Happy Valentine's Day, From Barry

Send a sweet V-Day card to the delusional Democrat in your life (or, really, anyone who loves politics). My brother, Matt L. (who sent me the link) and I agree, the best one is Tom Daschle's.

Our suggestion didn't even make it out of the RNC brainstorming session. I'm not quite sure why. Judge for yourself.

Have you ever had a thrill go up your leg? Would you like to?

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Thomas Sowell On RNC Chairman Michael Steele

Thomas Sowell is one of my favorite thinker-writers. An economist by trade, he has applied his many skills and ability to explain things in simple terms to the problems that afflict America.

Also, he's African-American and conservative, so liberals hate him.

Either one of those reasons (wicked smart or enemy of my enemy) would be enough for me to read him regularly, it's nice that he has both of them on lock-down.

His recent praise and appraisal of Michael Steele, the newly elected RNC chair, is dead on.

Too many Republicans don't even seem to understand the need to talk. They seem to think it is something you have to go through the motions of doing but, really, they would rather be somewhere else doing something else. . . . Michael Steele not only knows how to talk, but also seems to understand the need to talk. In his appearances on TV over the years, he has been assertive rather than apologetic. When attacked, he has counterattacked, not whined defensively, like too many other Republicans. When criticizing the current administration, Steele won't have to pull his punches when going after Barack Obama, for fear of being called a racist.

I pulled for Steele to win the Maryland Senate seat back in 2006. It was a tough year for Republicans and Steele (obviously) lost.

2+ years later, he's making lemonade and I'm glad to have him as RNC chair.

(from WSJ Political Diary, h/t Scott L.)


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Michael Steele, Conference Call

Listening in on a conference call with Michael Steele on Friday. Steele is the headline candidate for the RNC chairmanship. I've been impressed with him for a long time and became even more so impressed after interviewing him at the RNC and listening to his speech there.

So far, I've been very impressed with his emphasis on the importance of how we communicate conservative ideas. Steele says, for example, that we need to be careful about saying that we want to "cut government." Government employees hear that and think, "these guys want to fire me." We need to say that we want efficient and effective government, because then those same employees will say, "the guy in the cubicle sitting next to me didn't do anything all day, he better watch out."

This is one example of the importance of communication.

Steele on communication: We are going to try every mode of communication open to us. We won't mimic the Obama campaign, but we will steal some of their communication strategies. Obama wasn't interested in communicating his VP choice, he wanted to get people's cell and email information. This kept them excited and interested and made them feel as though they were in the game.

Steele wants to actively engage bloggers to test ideas and see what things are animating people outside of Washington. Republicans don't feel a part of anything and connected to anything. That's not going to cut it. We only ask for their checks. We want them more involved than that.

Paraphrasing Steele: I want you guys involved. I want a free-flowing exchange of ideas. Those conservative bloggers can use these tools to go out and fight the good fight. This is an important opportunity for everyone who has good ideas to get involved.

[ed. note: Clearly talking about tapping into the democracy of ideas that is the internet.]


Ok, the call is done. Steele is smart--smart enough to know that he doesn't know everything. By all accounts he would be a good fundraiser, communicater, and organizer. He seems willing to listen to ideas from all sides. And, importantly, he seems to be a true conservative.

Given the social conservatism of the African-American community (see Prop 8), it's possible that Steele could reach out and begin building some bridges.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

First Read (UPDATED)

A few things jumped out to me while reading MSNBC's (breaking down my confirmation bias, one liberal publication at a time) First Read:

*** What's next Grand Old Party: It's hard not to look at the map -- particularly in the House -- and not view the GOP as a regional party right now. If it weren’t for the party's relative strength in the South, the party would be in even worse shape. Later this week, as the party deconstructs this election, the recriminations will begin. Who will emerge as the next group of leaders? Mitch McConnell survived re-election, but will he survive any leadership challenge? What about House GOP leader John Boehner? No doubt he'll be challenged. Still, will McConnell and Boehner be the true leaders of the minority party? There will be a spirited race for the RNC chairmanship. State chairs from Michigan and South Carolina will run as will some former governor, maybe even Newt Gingrich. A group of current and former governors will also get together and attempt to have a say in the party. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana even has an Iowa visit planned later this month; Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and Jeb Bush could all also play roles. As will Mark Sanford and Haley Barbour. Bottom line, there is a massive leadership vacuum inside the Republican Party and there are no shortage of candidates who will attempt to fill that vacuum. The first thing to watch for: Will the fight be to do this from inside the RNC or will there be a DLC-like organization that emerges from the outside?

*** Some first clues: NBC-WSJ GOP pollster Neil Newhouse did a post-election survey last night, and here's what he found: Just 12% of those surveyed believed Palin should be the GOP's new leader; instead 29% of voters said Romney, followed by 20% who say Huckabee. Among GOPers, it was Romney 33%, Huckabee 20% and Palin 18%. Look for more from this survey later today.

