Get It Over With
Posted by: Brent James on February 22, 2008 Hot Issues •
The more valuable information we have with which to make decisions, the better. In this contest, even the unsavory claims merit. Quietly sifting for useful dirt, the operatives would do well to spare us the time and trouble (not to mention contributions) by springing their surprises now, rather than in October. But these things take time, you see. Revelations work their way to the surface slowly, sometimes by coincidence, often by calculation. I suspect as the conventions draw near, most will come on cue.
The sharp exchanges of Thursday’s debate in Austin were more about the next round of primaries than any alleged differences between the candidates. Texas and Ohio could extend a lead or crush a dream. Beyond March 4th, the string of primaries runs until June 3rd after which we have five months of waiting for the general election – a seeming eternity to gather facts or become disillusioned.
Expect this period to be punctuated by harsh claims and brutal assaults. After all, this is war. Be not anxious for the next shoe to drop. Gee, how can you help it?
A friend who owns a sick snake exclaimed, “Believe me, there’s nothing worse than a thrown-up mouse.” Well, I can think of one – an October Surprise that knocks your choice out of the race.
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Here’s Where They Stand
Posted by: Brent James on February 20, 2008 Hot Issues •
After the February 19 Primaries, here’s where the candidates stand.
REPUBLICANS Primary States: Wisconsin & Washington McCain won both, bringing his delegate total to 942 compared with Huckabee’s 245 and Paul’s 14.
DEMOCRATS Primary States: Wisconsin & Hawaii Obama won both bringing his delegate total to 1319 to Clinton’s 1250. Both totals include those pledged superdelegates.
BONUS Question: What about the undecided delegates and those pledged to candidates who have left the race? Who gets those?
Actually it is not that simple. Party rules decide how these are awarded. Delegates pledged to Romney in Michigan were reapportioned to McCain and Mike Huckabee at a Republican state convention. The eight Wyoming delegates pledged to Romney are now undecided (un-pledged) delegates. The have the choice of whom to support with their pledge provided they are seated (confirmed as officially participating) at the National Convention in September.
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1 Down, 3 To Go
Posted by: Brent James on February 14, 2008 Hot Issues •
1 Down, 3 To Go
Getting lean is what its all about. Thinning the pack is a good thing, unless of course, your dog got booted. Rough to say, but that’s the reality of this gig. Last man standing.
Here’s where we are:
Over the weekend, Barak Obama & John McCain swept the state primaries of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. for their respective parties. The current delegate totals won by each candidate, as well as the number needed to win the party nomination, are listed below.
REPUBLICANS (1191 to Win) McCain 921 Huckabee 243 Paul 14
DEMOCRATS (2025 to Win) Obama 1275 Clinton 1220
NEXT STOP – Wisconsin, Washington, and Hawaii (Dems Only) on Tuesday, Feb 19th.
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Supersaturated Tuesday
Posted by: Brent James on February 5, 2008 Hot Issues •
If you just woke up and realized it is Super Tuesday and you’re not sure if your state is involved, we’ve got your back. Well, almost. You’ll still need to find your polling place.
There are 43 contests in 24 states – that’s because not every state has a primary for both parties. The 19 states with both Republican AND Democratic primaries today are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.
In the Super Tuesday states, Montana and West Virginia are involved in the Republican primaries ONLY, and Idaho, New Mexico and Kansas are Democratic primary states ONLY.
If you’d like some last minute details, the New York Times covers it pretty well.
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2 Down, 4 to Go
Posted by: Brent James on February 5, 2008 Hot Issues •
Guiliani’s gone. Edwards exited. A lot of political commentators got it right. Big deal. Now comes the harder stuff. Who’s next?
Do any of the pundits know more than you or me? I’ll admit they have the connections and as such, are privileged to the kind of inside information you and I would probably have to pay for. Still the answer is ‘No.’ In the end, none of them know what is going to happen in this race. And race it is. Down-to-the-wire campaigning and last minute stops to pull out all stops.
As the dust gets kicked up, please don’t let mention of early voting results sway you in your decision to vote. Your values-based vote helps balance those cast by the beauty contest crowd. And for all their reporting, the media seems to prefer that you know as little as possible. Well, less of all things substantive, that is. Have you noticed some candidates are repeatedly overlooked. Most news outlets fail to even mention them. Is it really due to their insignificant polling numbers as claimed or is some agency trying hard to shape the results? Your guess is as good as mine.
But we have a good idea, huh?
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Spending Into Oblivion
Posted by: Brent James on February 4, 2008 Hot Issues •
If you were the American president, what gift would you give these Untied States before riding into the sunset? My guess is that most of us would want to leave office having secured an increased financial stability and a prosperous economy. That way, regardless of who succeeds you, be they Democrat or Republican, the country has a better chance of moving forward with hope and a positive momentum. A bit of breathing room while we continue to fight (checks and balances work).So what’s with President Bush proposing the country’s first $3 trillion budget – the largest ever. Whatever happened to the idea of smaller government? So much for good intentions. This budget holds the line on spending for most government programs, increases defense spending to fight terrorism, and the only proposed savings would come from slowing the growth of health programs. Oh yes, the tax cuts are still part of the deal. This neat summary the Office of Management and Budget explains in over 2000 pages.
If enacted, this bill would supposedly balance the budget by 2012, assuming the economy suffers no unexpected downturns. But in light of recent market news, that’s too much to assume. We may already be "downturning." And why 2012? Why is every "fix" to be realized at some future date? Because government can’t live in the present like we citizens are expected to. Because Congress refused to balance the budget each and every time the effort to do so has been made.
