Obama's Illegal Lottery

From an official Obama email to his supporters:

"Show your support at this crucial time with a donation of $25 or more and you could join me on election night. If you're selected, you can bring a guest and we'll fly you in and put you up in a hotel. You'll go backstage at the big event. You'll have a front row seat to history."

That, my friends, is Barack Obama's newest pitch for campaign donations.

It is a lottery.

And lotteries by political entities are illegal. Apparently, Obama thinks he is above the law.

He has already raised $640 Million. So one would have to ask, why this new push for more money with only 5 days to go? And why is he so desperate for funds that he is willing to trample campaign finance law to get a new influx of cash?

I wonder, if he can't run a campaign on well over $1/2 Billion dollars without running out of money, how in the world will he ever control spending in Washington D.C.? Pretty easy: he won't.

Now, let's see if he faces any legal consequences for his illegal fundraising activities. I am guessing no.

Obama's Message is Getting Through

Offered without comment:

Wealth Control vs. Wealth Creation

What is the best way to address poverty?

I have been in dialogue with a number of people who have decided that socialism is actually a good way to address poverty. They argue that it is only fair that those who have much wealth should sacrifice a portion of their wealth for those who live in poverty. As one recently put it, "You say 'socialism' as if that is a bad thing."

It seems to me that there are two competing philosophies for ending poverty. One is the idea described above. To them, the pie is only so big and should be divided equally and fairly. However economists will tell you that this is not true. The truth is that "the pie" is constantly changing in size, growing or receding based on how much interaction and trade there is between people. When there is abundant trade, the economy grows and wealth is created. When people quit trading goods and services, the economy shrinks. Ronald Regan famously quoted, "A rising tide lifts all ships."

This election I see two men who have each chosen a side of the argument. I really do believe both men care about ending poverty (insomuch as their concern will lead to their election). But each believes in a different way to accomplish that goal.

Barack Obama believes that poverty will end as wealth is controlled: take it out of the hands of the few and put it into the hands of the many.

John McCain believes that poverty will end as wealth is created: allow the free market to provide opportunity to all and increase the amount of wealth that is available. In other words, give people the opportunity to create their own wealth.

For 30 years, the Democrats have called McCain's plan, "trickle-down economics." I heard a radio talk show host, Michael Savage, label Obama's plan, "trickle-up poverty."

I guess it depends on how you view the economy as to which person is the better choice at ending poverty. If you think the economy is static and there is only so much money to go around, then Obama must be right. But if the economy is fluid and has the potential for growth, then wouldn't we do best to grow the economy as big as we can in order to increase everyone's opportunity for wealth?

These two men can be summed up this way: One person wants to buy you a car. The other one wants you to have the chance to earn it.

The problem is, as I see it, is that too many people fail to realize the devastating effect that taking property from one group to give it to another has on our economy. When taxes become too high there is no incentive for trade, people hoard their resources and poverty increase. It might take years for us to see the full consequences, but I think the path that we are about to take by electing a man who wishes to increase the influence of socialism on our economy will ultimately be very harmful. I just hope that liberty and opportunity do not become sacrificial lambs for new entitlements. Becase if we go to far down that path, soon the pie will shrivel up and we will all be wondering where it went.

Middle-Class Conservatism

I am a middle-class conservative.

Many of those on the left think that means I have brain-damage. After all, they would say, conservatism is old-fashioned and only benefits the rich. They tell me that as a middle-class individual, I am voting against my own interests by voting for conservatives. They argue that conservatism lacks compassion and encourages selfish behavior. They mock the conservative social agenda as single-minded (abortion). They tell me that conservative fiscal policy is unfair to the poor.