I know I shouldn't say this, especially the day after America elected its first ever black President, but I don't think they would ever elect a Mormon President. I hate to say it, but I believe it's true. While this country has prided itself on looking at people and not seeing race, even though it has become more "enlightened," anti-religious fervor has increased--especially among the militant secularists on the left.

Anti-religion (along with agism) is one of the acceptable bigotries of liberalism.

For this reason, if I were calling the shots, I would make Romney the new RNC chairman. I think he could galvanize the entire party and put us in a position to take back seats in 2010 and win the White House in 2012. Plus, and this is just my gut feeling, I don't think Romney wants to run for President again.

Also, like my brother told me last night, Newt Gingrich needs to be more involved in shaping the direction of the party. He is wicked smart.

How about a little Back to the Future--Spirit of '94 in 2010, anyone?

I would feel very good about a team of Gingrich, Romney, & Rove running the RNC.

One last thing: We may very well see another Mormon run, but my guess is that it will be John Huntsman Jr. who will be just concluding his second term as Governor of Utah.

UPDATE 5:51pm BST: Ben T. responds:

The fact that you're still looking for people other than Mitt Romney to blame for Mitt Romney's loss is scary. The guy ran a poor campaign, and was consistently incapable of connecting to people due to his total lack of self awareness. The bias this country had against black people went, and still goes far deeper (in some circles) than any other. For a church with 7 million members domestically (roughly?), thinking that the political establishment actively keeps us out of politics is so narcissistic. Particularly when you consider the number of military brass, CIA, FBI, and other federal agencies whose upper echelons are traditionally stacked with members of the Church. If either party fields a candidate who is a member of the Church who can communicate, raise money, and build alliances within a party - like Jon Huntsman Jr. - they will face opposition on partisan lines like any other but it will not bring them down (or up) solely because of their faith.

I agree, Romney certainly didn't run the best campaign. But it was clear that some voters had a problem with Romney's Mormonism. I don't think anyone taking an objective view of the exit poll data would disagree with that.

It's not that I think the political establishment (whatever that is) 'keeps Mormons down,' I just don't think a majority of the electorate would ever vote for a Mormon. Granted, the numbers cited above by First Read are encouraging, but they are from people who voted for McCain. I remain skeptical.

If Obama's win isn't a repudiation of all the racist theories about this country, I don't know what is. Exit poll data strongly backs that up. McCain's age played a far larger role in people's decision than did Obama's race. This ought to signal the death of affirmative action in all its forms.

Discrimination against people of religion in this country gets far less play because of the MSM's obsession with racial differences. By and large the press is irreligious--in some cases outright hostile. It's why racists are bigots (justifiably so) and anti-Mormons (or anti-Jew, -Catholic, -Evangelical, whatever) have "legitimate" objections.

Though I disagree, I do appreciate Ben T.'s optimistically open-minded view.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Do Something: Get Out The Vote - Email To Your Friends Edition, Re-Post

If, like me, you'd prefer not to see America elect the most liberal-left President in modern history, with Pelosi controlling the House, and Reid the Senate, thereby enabling them to make us Canada Jr., how about a little GOTV?

(no offense to my Canadian readers)

We're close and closing. And anyway, nobody knows what to expect with the polls this year. They were wildly inaccurate during the primaries and they've been all over the place the last few weeks. The word "volatile" comes to mind.

Whether you are in a Battleground state for McCain, California for Proposition 8, or Washington State for Dino Rossi, volunteer a little time and make some calls or pound the pavement and visit some Republicans & undecideds.

PUT JOHN McCAIN & SARAH PALIN IN THE WHITE HOUSE?

PASS PROPOSITION 8?

GET DINO ROSSI ELECTED?

MAINTAIN A FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE?

YES WE CAN!!!!!1!!!

UPDATE 31 October 12:45pm BST: A little research has revealed an interesting fact: During the primaries, Barack Obama performed, on average, 2.8 points worse than he polled in the 3 days leading up to the election.

Call this whatever you want, I call this hope we can believe in.

Also, be sure and check out the Iowahawk post I linked to earlier today. His explanation of the statistics behind polling should also provide a bit of optimistic comfort.

Finally, I don't know how I missed this before: For all those of you who, like me, can't get to a McCain camp calling center, for whatever reason, click here, to sign up to make calls online. Even if you can only do it for 15 mins--do it. Do it for 15 mins every day from now until the election.

For advice and more on how to successfully do this, check out Gabriel Malor's post at Ace.