Joel Kaplan, Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, had this to say about the 2007 budget, “The President is also proposing again to hold discretionary spending growth below the rate of inflation, cut discretionary spending that’s not related to national security, and slow the rate of entitlement spending growth. Last year the Congress delivered on all three of these proposals for spending restraint – we’re hopeful we can do it again this year.” Spending restraint? Please. They’re politically bound. Read Mr. Kaplan's informative exchanges. They are telling big government speak.
Foolishly, Americans and American businesses have followed our government’s lead by borrowing to spend another day. Now, like them, we are in real trouble. Rather than saving our money, we are going to foreign countries for cash. Know why China has money to lend? Because they save and we don’t. Our complete lack of fiscal restraint is endemic. Remember, government can’t fix anything – especially that which it least understands, our free market economy. Words of advice from the business sector: Get out of the way, stop spending money you don’t have, stop asking for more tax revenues, and stop trampling our potential with endless growth-stifling policies. The market will heal itself. Read a businessman's perspective.
Who would’ve thought President Bush would be presiding over this kind of reckless government spending that has come to characterize his administration? Not those electing him to office. I voted for him, but I am reminded by those more experienced, that I didn’t listen closely enough. I didn’t have discriminating vision. The information was there, they say, it was just cleverly tucked in between what he actually said while campaigning. His many policy and program ideas/proposals had at their center a government solution. These days I have a much keener set of eyes. That’s why knowing the candidates is crucial to your vote this November.
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VOTING: How Then Should We Think?
Posted by: Brent James on February 4, 2008 Biblical Values •
Before we vote, before we can even weigh the various values being tossed about the Internet, we must have biblical voting guidelines. How are we to know whether a candidate is biblically qualified? What is the mind of God for this process? There’s so much more to consider than the candidates alone. Doug Phillips addresses these questions in a new 2-volume CD from Vision Forum.
“Biblical Principles of the Ballot Box” is a timely resource for anyone wanting to vote with godly wisdom. Of the book, Mr. Phillips has written that it “explores the Scriptural standards for selecting civil magistrates, and offers great hope for Christians living in an age in which our leaders have broken covenant with the God of their fathers. It explores the blessing presented in Scripture to all who will enter the ballot box with supreme confidence that the Lord sovereignly reigns.”
The 2008 election is creating worry in the minds of the electorate, but Mr. Phillips challenges, “At stake is far more than the presidency. The question concerns the conscience of the Church. We can “win” an election, and yet sell our spiritual birthright. Conversely, we can “lose” an election yet remain faithful to the Word of God, thus preserving the conscience of the body of Christ, and enjoying the favor of the Lord.”
Well said.
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I Voted for ME
Posted by: Brent James on January 30, 2008 Biblical Values •
Last night I watched video clips of the Florida primary exit polling. The good citizens were asked, “What do you think are the key issues?” Some responded to the question by personalizing its context. The question for them became, “What are the key issues that affect me?” One retired gentleman offered healthcare and the high cost of prescription drugs, saying, “That’s what effects me most.” I was bothered to hear him say that and wondered how many of us think in similar fashion, completely unaware.
Today, I asked some kids in my neighborhood what they thought about the concept. I repeated the interview question as well as the man’s response then asked, “Was that a good answer? If not, what should it have been?” The three of them thought about it and one young girl, about 10 years old, said, “He should vote on what is important to everybody, not just him.” Exactly. We’re all in this together.
As we prepare to vote in the coming weeks, let’s shift our focus. Expand its understandably narrow confines and consider how our vote affects America.
For the common good, as they say.
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Financial Outlook Remains Doubtful
Posted by: Brent James on January 29, 2008 Hot Issues •
Financial Outlook Remains Doubtful
Fewer people have been driving Fords lately. You see, the Ford Motor Company and its subsidiaries aren’t selling vehicles as they would like. They have a problem, a thorn so to speak. The American Family Association’s boycott of their products has made for some serious financial woes. And for good reason. Ford has been advocating homosexuality despite its continually deteriorating bottom line. By pouring thousands of sponsorship dollars into homosexual rights groups, the corporation stands perilously close to sinking the very ship making these funds possible.
Billions of dollars and thousands of Ford employee jobs have been lost in the 22 months since AFA began the boycott. The price of political correctness. See the damage for yourself. Despite these losses and calls from its own dealers to change the policy, Ford headquarters plows blindly ahead toward the cliff. Just goes to show you how little control shareholders have. But, it also demonstrates a broader point – that credible and purposeful collaboration can work wonders, especially among a united voter bloc.
You get the idea.
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Agents of Change
Posted by: Brent James on January 29, 2008 Hot Issues •
I live in a small town next to a big city. Everyone in the small town worries that the big city is going to annex us and turn us into them. They have more crime, higher taxes, worse traffic and all the other benefits that come with growth. Then, as annexation worries subside, growth springs upon us. The growth advocates tell us that it’s a good thing. They tell us that we just “need some change.”
Now, we have more shopping malls, more housing developments, rising crime, higher taxes, traffic, etc. And they said our sleepy little town would stay the same. I prefer things like they were, but permanence has little relevance in a temporal span. The Bible teaches that aside from God’s nature, everything is subject to change. It is inevitable and constant. Expect it.
There’s nothing wrong with change unless you don’t want it. Who wants square tires put on their car? Most of us appreciate the kind of changes that keep life interesting. When people talk about change, however, they are talking about pepperoni instead of sausage – not homosexual marriage. They are talking about an Apple instead of a PC – not mandatory healthcare coverage courtesy of the federal government.
So be careful when the presidential candidates speak of ‘change’ as they are doing with great regularity and little specificity. After November, it will have vastly different meanings depending on your point of view. As a country, we are in dire need of changes in Washington. Ask yourself: Are these the changes we want? How will their changes change America? How will they change our lives? Lots to ponder.
Vote your values.
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