I believe they are wholly wrong in this assessment. As a middle-class conservative, I believe conservatism is not only not old-fashioned but is the hope for our future. I believe conservatism does more to benefit the poor than any liberal (or "progressive") policy ever has. I believe that conservatism is the embodiment of compassion and encourages self-reliance. But instead of writing a defensive piece for conservatism, I thought I might instead write a positive outline of what it means to be a middle-class conservative:

As a middle-class conservative, I believe I am responsible for my own welfare and for the welfare of those entrusted to me.

As a middle-class conservative, I believe charity is most effective when it is voluntary.

As a middle-class conservative, I believe I do not have the right to other people's property, no matter my situation.

As a middle-class conservative, I believe that progressive welfare policy damages both the individual recipient and society as a whole.

As a middle-class conservative, I believe in the need for a strong national defense in order to safeguard personal liberty.

As a middle-class conservative, I believe that personal liberty should be protected against the collective will.

As a middle-class conservative, I believe abortion to be the single greatest moral issue of our time.

As a middle-class conservative, I believe that government is "but a necessary evil" and should be small and limited.

As a middle-class conservative, I believe tax policy should not punish success and productivity.

And finally, as a middle class conservative, I believe in the rule of law above the rule of the masses.

Now, to all my liberal-minded friends, I give you the comment section to issue your rebuttals.

What I Love About Winter

I am sitting im my recliner with a roaring fire crackling in the fireplace. It is cold outside, but I am warm and cozy! I love a good fire, one of the few things I love about winter...

Sign Her Up!

I love the way this TV Newswoman is not afraid to ask Biden some tough questions. It is clear that Biden is annoyed and uncomfortable by the grilling. I guess when you are used to cake-walk interviews you aren't expecting this:

http://www.wftv.com/video/17790025/index.html

Following the interview, The Obama campaign cancelled an interview scheduled with Jill Biden the next day, sending the station the following statement:

"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best, for the duration of the remaining days until the election."

So let me ask you all your opinion on this one. Was the interviewer out of bounds with the questions or were they fair? And how tough should an interviewer be on people seeking such enormous powers?

How To Write A Blog

This one is for my stepmom. She wanted to give me a few ideas of what to write on my blog for all my "hundreds of thousands of readers." hahaha! Anyways, I suggested that she should start her own blog. She said she would if I would send her an email telling her how to start one, but I thought I would do one better and give step by step instructions for anyone who is thinking about starting a blog. These instructions come from my experiences blogging and what I have witnessed at a bunch of other blogs I go to...

Step One:
Choose your blogging platform. Popular free blog sites include www.blogger.com, www.wordpress.com, www.typepad.com, and others. I use blogger but like some of the features of the other two.

Step Two:
Follow the steps to set up a site.

Step Three:
Write and article announcing to the world that you have begun your blog. This seems to be a common characteristic of every blog. You can read mine here.

Step Four:
Write a new post every day for the first week. Then 2 or 3 a week. Then one post every two or three weeks.

Step Five:
Let your blog go for 3 months without posting anything.

Step Six:
Write a post telling everyone that you are sorry you haven't posted anything lately, but you have been really busy, or really lazy, or just can't think of what to write.

Step Seven:
Take down your blog and go back to just commenting on other people's blogs.

Well, that is a short primer in how to blog!

Actually, the first 2 steps are all that it takes. Jan, you have a sharp mind and a lot to say, and I am sure you would not fall into the pattern that a lot of others do. Your blog would be very fun to read, so I hope you decide to do it! If you do, I will post a free comercial linking to your site and then all of my "hundreds of thousands of readers" can head over your way and have fun commenting on your articles. Let me know when you are up and running!

Is Joe Biden Warning of An Attack?

These are some comments from Joe Biden on Sunday:

"Mark my words, it will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.

"I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate. And he's gonna need help. And the kind of help he's gonna need is, he's gonna need you - not financially to help him - we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right."

What the heck does that mean? Ok, here is some more...