UPDATE 1 November 2:08am BST: I've got GOTV information for my favorite states. I narrowed down from the Top 10 states in terms of visits to OL&L to the states that could impact things. They are:

- California w/Prop 8 and the fact that so many of you are from there and can call out.
- Pennsylvania. Yep, I was surprised too. There are quite a few of you PA readers. And you live in a hotly contested state.
- Virginia - We'll see if this traditionally red state is really going to go for Obama. In fact, this will be an early bellweather on election night. You readers get out and do your job: make calls for McCain.
- Washington - Do what you can for Dino Rossi and make calls into other states.
- I think there's a Georgia Victory Center listed in there somewhere too. Lots of Georgia readers. Thanks, guys.

Anyway, thanks to Fernando M. for hosting the spreadsheet with all the info. Click here to download and get to work.

Alternatively, you can always make calls from the safety of your own home by using your computer.

UPDATE 2 November 12:47am BST: In cased you missed it.... Zogby's 1 day polling puts McCain up by 1--48-47. It ain't over till it's over.

UPDATE 3 November 1:40am BST: TIPP has it Obama 46, McCain 44. And remember, Obama, Guitar Hero* performs 2.8% worse than he polls.

Yeah he does.

*Over-the-top performance, no real skill or experience.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Do Something: Get Out The Vote - Email To Your Friends Edition

If, like me, you'd prefer not to see America elect the most liberal-left President in modern history, with Pelosi controlling the House, and Reid the Senate, thereby enabling them to make us Canada Jr., how about a little GOTV?

(no offense to my Canadian readers)

We're close and closing. And anyway, nobody knows what to expect with the polls this year. They were wildly inaccurate during the primaries and they've been all over the place the last few weeks. The word "volatile" comes to mind.

Whether you are in a Battleground state for McCain, California for Proposition 8, or Washington State for Dino Rossi, volunteer a little time and make some calls or pound the pavement and visit some Republicans & undecideds.

PUT JOHN McCAIN & SARAH PALIN IN THE WHITE HOUSE?

PASS PROPOSITION 8?

GET DINO ROSSI ELECTED?

MAINTAIN A FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE?

YES WE CAN!!!!!1!!!

UPDATE 31 October 12:45pm BST: A little research has revealed an interesting fact: During the primaries, Barack Obama performed, on average, 2.8 points worse than he polled in the 3 days leading up to the election.

Call this whatever you want, I call this hope we can believe in.

Also, be sure and check out the Iowahawk post I linked to earlier today. His explanation of the statistics behind polling should also provide a bit of optimistic comfort.

Finally, I don't know how I missed this before: For all those of you who, like me, can't get to a McCain camp calling center, for whatever reason, click here, to sign up to make calls online. Even if you can only do it for 15 mins--do it. Do it for 15 mins every day from now until the election.

For advice and more on how to successfully do this, check out Gabriel Malor's post at Ace.

UPDATE 1 November 2:08am BST: I've got GOTV information for my favorite states. I narrowed down from the Top 10 states in terms of visits to OL&L to the states that could impact things. They are:

- California w/Prop 8 and the fact that so many of you are from there and can call out.
- Pennsylvania. Yep, I was surprised too. There are quite a few of you PA readers. And you live in a hotly contested state.
- Virginia - We'll see if this traditionally red state is really going to go for Obama. In fact, this will be an early bellweather on election night. You readers get out and do your job: make calls for McCain.
- Washington - Do what you can for Dino Rossi and make calls into other states.
- I think there's a Georgia Victory Center listed in there somewhere too. Lots of Georgia readers. Thanks, guys.

Anyway, thanks to Fernando M. for hosting the spreadsheet with all the info. Click here to download and get to work.

Alternatively, you can always make calls from the safety of your own home by using your computer.

UPDATE 2 November 12:47am BST: In cased you missed it.... Zogby's 1 day polling puts McCain up by 1--48-47. It ain't over till it's over.

UPDATE 3 November 1:40am BST: TIPP has it Obama 46, McCain 44. And remember, Obama, Guitar Hero* performs 2.8% worse than he polls.

Yeah he does.

*Over-the-top performance, no real skill or experience.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Do Something: Get Out The Vote (Bumped, Three-Posted, UPDATED x3)

If, like me, you'd prefer not to see America elect the most liberal-left President in modern history, with Pelosi controlling the House, and Reid the Senate, thereby enabling them to make us Canada Jr., how about a little GOTV?

(no offense to my Canadian readers)

We're close and closing. And anyway, nobody knows what to expect with the polls this year anyway. They were wildly inaccurate during the primaries and they've been all over the place the last few weeks.

Whether you are in a Battleground state for McCain, California for Proposition 8, or Washington State for Dino Rossi, volunteer a little time and make some calls or pound the pavement and visit some Republicans & undecideds.

If you have information on GOTV efforts in your area, email me with the relevant details and I'll pass them along.

PUT JOHN McCAIN & SARAH PALIN IN THE WHITE HOUSE?
PASS PROPOSITION 8?
GET DINO ROSSI ELECTED?
MAINTAIN A FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE?

