Category Candidates

May 7 2018

Moody’s Blues

 

Once again the media and the political establishment have anointed who they think should be the candidates, explained to the voters why we should just except their established infallibility, and just embrace the inevitable by voting the way they indicate. So again, it’s the same old, same old. Two candidates, who the “powers that be” have foisted upon us, to which we are expected to except without question.

But I think not! For the Republicans, the establishment pick, Shawn Moody, has too many questions about too much duplicity, and not enough answers to assuage the doubts that surround him. The Republican Party does not do voters justice by anointing a candidate simply because the LePage political machine demands they do so.

Moody’s campaign from the onset has been based upon fallacy. It continues to brazenly spout these assertions and no one seems willing to challenge them. Let’s start now.

The Outsider: This claim seems more of the stuff of late night comic relief than a viable campaign strategy. Yes, the terminology is en vogue as of late but it is hard to substantiate when you are shouting it from inside the bowels of the LePage political power structure. Yes, the shuffle heard ’round the State was the movement of all the Governor’s soldiers moving their camp to under the Moody flag.

Not a politician: Again, do they speak in jest? How does a man run an Independent race for Governor, become a political appointee, and surround himself with all the Governor’s horses and all the Governor’s Ladies and Gents and not be a politician? The Moody campaign seems to enjoy playing fast and loose with facts.

The only one who has worked in the private sector: Now we are approaching sit-com level humor. Everyone of Moody’s opponents has worked in or run a private sector business. I find it unsettling that a man who wants to be Governor has such a narrow view of what is a valid profession in the private sector.

Mike Thibodeau, who has left the race, ran a very successful construction business and still owns a private sector business that manufactures snow shovels. Ken Fredette has a successful law office. Garrett Mason worked in the family construction business as a boy and then worked as an administrator for a professional sports team. Mary Mayhew has also worked in administration.

If only Shawn Moody had been given a few more opponents, he could have disparaged the entirety of the private sector profession save for Auto-body Technicians. Poorly thought out and thin on facts, Moody’s campaign song, constantly chirped and parroted, may in the end have him singing the Blues. With such a questionable foundation for a campaign, one has to wonder of the validity of the platform.

Conservatism?: Really? This is hard to swallow when the man spent an entire election railing against the tenets of conservatism. Seven years as a political appointee in the LePage administration and he never spoke out once of his embrace of conservative principles until right before announcing his conversion to a Republican and run for Governor? The people are right to question the convenience of Moody’s “Road to Damascus” moment on the eve of his new “NotapoliticianOutsider” campaign.

Traditional Family Values: This is to be expected. Every Republican candidate has a “Come to Jesus” moment in spring/early summer, when they realize they have to get elected. The question is, Who has a consistent record on those issues? Moody is murky at best and needs to speak with clarity on this and other issues.

For instance, the Ranked Choice Voting issue. Rumor has it that Shawn Moody has been in support of RCV until recently when political expediency dictated he switch. What is Shawn Moody’s stance on this issue? He needs to clarify.

And what of Medicaid expansion? Again, rumor has it that Mr. Moody has been in favor of expansion, while his new found Republican colleagues have been staunchly fighting the growth of this bureaucracy. Mr. Moody needs to set the record straight on these issues.

Shawn Moody has difficulty being a straight shooter when he has to keep dodging his political past. If Mr. Moody gets the Blues, it’s because he plays a song that has no soul. His rhythm strikes a chord of deceit and we’ve all heard this song before.

May 1 2018

What Is Your Response?

 

We have been assured that there will be a “Blue Wave” this fall. It’s inevitable. And the gloating has already begun.

Cackling with glee, Democrats and their media allies are positioning themselves for the impeachment of the hated President. Leftists have made promises that the historic Tax Cuts will be fully repealed and the gurgling swamp monsters are openly thrilled with the anticipation that all of “their” tax money will be returned. The Deep State is confident that they can restore order to this political chaos and the unruly peasants will be put back in their place and taught not to speak out of turn.

The media makes no effort now to hide their allegiance. They vomit their hatred and lies on all who are associated with the President and eviscerate any who dare to challenge and critique their bias. Humiliation, character assassinations, and intimidation are their weapon of choice and woe to those who call out warnings of the dire historical repercussions of their actions.

The entertainment elites are mobilizing en mass to converge upon the NRA to finally eliminate the 2nd Amendment. They are sure they have found their silver bullet in child pawns, whom they fund and manipulate to attack any private citizen and public servant who stands for the Natural Born Right to self-defense. They will spare no expense to see it done.