"I've forgotten more about foreign policy than most of my colleagues know, so I'm not being falsely humble with you. I think I can be value added, but this guy has it. This guy has it. But he's gonna need your help. Because I promise you, you all are gonna be sitting here a year from now going, 'Oh my God, why are they there in the polls? Why is the polling so down? Why is this thing so tough?' We're gonna have to make some incredibly tough decisions in the first two years. So I'm asking you now, I'm asking you now, be prepared to stick with us. Remember the faith you had at this point because you're going to have to reinforce us."

"There are gonna be a lot of you who want to go, 'Whoa, wait a minute, yo, whoa, whoa, I don't know about that decision.' Because if you think the decision is sound when they're made, which I believe you will when they're made, they're not likely to be as popular as they are sound. Because if they're popular, they're probably not sound."

This guy really creeps me out... And Biden thinks of himself as the smartest guy in the room? Really?

My New Favorite Song

I must have watched this 10 times today... Enjoy!

Joe the Plumber

OK, I know why I like Joe the Plumber so much.

I was watching Huckabee tonight and he had Joe the Plumber on. It turns out that he ran into Obama that day because he and his son were out in the front yard tossing a football around because the Bengals were getting beat so bad. He actually said on national TV that he is a huge Bengals fan! Now anybody that will admit to that has to be a person of integrity.

On a side note, if the question that he asked wakes up enough people from the Obama Coma that we find ourself in, we can directly attribute the change in momentum to the Bengals. I knew there was a reason why God would let them go 0-6!

hahaha...

I'm Ready

This week, I have been thinking about the past year. Just over a year ago, I stepped away from full-time ministry. To be frank, I needed the time off.

This time last year I was burned out on pastoring. I felt alone, isolated, persecuted, frustrated, ineffective, and down right tired of my role. It was a sad state of affairs.

It was not that I was being negligent in my job. In fact, I think I was helping quite a few people grow closer to God. I know that there were many people who were shocked and disappointed when I stepped down from my last church. (I think there were a few others that were kind of happy... lol). But honestly, I got to the place in my life that I needed a time of refreshing, and I simply could not find that where I was no matter how hard I searched.

The past year has been one of the happiest of my life. I love my job, my home, my role in ministry, and the peace that comes with not being the target of well-meaning Christians' attacks. Luann and I are living with a whole lot less stress these days. But still, I get the sense more and more that God is prompting me to get back "in the game," so to speak. I have a great education that is not being utilized to its full potential. I have gifts for writing and speaking that I need to be using. I am a natural leader and am currently being submissive. And all of this is leading to a sense of unrest because, while I am quite happy with life, I am not living up to my potential. So I think I am ready to be a full-time pastor again.

Actually, I know I am.

It's funny... three months ago at the NewStart assessment in Colorado Springs I confidently delcared that I was never going to be in full-time ministry again. Bi-vocational ministry seemed so much simpler and authentic. Yet here I sit thinking and dreaming about the possibilites that lay before me, and I am drawn (much like a lemming is drawn to the sea) to invest myself fully in ministry, even knowing the pains that I experienced in the past. It is commical and reassuring all at the same time.

I hope that this go-round will be diffrent. I am not going to get distracted. I am not going to lose sight of the mission. I am not going to allow pharisees to hijack the purpose and mission of the church. I am going to invest myself in people instead of number-crunching and statistics.

When I was 16-years old, I was moved to give my life to pastoring because I saw the tangible effects of loving people. I have no idea how pastoring became something other than that, but it did. No longer. It is time to re-examine, re-fit, and re-apply the simple truths of Jesus. It is time to love without restraint.

And I'm ready.

Washed By the Water

This song really speaks to me... I hope you like it.