YES WE CAN!!!!!1!!!

UPDATE 31 October 12:45pm BST: A little research has revealed an interesting fact: During the primaries, Barack Obama performed, on average, 2.8 points worse than he polled in the 3 days leading up to the election.

Call this whatever you want, I call this hope we can believe in.

Also, be sure and check out the Iowahawk post I linked to earlier today. His explanation of the statistics behind polling should also provide a bit of optimistic comfort.

Finally, I don't know how I missed this before: For all those of you who, like me, can't get to a McCain camp calling center, for whatever reason, click here, to sign up to make calls online. Even if you can only do it for 15 mins--do it. Do it for 15 mins every day from now until the election.

For advice and more on how to successfully do this, check out Gabriel Malor's post at Ace.

UPDATE 1 November 2:08am BST: I got the information I referred to above. I narrowed down from the Top 10 states in terms of visits to OL&L to the states that could impact things. They are:

- California w/Prop 8 and the fact that so many of you are from there and can call out.
- Pennsylvania. Yep, I was surprised too. There are quite a few of you PA readers. And you live in a hotly contested state.
- Virginia - We'll see if this traditionally red state is really going to go for Obama. In fact, this will be an early bellweather on election night. You readers get out and do your job: make calls for McCain.
- Washington - Do what you can for Dino Rossi and make calls into other states.
- I think there's a Georgia Victory Center listed in there somewhere too. Lots of Georgia readers. Thanks, guys.

Anyway, thanks to Fernando M. for hosting the spreadsheet with all the info. Click here to download and get to work.

Alternatively, you can always make calls from the safety of your own home by using your computer.

UPDATE 2 November 12:47am BST: In cased you missed it.... Zogby's 1 day polling puts McCain up by 1--48-47. It ain't over till it's over.

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Do Something: Get Out The Vote (Bumped, Re-Re-Posted, UPDATED, Again)

If, like me, you'd prefer not to see America elect the most liberal-left President in modern history, with Pelosi controlling the House, and Reid the Senate, thereby enabling them to make us Canada Jr., how about a little GOTV?

(no offense to my Canadian readers)

We're close and closing. And anyway, nobody knows what to expect with the polls this year anyway. They were wildly inaccurate during the primaries and they've been all over the place the last few weeks.

Whether you are in a Battleground state for McCain, California for Proposition 8, or Washington State for Dino Rossi, volunteer a little time and make some calls or pound the pavement and visit some Republicans & undecideds.

If you have information on GOTV efforts in your area, email me with the relevant details and I'll pass them along.

PUT JOHN McCAIN & SARAH PALIN IN THE WHITE HOUSE?
PASS PROPOSITION 8?
GET DINO ROSSI ELECTED?
MAINTAIN A FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE?

YES WE CAN!!!!!1!!!

UPDATE 31 October 12:45pm BST: A little research has revealed an interesting fact: During the primaries, Barack Obama performed, on average, 2.8 points worse than he polled in the 3 days leading up to the election.

Call this whatever you want, I call this hope we can believe in.

Also, be sure and check out the Iowahawk post I linked to earlier today. His explanation of the statistics behind polling should also provide a bit of optimistic comfort.

Finally, I don't know how I missed this before: For all those of you who, like me, can't get to a McCain camp calling center, for whatever reason, click here, to sign up to make calls online. Even if you can only do it for 15 mins--do it. Do it for 15 mins every day from now until the election.

For advice and more on how to successfully do this, check out Gabriel Malor's post at Ace.

UPDATE 1 November 2:08am BST: I got the information I referred to above. I narrowed down from the Top 10 states in terms of visits to OL&L to the states that could impact things. They are:

- California w/Prop 8 and the fact that so many of you are from there and can call out.
- Pennsylvania. Yep, I was surprised too. There are quite a few of you PA readers. And you live in a hotly contested state.
- Virginia - We'll see if this traditionally red state is really going to go for Obama. In fact, this will be an early bellweather on election night. You readers get out and do your job: make calls for McCain.
- Washington - Do what you can for Dino Rossi and make calls into other states.
- I think there's a Georgia Victory Center listed in there somewhere too. Lots of Georgia readers. Thanks, guys.

Anyway, thanks to Fernando M. for hosting the spreadsheet with all the info. Click here to download and get to work.

Alternatively, you can always make calls from the safety of your own home by using your computer.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Do Something: Get Out The Vote (Bumped, Re-Posted, UPDATED)

In 2006, against the tide, I made calls via Skype using the RNC's web page with voter information for various important Senate seats. (Yeah, I know how that turned out, smart-A's.) Assuming I can find the link, I'll be doing a lot more of the same all weekend and into the next week.

