evening was for us to purpose to make a difference, to look for the opportunities to exercise our intention, and continue to stretch beyond what we think we can do to what God can do through us.
October 8, 2004
At the barbershop.
Had an interesting time at the barbershop yesterday evening. When I walked in, the gentleman in the chair said, "Can't get your hair cut here unless you're a Republican."
Figuring I had walked into the middle of a political discussion, I told them not to worry about it, I had been a Republican since 1973.
My barber said, "You know, it's funny, but I don't have many Democrat customers."
My reply was, "That's because most of them don't go to barbers, they go to stylists."
Well, I thought the fellow in the chair was going to end up with a mohawk. (Wait, is it politically correct to call a haircut after a tribe of Native Americans? Don't want to offend anyone.) Both he and the barber started to laugh, and the clippers got terribly close a couple of times.
When they calmed down, the fellow in the chair allowed that my statement was probably truer that we would think.
Are you undecided?
Have you made a decision about your vote for President? I have. In any political race there are certain prioritized criteria I use as I decide for whom to vote. The criteria is set before I know who is running, and they are valid for every race from the local, to the state, to the federal level. For me, choosing a candidate is just a matter of determing who fits the bill. In a primary, it may take a bit longer, but generally speaking, there are very few races that I haven't already made up my mind about by the time the primary election results are in.
Now to the crux of this post.
I don't understand undecided, particularly at this point in a presidential race. We have two major candidates that represent two completely different philosophies of goverment and policy about almost every issue on the table.
So. Door #1, or Door #2? And you know exactly what's behind them.
Are you undecided about the presidential race? Can you tell me why? I'd really like to know. Can you tell me how you'll make your choice, what you'll base it on and when?
Please note I am trying to keep this general. If you answer, I promise not to beat you up or convert you. I would really like have a better understanding of this.
Now to the crux of this post.
I don't understand undecided, particularly at this point in a presidential race. We have two major candidates that represent two completely different philosophies of goverment and policy about almost every issue on the table.
So. Door #1, or Door #2? And you know exactly what's behind them.
Are you undecided about the presidential race? Can you tell me why? I'd really like to know. Can you tell me how you'll make your choice, what you'll base it on and when?
Please note I am trying to keep this general. If you answer, I promise not to beat you up or convert you. I would really like have a better understanding of this.
October 7, 2004
Just a thought.
Been flipping thru blogs. Lot of people doing some serious thinking out there. Many more that aren't. That's not a bad thing, just an observation.
Lots of young folks writing. I wish blogs had been around back when I knew everything!
:^)
Lots of young folks writing. I wish blogs had been around back when I knew everything!
:^)
"Bring it on!"
Glad to hear the President and Vice-President taking it to them in PA and on the debate last evening. A couple of my liberal friends are all over Cheney's "lie" about just meeting Edwards. Of course they completely ignore the rest. Hey folks, being in the same room with someone, even sitting beside them, even several times, isn't what Cheney was referring to. I think he was really pointing out Edwards' essential uselessness as a Senator. With his nearly non-existent attendance on the Senate floor and committee meetings, it makes me wonder if the Dems were hiding him...
I wish my liberal friends could see the irony of hating Bush so much they would vote for two candidates that would have had a terrible time holding onto their seats in the Senate.
I overheard a conversation at an outdoor table at a restaurant today. The couple, liberals themselves, were discussing their liberal friends. The discussion didn't hinge on the war in Iraq, terrorism, or domestic issues. The sole criteria for just how liberal they were was the degree of hatred they held for Bush and Cheney.
Now, I have to admit, there would be little political love lost between me and most Democrats holding office, but it is based on their political position and policy, not personal animosity. I have a number of friends with whom I strongly disagree on almost anything political, but they are still my friends.
I wish my liberal friends could see the irony of hating Bush so much they would vote for two candidates that would have had a terrible time holding onto their seats in the Senate.
I overheard a conversation at an outdoor table at a restaurant today. The couple, liberals themselves, were discussing their liberal friends. The discussion didn't hinge on the war in Iraq, terrorism, or domestic issues. The sole criteria for just how liberal they were was the degree of hatred they held for Bush and Cheney.
Now, I have to admit, there would be little political love lost between me and most Democrats holding office, but it is based on their political position and policy, not personal animosity. I have a number of friends with whom I strongly disagree on almost anything political, but they are still my friends.
October 6, 2004
My first BLOG
I have been wondering how to force myself to write on a regular basis. "Maybe a blog would do trick," I said to myself. Well, I doubt it, but it looks like fun, so I thought I'd try it anyway.
My thoughts are pretty full of politics these days, so I guess I'll be writing about that quite often. Maybe some musings on religion, culture, work, or whatever has ticked me off during the day. Who knows?
My goal is to post at least one article a day. We'll see what happens.
Check out http://www.gotdesign.blogspot.com/
My thoughts are pretty full of politics these days, so I guess I'll be writing about that quite often. Maybe some musings on religion, culture, work, or whatever has ticked me off during the day. Who knows?
My goal is to post at least one article a day. We'll see what happens.
Check out http://www.gotdesign.blogspot.com/
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