Daddy was a preacher
She was his wife
Just tryin to make the world a little better
You know, shine a light
People started talking
Just to hear their own voice
Those people tried to accuse my father
Said he made the wrong choice
Though it might be painful
You know that time will always tell
Those people have long since gone
My father never fell

Even when the rain falls
Even when the flood starts rising
Even when the storm comes
I am washed by the water

Even when the earth crumbles under my feet
Even when the ones I love turn around and crucify me
I won’t never ever let you down
I won’t fall
I won’t fall
I won’t fall as long as You’re around me

Black Cat Ministry

Last night as I was leaving work, I happened across a beautiful black cat hanging out by my car. Being the pet lover that I am, I did my best to coax the cat over to me so I could pet it. She (or he, not sure which) would approach me just out of arm's reach and then bolt away each time I would reach out to pet her. This routine went on for a while until I finally decided to sit down on the curb and see what she would do.

After taking my seat, the cat began to pace around me, walking in circles until finally deciding to sit down next to me, again just out of arm's reach. I talked softly to her, and she meowed back at me. I tossed a leaf into the air and she playfully chased after it. But if I made any attempt to reach out and pet her, she would bolt away, only to come back a few seconds later and replay the entire routine. I finally decided to just sit with her and see if she would come up to me on her own.

As I looked at this cat, I noticed a bald scar on her neck. I can only assume by her reactions that she has been hurt or teased by humans in the past and is not quite sure if she can trust one again. Perhaps the scar was a remnant of this abuse. But it seemed to me that she had also had positive experiences with people and knew that humans could be friendly and provide companionship. You could almost see the battle raging within her between her heart and her head...

After about a half hour, I gave up on my attempt to pet the cat and headed for the house. But the experience left a vivid impression on me and caused me to reflect on my own interactions with people.

I have met many people who are much like this black cat. They have put their trust in other people, or perhaps even the church, and have gotten burned. Gossip, lies, innuendo, disappointment and physical scars are but a small list of the damage that others can do. Much like the cat, these people are longing for companionship and intimacy, yet it is so difficult to bring themselves to trust when reminders of hurt and betrayal are fresh in their minds. Some never recover and spend their whole life lonely and afraid, wondering where God is in the midst of their pain.

But this cat also reminded me of myself. I too have been wounded by people I trusted, and I know what it means to fear intimacy. I have been hurt by family members, friends, people in the church and complete strangers. And each time it makes it just a little more difficult to trust.

How do you and I respond when a black cat crosses our path? When we see a person who is hurting or lonely, are we the type of people who demonstrate patience, love and acceptance, or are we quick to go on our way, figuring that someone else can help? Do we recognize that our willingness to invest ourselves in that person's life might make all the difference in the world to them, or do we instead assume that if they really want help they will come to us?

The truth is that all of us at some point in our lives are going to be hurt, and every one of us is going to need love and acceptance in order to discover healing. I just wonder how many of us are willing to be the type of people who will give of ourselves in order to meet the need of others, and how many of us will just walk away. I want to be the type of person who stays and helps no matter what it might cost me. It might not be easy, but it is what Jesus has done for me and I know it is what He wants me to do for others.

I wish I could say that I won over the cat. Not yet... But next time I see her, maybe I can build on the trust that we began last night. And maybe one day soon she will find out that there are people in this world willing to love her if she will only give them one more chance... She is just out of reach, but hopefully not for long.

"Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see"

from "Give Me Your Eyes," by Brandon Heath.

My impression of the debate...

Barack Obama is a snob.

Arrogant, arrogant, arrogant. Can't stand it...

Disappointment With McCain's Campaign

I recieved the following email today from the McCain campaign:

Operation Voter Guides
We need your help with this project

The campaign is doing an aggressive lit drop operation the weekend before the election. For our part we are delivering voter guides to our churches. The voter guides we are using are non-partisan and perfectly appropriate for churches. They show the clear differences on the issues between Obama and McCain. These guides are a powerful tool to get in the hands of our supporters. We are hoping our volunteers will sign up to distribute these guides in their church.

Here's how it works, I'll FedEx you as many guides as you want. You take the guides to your church the weekend before the election. I will make sure you have the guides by the Wednesday before the election, October 29th. You can put them on car windows or pass them out to people as they leave the service. Or you can put the guides in the entry foyer if you don't feel comfortable passing them out in person. Make sure you order enough guides for the whole congregation for each service.