[as below, click this link to make online calls]

If, like me, you'd prefer not to see America elect the most liberal-left President in modern history, with Pelosi controlling the House, and Reid the Senate, thereby enabling them to make us Canada Jr., how about a little GOTV?

(no offense to my Canadian readers)

We're close and closing. And anyway, nobody knows what to expect with the polls this year anyway. They were wildly inaccurate during the primaries and they've been all over the place the last few weeks.

I analyzed my analytics and discovered the Top 10 states visiting OL&L over the last year or so. I am in the process of getting info for McCain Victory 2008 campaign centers in the corresponding states. I'll get back to you with that when I can.

Whether you are in a Battleground state for McCain, California for Proposition 8, or Washington State for Dino Rossi, volunteer a little time and make some calls or pound the pavement and visit some Republicans & undecideds.

If you have information on GOTV efforts in your area, email me with the relevant details and I'll pass them along.

PUT JOHN McCAIN & SARAH PALIN IN THE WHITE HOUSE?
PASS PROPOSITION 8?
GET DINO ROSSI ELECTED?
MAINTAIN A FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE?

YES WE CAN!!!!!1!!!

UPDATE 31 October 12:45pm BST: A little research has revealed an interesting fact: During the primaries, Barack Obama performed, on average, 2.8 points worse than he polled in the 3 days leading up to the election.

Call this whatever you want, I call this hope we can believe in.

Also, be sure and check out the Iowahawk post I linked to earlier today. His explanation of the statistics behind polling should also provide a bit of optimistic comfort.

Finally, I don't know how I missed this before: For all those of you who, like me, can't get to a McCain camp calling center, for whatever reason, click here, to sign up to make calls online. Even if you can only do it for 15 mins--do it. Do it for 15 mins every day from now until the election.

For advice and more on how to successfully do this, check out Gabriel Malor's post at Ace.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Do Something: Get Out The Vote

In 2006, against the tide, I made calls via Skype using the RNC's web page with voter information for various important Senate seats. (Yeah, I know how that turned out, smart-A's.) Assuming I can find the link, I'll be doing a lot more of the same all weekend and into the next week.

[as below, click this link to make online calls]

If, like me, you'd prefer not to see America elect the most liberal-left President in modern history, with Pelosi controlling the House, and Reid the Senate, thereby enabling them to make us Canada Jr., how about a little GOTV?

(no offense to my Canadian readers)

We're close and closing. And anyway, nobody knows what to expect with the polls this year anyway. They were wildly inaccurate during the primaries and they've been all over the place the last few weeks.

I analyzed my analytics and discovered the Top 10 states visiting OL&L over the last year or so. I am in the process of getting info for McCain Victory 2008 campaign centers in the corresponding states. I'll get back to you with that when I can.

Whether you are in a Battleground state for McCain, California for Proposition 8, or Washington State for Dino Rossi, volunteer a little time and make some calls or pound the pavement and visit some Republicans & undecideds.

If you have information on GOTV efforts in your area, email me with the relevant details and I'll pass them along.

PUT JOHN McCAIN & SARAH PALIN IN THE WHITE HOUSE?
PASS PROPOSITION 8?
GET DINO ROSSI ELECTED?
MAINTAIN A FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE?

YES WE CAN!!!!!1!!!

UPDATE 31 October 12:45pm BST: A little research has revealed an interesting fact: During the primaries, Barack Obama performed, on average, 2.8 points worse than he polled in the 3 days leading up to the election.

Call this whatever you want, I call this hope we can believe in.

Also, be sure and check out the Iowahawk post I linked to earlier today. His explanation of the statistics behind polling should also provide a bit of optimistic comfort.

Finally, I don't know how I missed this before: For all those of you who, like me, can't get to a McCain camp calling center, for whatever reason, click here, to sign up to make calls online. Even if you can only do it for 15 mins--do it. Do it for 15 mins every day from now until the election.

For advice and more on how to successfully do this, check out Gabriel Malor's post at Ace.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Al Felzenberg On The Debate

I had the fortune of meeting Mr. Felzenberg on Day 1 of the RNC at a reception co-sponsored by National Review. He was friendly and solicitous, providing timely and sound advice as I embark on my PhD program.

In the aftermath of the first Presidential debate, Felzenberg, who knows a thing or two about Presidents, wrote a lucid analysis of the debate.

McCain’s moments to shine came when he treated his opponent and the rest of us to a succinct lecture on linkage between Russia’s aggressive posture in Georgia and its energy interests. These were the thoughts of an agile mind which seriously thinks through problems and understands the interconnectedness of so many.

But when it came to which contender for the nation’s highest office has a better grasp on the nation’s primary security challenges, McCain won this round hands down, and without breaking a sweat, and without showing signs of weakening under strain. The question his team needs to have asked in the days ahead is not “are you better off?” but “which of these two guys has better chance of instilling fear in the hearts of those who plan to do the United States ill?”