In short, what is upon us now is full out ideological war. Disgusted by the emergence of the people’s voice, the political establishment is fully engaged to crush what it detests the most, a Free Republic. One question now remains: What is your response?

Will you allow your passion to be blunted by elitist disdain and intimidation? Will you slip back into the apathy which characterizes a mid-term election and allow ground to be lost again? Will you turn the President, and those who are standing with him, over to these jackals who are circling waiting to feed?

What is your response? It should not be of violence, although our opponents have shown they are not above it. There is still a measured response. We can still vote.

We should turn a tin ear to the manipulated polling and assurances of defeat from the media. If any should know, we in Maine should know that the forgotten and overlooked can turn the tide. Set ourselves resolute that we will not give ground, and the heady satisfaction of seeing the shock and dismay on the faces out of touch elites on election night can be ours once again.

Stay engaged in the process! Don’t take anything for granted! Work as hard as we know how to work!

As stated before, the 2nd Amendment could very well be the divining issue of this election. Support our candidates who support our Constitutionally protected rights. Don’t allow media narratives to dissuade you.

We must maintain the energy that was felt two years ago. Our opponents are congratulating themselves with victory before the battle has been fully vetted. So confident they are in our pattern of apathy following a victory, they already started the party.

Surprise will then be the more sweeter! Our turnout to the polls should be greater than ever before and one for the history books. We’ve been discounted! In response, for our Nation’s sake let’s make history!

Apr 25 2018

The Art of a Tantrum

 

Many years ago, I wrote a column entitled “Teenage Politics.” The article was intended to show the shortsightedness of the liberal policies being foisted upon us through the hammer of government. The engine of generations of “me now” entitled delinquents clamoring for society to fill their ever voluminous tanks of personal passion in its immediacy has driven our Nation and States to the brink.

This writer makes no claims to the prophetic but sadly my accusations of the leftist teenage approach to politics has come the more clearly into fruition. The pattern of implementation was to be expected. Still, it is startling that the left has done so little to disguise the tactics.

The art of a tantrum is a learned form of manipulation and ageless. Children are born tyrants in search of a power to dethrone them. For a while the outcries are helpless and necessary to the communication for their needs. But needs become wants….

And soon comes the moment of truth when the little despot is in search and need of a stronger force, in the form of a parental insurrection, that topples the reigning monarch from his throne down to rightful place as subservient to his parents. Will the parents have the strength of will and heart to stand firm in the first of many battles of those wills? Sadly, many do not.

Again and again parents relinquish ground to the child. The child learns the basic tenets of a victorious tantrum. Make it loud, make it long, never give in, and never reason.

There is no losing for the tantrum of despotic child. By the time they reach their teens, they have no concept of a loss or not getting their way. Any obstruction to their will is just met with increased volume, the more unhinged antics, and threats of more intoleration, with no sense of impropriety or shame at the spectacle, leaving beaten parents capitulating once again in hopes of some moderating moments of sanity.

It’s all about winning. There can’t be any losing. The spectacle is the leverage.

The spectacle? Which flavor do you want? For the Art of a Tantrum is on full display with the Democrat Party and their media allies.

They have spiraled through a kaleidoscope of variants hoping to bring down their nemesis, The President. With each failure, the volume only increases, the antics more ludicrous, and the further removed from reality they stamp and shriek, with threats for more. But there is measured goal behind the mayhem in that good and loving people, who want peace and tranquility, can and will be worn down to give in, hoping to regain some peace and quiet.

Who can forget the moments growing up when little Miss Stamping Fitts and Mr. Puss Face, children of Mr. and Mrs. NeverWrong, decided they want your toy at the Party you never wanted to go to? You never understood why Mr. NeverWrong didn’t deal with his children, who were always “just tired,” and you ended up having to give up your toy to “just keep them quiet.” It wasn’t right then and it isn’t right now, but we are letting it happen and they expect us to do it again next fall.

The tantrums will continue until we give them control. They must have their way. They cannot lose and they expect us to give in like always.

Traditional Marriage; Yes, that institution created by heterosexuals for heterosexuals for the propagation of life in a stable society. We were told to give that up so those that did not create it would be happy and calm down. So we did, now it’s settled law because it wasn’t when it was the other way, and don’t even think to question or criticize anyone who took something from you that didn’t belong to them…or they’ll throw another tantrum.

Sports; That has been completely destroyed. No one knows who is competing with who. Whoever they decide to be is whoever gives them the best chance to win and if you disagree or say there are rules….they’ll throw a tantrum.