This is one of the easiest and most important projects of the entire campaign.

If you would like to help, please send me:

Your Name
Phone number
Your Address (where I will FedEx the guides, no PO Boxes please)
Name of your church
How many guides do you need? (Remember to order enough for every person at every service)

Thanks for helping with this important project. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Jeff Longstreth

I was pastoring during the past 2 presidential elections and received no such requests from the Bush campaign. It sickens me that the McCain camp thinks that the churches are "theirs." I do not support this effort to bring politics into the church on Sunday mornings. Perhaps there will be a time when there is a clear candidate that the church must support, but I have seen McCain participate in enough deception this campaign season that I do not think an endorsement of him at church is appropriate.

I am voting for McCain, but not because he is the "Godly" candidate. I am voting for him because Obama is so completely wrong on so many policies. But this type of campaigning really tests my resolve to even vote at all.

Temperance

I think the one defining quality that a leader must have is temperance. So ask yourself, what type of temperance must a person have to oppose the prohibition of infanticide? Senator Barack Obama supports the legality of this procedure:













This is the tragic procedure known as partial-birth abortion. Please, write your congress person, senator, and both presidential candidates and tell them this is not acceptable in America.

HT: CC

What Does It Mean To Be A Pastor

A blogger friend, Daniel Coutz, has posed a series of questions on his blog, and I have decided to tackle a few of them. They are thought provoking questions that we often overlook because we assume that we already know the answers to them.

The first question on his list was, "What does it mean to be a pastor?"

There are a number of ways to approach this answer... Scripture outlines many principles of pastoring in the New Testament. But instead of just throwing bible verses at the question, I think the root of this question has more to do with perception than job description.

I have heard many people tell me what I ought to do as a "good" pastor. Sitting in the hospital, keeping office hours, raising money, preaching, visiting homes... the list is long. But in the midst of it all, I think the one quality every pastor must have is a love of people.

It seems easy enough. But believe me, there are many, many, many people in the church that are hard to love! I heard a pastor lament one time that outside of the church, people who did not like you would just not associate themselves with you. However inside the church, people would have you over for dinner, pretend to be your friend, and then start talking trash about you the moment you left the room. So true! I have overheard conversations in the church halls from people I thought supported me. They were not talking about what a great guy I was! Quite the opposite--Not knowing I was with earshot, the preceded to lambaste me to whomever would listen. Those were painful to endure... But yet I had to find a way to love those people who would not bring their concerns to me, instead finding it a better use of their time to tear me down to others. I had to serve communion to them on Sundays, knowing that they were working against my leadership. I had to sit with them, pray with them, and empathize with them over each and every concern they had, all the while knowing that they didn't care one bit about what I was going through... I wanted to fire back most times. After all, if they wanted a fight, I was sure I could win!

But the love of others is not a reciprocal event in the life of a Christian, and it is at the heart of what it means to be a pastor. We do not simply love those who love us. After all, do not even the pagans do that? We are instead called to love and pray for those who persecute us.

Being a pastor means that we demonstrate the love of Christ. Nothing more. All of the conferences, assemblies, outreach events, staff meetings, visitations... all of it means nothing if we are not first and foremost a lover of people.

As a follower of Christ, I have only two commandments in life. The first is to love God with all my heart. The second is to love my neighbor as myself. Being a pastor is simply applying the second commandment to the people who come to me for guidance. They might not always be easy to love. But unless and until I accept my responsibility in this task, then I am incapable of being a pastor.

We might recognize that all those who follow Christ are, in some sense, a pastor to their neighbor. But let those whom God has called into professional ministry recognize that being a pastor is not really about being a leader so much as it is about being a follower and a servant: A follower of Christ and a servant of our neighbor. Until we accept this simple principle, we are bound to serve in futility and frustration. Once we do, we discover that pastoring is not only a calling but a most rewarding thing.