The more voters ponder this, the more they will decide that, while Obama might make an enjoyable dinner guest, McCain would make the stronger president. Through his seriousness, sense of purpose, and demeanor, he showed this from start to finish.

If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

538, Sonk, Evergreen, &c.

UPDATE 14 Sept. 12:30am MDT:

Dear Mark, Diana, Amanda, Kaitlyn, Trinh, & other miscellany UCLA-related friends:

59-0, I rest my case.

Love

Jake

It's Saturday and it's game day for BYU. This week the Cougars are playing another Pac-10 team--this time, UCLA, for the 3rd time in just over a year. As I'll be attending the game and entertaining a visiting fan, blogging will be light this weekend. That said, take a look at a couple of things:

- While at the RNC, I reconnected with an old BYU friend who wrote about her experience shepherding Republican big-wigs in their interactions with the press. Check it out here.

- One point on the Palin's interview w/ Charlie Gibson: If you think she revealed her ignorance of foreign policy w/ re: to her question about the specific application of the Bush Doctrine, then you know less about foreign policy than, well, Sarah Palin. See, specifically, Charles Krauthammer's column about the origin and development of this idea of the Bush Doctrine.

- Great, redemptive news out of 538 for the Evergreen State: McCain is within 2 points (2 points!) of Obama in Washington. All the other numbers look pretty good for McCain, too.

- For those of you who care about such things, the Palgrave Econoblog has a mostly unscientific listing of the Top 50 Economics Blogs. Notably missing is Greg Mankiw. FWIW, I read Mankiw more than all the rest combined.

- Part of me feels bad for Democrats (but not that bad). They reached their popular-appeal-peak months and months ahead of the actual election.

- Revisiting Fannie/Freddie: The Candidate of Change is going to have to answer why he would allow no change or reform of the GSEs. See Decker's post on this at Pendulum Politics.

- Obama & Dems generally have announced time and time again that things will be different this election--that they won't allow themselves to be Swift-boated--you know, sunk by the truth. This is how they hit back (ad link).

When they decided to make fun of McCain's alleged distaste for using computers, did they think that maybe the reason he doesn't use them was because his injuries, suffered while serving his country, made it painful/impossible?

The Obama campaign's get-tough strategy can be summed up thusly: Make Fun of Veterans' Disabilities.

Let's play my fav. game, compare 'n contrast:

Drawbacks on selecting one candidate vs. the other:

McCain doesn't like to write emails/use computers because of the pain and disability resulting from being tortured by the North Vietnamese. He's, like, sooo out of touch with Obama's twentysomethings. How can he be our President?

Senators Obama, Dodd, & Clinton (among others) resisted reform and regulation of Fannie & Freddy, which is partially to blame for the current housing crisis. "Why did they do this," you ask?

Campaign donations. Not just any donations, but donations you can believe in (joke explanation for the stupid and humorless: you know, because the check didn't bounce).


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Getting The Heck Out Of Dodge

UPDATE 10:13pm PDT: Well, I'm back on the West Coast and in Seattle for the BYU vs. UW football game. Feels good. I promised a couple of friends from the RNC that I would blog about them.

First off, thanks to Liz Mair, the eCommunications Director for helping me along the way for the last couple of months and then, again, at the convention. Couldn't have gotten there with out you, Liz.

Thanks also to Hayden Pruett, Special Press Media Credentialer extroardinaire. Let the record show that none of Hayden's credentials ended up in the hands of the obnoxious "pink ladies." They can hardly be called ladies, can they? Hayden, you're awesome.

- The take down, clean up started last night as soon as the balloons dropped from the ceiling of the Xcel Center. It was a massive operation putting everything together--especially the security arrangements and huge barrier enclosing a larger perimeter around the Xcel. As I left sometime after midnight and later, as I walked back around after leaving the Wrap Party, it seemed as though they were proceeding apace. From beginning to end, this was a well run, well organized operation.


If you have tips, questions, comments or suggestions, email me at lybberty@gmail.com.

Dateline: Xcel Center, RNC Final Day

UPDATE 5 Sept. 3:05am CDT: On Fox News just now, Karl Rove pointed out something that didn't necessarily surprise me, though it was something I did not know. In 2004, when you combine the money spent by the Kerry-Edwards campaign, the DNC and Democratic 527s and compare it to the same money raised by corresponding sources on the Republican side, Democrats outspent Republicans by $121 million.

UPDATE 5 Sept. 2:52am CDT: My wrap-up tonight focuses on McCain's speech. Going into this convention, many people--including me--wondered how McCain would broach the autobiographical topic. Unlike his memoir-loving opponent, McCain typically doesn't like to talk about himself. Yet, if he is to become President, it is imperative that people get to know him. So, how did he do it? How did he talk about his time as a POW? He talked about it in terms of a personal transformation. He described a young man--himself--as a person focused on self (despite the fact that he was serving his country). He described, in very humble terms, how being incapacitated and forced to rely on the benevolence of his fellow American POWs taught him about life and sacrifice and service. This was powerful. People were quiet. No doubt some shed tears (I think you could see this on TV). And I think we collectively said to ourselves: this man has experience.