Politics, our Institutions; This is the next onslaught we are in the midst of right now. The left is in the midst of an elongated tantrum right now to try and delegitimize our political process. If they can wear the American people down by the constant noise, one thing after another, then perhaps we will surrender.

We cannot. We must unite against them and hand them another loss. Be prepared the tantrums will ignite in fury all the more if we hand them a defeat next fall.

The issue of this election will be the 2nd Amendment. The media, Democrats, Hollywood, and, well yes, teenagers are all converging on this issue. We have to rise up and be ready for battle this election.

We have our differences. I confess the many posts I see among some of my 2nd Amendment allies disparaging my Faith does not fill me with warm thoughts of unity. I set those aside for a different battleground and instead focus on the enemy at our door who would come to take our Natural Born Right to Self Defense.

We need to focus on leaders who support the 2nd Amendment, and get those into or back into office. Even if we have differences with them on other issues, this may be the time to set those aside, to maintain a bulwark against this storm. Let’s be the immovable force and take the tantrum makers to the woodshed this next fall.

Apr 21 2018

Lock Down Lowdown Leader

 

The recent reprehensible behavior of Sara Gideon, Speaker of the Maine House, is just the latest tantrum in the litany of despotic acts that has characterized Speaker Gideon’s tenure as the Democrat Party leader of the House. Democrats and Independents, better know as Stealth Democrats, are feverishly trying to fix the blame on Republicans. With a long pattern of abuses lining up at the Speaker’s office door, Democrats, both real and stealth alike, are having a hard time convincing taxpayers that standing neck deep in their own dysfunction and shouting the proverbial “They did it!” with obligatory finger pointed is a valid representation of good leadership.

It should be said of the Speaker that at least she makes no effort to conceal the fact that she is there beholden only to special interests and no other; to Hades with the people. One could find solace in her honesty if it didn’t drive a knife in the basic foundation of the Republic. For Gideon, a government by the people for the people moves back stage and must abdicate to government by the cronies for the cronies at all cost.

At the end of the last legislative session, Gideon’s antics and procedural gymnastics had worn thin on even the members of her own Party. Rumblings of a coming insurrection began to bubble to the surface and the Speaker moved quickly to save her leadership. She promised a more steady even handed approach in the chamber and Democrats fell in line.

But the lists of bills killed by Gideon seems endless, many not allowed to the floor for debate. Many of these would have provided relief for small town Maine, but were crushed by the Speaker’s ruthlessness. One such bill was the Arbitration Bill which would have helped small towns gain some leverage and voice in the school withdrawal process.

One such small town is Atkinson. Atkinson began the withdrawal process eagerly agreeing to the demands of the school district they wished to withdraw from in hopes of getting on the ballot in November of that year. The district responded by adding more demands and a large lump sum of money effectively moving the finish line of negotiations.

It was soon apparent that the school district’s definition of negotiation was “give us all our demands and none of yours.” When the delay tactics were obvious and all hope of a November ballot vote was lost, Atkinson withdrew from negotiations in protest. Their only hope of leverage was the Arbitration Bill in the legislature.

This bill would have provided for small towns, who are under served in these negotiations and prejudiced against, the option to call for a separate arbitrator to intervene. This bill passed through committee unanimous “Ought to Pass.” The expectation was that it was simply a matter of formality and that it would pass the chamber easily.

Inexplicably in blatant obeisance to the public education complex, Speaker Gideon moved to have the bill killed. Despite protestations from both Parties that the bill should at least be debated on the floor, through procedural manipulation the bill was killed by a one vote procedure by one of Gideon’s lackeys. Cronies over people once again.

So small town Maine once again found itself under the thumb of bureaucracy. If a small town wants to better itself, Speaker Gideon wanted to make sure they pay a heavy price for it. Now we see, despite the promises, the beat down goes on.

For all of Gideon’s heavy handedness and shoulder thrusting, she hasn’t run a very tight ship. Her lack of leadership has now been shown for the whole of Maine to see. So consumed with trying to block her opponents bills from even seeing the floor, the legislative schedule has fallen into neglect.

Democrats wanted an extension to cover their failings. In order to do so, they tabled every bill that Republicans wanted to vote on in attempt to gain Republican votes. Republicans refused to be held hostage and voted against the extension.

True to form, Gideon looked to manipulate obscure procedures of parliament, while she indefinitely postponed any debate on Republican bills. As in the Arbitration Bill, the people of Maine now take the brunt of the dereliction of leadership by Speaker Gideon. Maine cannot afford to give Sara Gideon and the Democrats a pass on their Lock Down Lowdown leadership tactics. It’s time to unlock Maine’s potential and show Democrats the door.