This is a lesson I am still trying to learn...

What He Should Have Said

Barring a meltdown by Obama, it looks like the election is his at this point. Ohio is a microcosm of America, with metropolitan areas surrounded by rural landscapes. How Ohio votes is typical of how the nation will vote as a whole. Ohio has picked the winner in every presidential election since 1960. And this year, polls are trending towards Obama in Ohio and on the national scene.

Obama's presidency will be a major setback for conservative principles. The damage that is done over the next 4 years will probably take decades to reverse, if they even can be. But the fault for Obama's victory lies squarely in the laps of the Republicans who, this primary season, opted for a centrist and a populist to lead the party in an election that required a renewed conservative message to win.

I will be voting for McCain, however his candidacy has been more haphazard and lackluster than Bob Dole's 1996 run, if that is even possible. I believe he could have easily walked away with this election if he had taken a conservative stance on a number of key issues. Instead, he has been playing to the middle and trying to win by simply saying "Obama is bad." Well, Obama is bad. But people are not going to buy into that unless they can see why and unless they have a solid alternative. At the end of the day, I think people are not sure about Obama, but they don't trust McCain either and are voting for the mysterious ideology of "change," which means 100 different things to 100 different people.

The latest failure of this campaign came last week when McCain sided with Obama (and ironically, Bush) against the wishes of the American people and voted to pass the $700 billion bailout for Wall Street. Here was an issue he could have won with. 75% of the public is adamantly opposed to this action. And furthermore, there is no proof that this is needed or that it will work. It is a shot in the dark by people who think that the government has to do "something." Says who? Regan was correct when he said, "Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem." Every time government sticks its nose into the private sector, the result is a mess. This current crisis was created by government mandates of "Home ownership for everyone!" which encouraged sub-prime lending and provided cover through Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac in the form of government-guaranteed buy-backs of loans that were suspect. And when this house of cards came falling down, the very people in Congress who led to the failures decided to take the reigns and promise to be our saviors.

Well, thanks, but no thanks.

McCain was on target when he suspended his campaign to head back to Washington. But instead of engaging in "bi-partisanship," which really means doing whatever the Democrats want, he should have organized and led a charge to defeat this bill. He would have set himself up on the side of the people, been front and center in his opposition to an unpopular president, and forced Obama to defend the Bush administration's plan for the bail-out. Besides that, it would have been the right thing to do. After all, how can you convince people that you are for "limited government" when you just voted to increase the deficit by 60% next year?

As it is, he tried to sweep the issue aside with a "Me too!" attitude and missed out on a game-changing strategy. And that is why we will elect Obama--not because America is hungering for a massively over-fed federal government that will add at least a Trillion dollars to the federal budget, but because neither candidate is worth electing, and we are going to opt for novelty.

What a sad day in America!

Wake me up in 4 years. I am going to take a nap.

October 2008's Funny Video

I found this funny... Remember, it's just a joke!

Prediction on Gas

On my way home from work today, I filled up my car for $3.17 per gallon. Prices have been coming down steadily for the last month as summer gas demand has decreased. It is a cycle that repeats itself on an annual basis... It will not be long before gas is well below $3 per gallon.

Now here is my prediction:

Within the next month, Democrats are going to accuse the Bush administration of fixing gas prices in order to affect the election.

Anyone wanna bet on that one?

The Role of the VP

How can a guy be in the US Senate for 26 years and be this wrong about the role of the VP? Biden's answer on the role of the VP, from last night's debate (emphasis mine):

"Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history. Uh... He has... he has... The idea he doesn't realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that's the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that."

No Joe, Article 1 defines the Legislative Powers. He continues:

"And the primary role of the vice president of the United States of America is to support the president of the United States of America, give that president his or her best judgment when sought, "

Um... Where is that found in the Constitution? Well lets see... It's not.