- At one point, McCain attacked his own party. No doubt the left was gloating. And to be honest, the audience was taken aback. I didn't disagree with him and have often expressed my frustration with my party regarding their spendthrift and sometimes corrupt ways. I don't believe they have been materially different to Democrats on either of these fronts, it's just that Republicans are supposed to be the party of fiscal discipline and reform.

Of course, much, if not most, of this speech was directed not to the people in the Xcel Center, but to the wider American audience. And in that sense, I think it was successful. John McCain presented himself as a principled man who puts country before party and personal interests. And the great thing is, he can point to bill after bill in which he has acted in accordance with what he believed was best for the country. Obama cannot say the same because he has not authored any major legislation and when he did become involved in ethics reform, he rejected the opportunity to join McCain in a bipartisan effort, opting instead for a partisan bill.

UPDATE 8:19pm CDT: Feel free to join my colleagues and the rest of the NB community in a our live RNC chat.

UPDATE 7:58pm CDT: I wanted to take a step back, withdraw a bit from the immediate, emotional response to Palin's speech last night, and examine what it did, what it added, and why it worked so incredibly well. My analysis can be boiled down to two easy points:

1. She completely deconstructed Obama and the Obama campaign's liberal talking points in a humorous and easy-to-understand way. "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities."
   
2. She clearly articulated core, conservative principles in a way that appealed to listeners on an emotional and intellectual level. "They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America."
   

What is also impressive about this speech was her ability to go above and past the media gatekeepers in a way that probably has not been done since Ronald Reagan. As a result of the non-stop attacks by the nutroots and the Obama campaign and the MSM (but I repeat myself), 37 million Americans tuned in to see what this woman was about.

The attack dogs helped to give her a large audience and Sarah Palin took care of the rest.

UPDATE 7:54pm CDT: One Cosmos on his experience watching the Palin speech. I think I'll just go ahead and start referring to it as The Speech.

Naturally, I watched it on MSDNC in order to see what the reaction would be over there. The first thing out of Olbermann's piehole was that the speech was snide and sarcastic. Ho! Can he really be so mentally ill that he cannot see a projection so transparent? Yes. He is a sick man. Truly psychospiritually toxic. That liberals find his toxins nourishing tells you all you need to know about them.

UPDATE 7:40pm CDT: In honor of Captain Morgan, the company sponsoring the press corps open bar, and providing me with my steady diet of Coke-Zero and chips & dip, I thought I'd post the comments of my friend Morgan.

The press bar, btw, is hopping--it is definitely the place to be (this side of the floor of the Xcel Center).

Morgan is a casual observer of politics who calls things like he sees 'em.

Here is what I find most surprising/amusing about the Palin pick. I am shocked at how much energy and emotion is being spent on discrediting her when she is the VP candidate as opposed to the Presidential candidate. Liberals seem to be really, really worked up about this. [...] Every time I hear or read somebody work themselves into a frenzy discussing her I am tempted to say "why so serious?"

UPDATE 7:04pm CDT: Last night I wrote in my wrap-up about why the left--the MSM, etc.--hates Sarah Palin. Johnathan Last lists a few more.

UPDATE 6:43pm CDT: Obama is going to be on O'Reilly tonight. I already wrote about the shady circumstances surrounding the Obama/Ailes/Fox News meeting earlier this summer. Obama is prepared to admit the success of the surge. Seriously? The Surge worked? Most galling is this comment:

"I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated," Obama said while refusing to retract his initial opposition to the surge. “I’ve already said it’s succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.”

There are at least two people who thought it would work. I'll give you a hint. One of them is the Republican nominee for President. The other one? He lives in a big White House.

UPDATE 6:15pm CDT: Pre-released excerpts from McCain's speech to be aired later tonight:

On running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin:

"I’m very proud to have introduced our next Vice President to the country. But I can’t wait until I introduce her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do nothing, me first, country second Washington crowd: change is coming."

On solving problems in Washington:

"The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn’t a cause, it’s a symptom. It’s what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you.

Again and again, I’ve worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That’s how I will govern as President. I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not."

On love of country:

"I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn’t my own man anymore. I was my country’s."

UPDATE 5:41pm CDT: Just posted my piece about the media's ongoing aversion to identifying the party association of scandal ridden Democrats--Democrats like Kwame Kilpatrick.