"and as vice president, to preside over the Senate, only in a time when in fact there's a tie vote."

No, the VP is the President of the Senate at all times, as outlined by Article 1, Section 3.4. He may only vote when there is a tie, but he is a member of the senate, and presides over the senate as defined by Article 1 - Legislative Power. In fact, Article 2 - Executive Powers, does not give any role to the Vice President. The only time it even mentions the VP is to say by what manner he or she is to be elected and/or replaced.

"The Constitution is explicit."

Really Joe? Then why are you so wrong here?

"The only authority the vice president has from the legislative standpoint is the vote, only when there is a tie vote. He has no authority relative to the Congress."

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Yes, he or she may only vote when there is a tie, but the VP, as President of the Senate also holds the same authority as Speaker of the House, in that they serve as the moderator of debates, keep the chamber in order, and rule on interpretations of the rules of order. While most VP's do not exercise this authority and allow it to fall to the President Pro Temp (Article 1, Section 3.5), it is still the right of the VP to preside.

"The idea he's part of the Legislative Branch is a bizarre notion invented by Cheney to aggrandize the power of a unitary executive and look where it has gotten us. It has been very dangerous."

No, Joe, that "bizarre notion" comes from a group of men in Philadelphia in 1789 that we like to refer to as our founding fathers.

Unreal. Ask yourself what type of field day would be going on in the press if this had come from Palin. I mean, this is not some simple gaff. This is a minute long answer where Biden continually misrepresents the Constitution of the United States!

It probably would not be that big of a deal to me had he not delivered that speech with such condescension. But hey, he is the smartest guy in the room, right?

Here is a video clip of the exchange. You be the judge:

Politics of Performance

I think I finally understand why I am so frustrated with politics this year.

I am very interested in watching the VP debate tonight, because I want to hear arguments for conservative ideas to solving problems. I know that John McCain is not going to espouse conservatism, as evidenced by his vote in the senate yesterday for a massive government bailout of institutions that should be permitted to fail for taking risks in their investment practices. Sarah Palin, on the other hand, seems to be a conservative idealist. I know she will not oppose McCain on the bail-out, however I do believe that she, and others like her, are the hope for the future of conservatism in the Republican party.

But as I have watched the pre-debate coverage today, I realized that this debate is not going to be about whose ideas are better or what solutions will actually work. The winner will be declared based on one criteria: Performance.

Who "looked" more like a leader? Who "displayed" a command of the issues? It is not going to matter when Biden says in one breath that they want to "cut taxes on 95% of Americans" and then with the next breath outline a 50% increase in government spending. No one will even attempt to ask how that is possible, because no one seems interested in truth, logic, or practical applications. We are gathering around ourselves political leaders who will tell us "what our itching ears want to hear."

The media will no doubt try to spin Palin and McCain as "out of touch" and "dumb" as they have with every conservative since Ronald Regan.

The Politics of Performance is a toxin that is destroying the ability of ideas to triumph. Obama may very well win this election. But with all due respect to my friends who are supporting him, it will not be because he has better ideas. It will be because he has triumphed in the arena of political theater.

Please hear me clearly on this... you can argue that his ideas are better. That is not my point. I don't think they are, but that is irrelevant to my argument. What I am discovering as I watch this campaign unfold is that no one is paying attention to anyone's ideas. And this is clearly evidence by hundreds little catch phrases that seem to be winning the day.

Not substance. Not ideals.

Slogans.

I want to urge those of you who will watch the debate tonight to do your best to set "performance" aside and engage the candidates on their ideas. Whose policies are practical? Who is promising things they have no intention or ability to deliver? Who is siding with reality?

If this election comes down to who gives the better performance, then we will deserve what we get as a nation the next 4 or 8 years. But if we will let ideas triumph, perhaps we can see real solutions instead of just a bumper sticker that reads "Don't blame me, I voted for the other guy."