UPDATE 5:30pm CDT: Last night Sarah Palin attracted some 37.2 million viewers, 1.1 million off Obama's overhyped draw at Invesco last week. There's one detail missing from these numbers and I don't think it can be overstated: Palin's speech was only broadcast on 6 stations as compared to 10 for Obama. (h/t: RedState)

UPDATE 5:22pm CDT: RNC Night 4 Sched:

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Speaker: Joe Watkins
- Speaker: U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.)
- Speaker: Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
- Speaker with Video: Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.)
- Speaker: Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter, USMC (Ret.)
- Speaker: U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.)
- Speaker: U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin (Okla.)
- Video: "World Stood Still"

8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Speaker: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.)
- Video: "Vice Presidential Nominee Governor Sarah Palin"
- Speaker: Former Gov. Tom Ridge (Penn.)
- Video: "America’s Place in the World"
- Speaker: Mrs. Cindy McCain

9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Video: "Senator John McCain"
- Speaker: Presidential Nominee John McCain

10 p.m. to Conclusion
- Floor Demonstration, Balloon Drop, McCain and Palin Families on Stage
- Introduction of Presiding Officer: U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)
- Benediction: Pastor Dan Yeary
- Introduction of Delegate for Motion, Adoption and Adjournment: U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)

UPDATE 4:09pm CDT: A friend writes:

The backdrop of RNC is just not as flashy as the DNC backdrop.

I don't think I could sum up the difference between the Republicans and Democrats better myself. What's better, the comment was not meant as a compliment.

UPDATE 4:05pm CDT: And today we talked to Mitch McConnell in an extended interview and Tom DeLay, briefly. We liked "the Hammer" because as soon as we told him we were with NewsBusters, he said, "oh, I love you guys." We love you too, Tom.

UPDATE 12:44pm CDT: Finally back at home in the Press Filing Center. Everybody here at the Xcel center is talking about The News from last night. No, not the fact that the speech was knocked-out-of-the-park good. The fact that Palin (and Rudy) had teleprompter issues forcing both of them to do their best from memory. And doing their best from memory is no mean feat. These speeches go through changes right up until the last moment.

Well done, Sarah and Rudy.

Main: I'm still at my hotel in Eagan and watching the coverage of Sarah Palin's speech from last night on the various cable news channels. After reviewing the text and footage of Governor Palin's speech, I agree with Byron York, the most devastating line was this one:

And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.

There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain.

It's true. What can anyone say about this?

For me, the election can be summed up in one point: John McCain's decision to support and champion the surge, demonstrated clearly when he famously said, (and when saying it wasn't as popular as it is now), that he would rather lose an election, than lose the war. Joe Biden and Barack Obama have never taken similarly difficult & unpopular stands.

At the end of the day, when it matters most, I know I can count on John McCain to put country ahead of personal political gain.

Can anyone say--with any conviction--the same of Barack Obama?


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Dateline: Xcel Center, RNC Day 1

A few &c. thoughts from the RNC:

- Michael Steele is sharp, really sharp. Watch for our NewsBusters interview with him to go up later this evening.

- Having never been to a convention before and lacking anything to compare it against, I am amazed by the energy and excitement among the delegates and other misc. participants.

- Everyone is talking about Sarah Palin and every comment I've heard so far is favorable. I've read skeptical reviews of her on the web, but you won't get any of that here at the convention. Granted, many of these delegates are her demographic, but still. It was important that McCain pick someone who would fire these people up because they are the ones who are going to organize the ground game in their home states.


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Dateline: Eagan, MN

Turns out the Excel Center is in Eagan, MN, a suburb of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul. And this is where I'll be until Friday. This is my first convention and I'm not quite sure what to expect. With Hurricane Gustav bearing down on Louisiana, it looks like no one else knows what to expect either.

A few thoughts:

- My prayers and thoughts are with the residents--evacuated and not--in Louisiana. I hope the hurricane loses steam and causes as little damage as possible.

- It will be interesting to see, from a purely electoral perspective, what effect the hurricane has on the campaign. The RNC has already announced that convention activities will be curtailed. Some big names have already canceled. First impression: lack of a convention and opportunity to present John McCain's "Country First" message will hurt him. Second impression: what says "America First" better than putting the needs of Gulf States' residents before his party's convention? Of course, he has to be careful not to appear too opportunistic.

- Iowahawk: The Idiossey

- Debating who has more experience--Obama, Guitar Hero, or Palin--is a winning discussion for the McCain campaign. With any luck it will wake people to Obama's lack thereof. What better prepares a person to be President? 8 years as a mayor + 2 years as Governor OR nebulous community organizer (anyone care to try to explain this occupation in a way that gives it some heft? anyone? anyone?), sometime lecturer, part-time state legislature who mostly voted "present," US Senator who produced no major legislation but has spent most of the time campaigning for President.

What just boggles my mind is that people think that Obama's 18 months campaigning for the presidency was somehow a great prep course for the presidency.

Come on folks, if that were the case, Jesse Jackson would make a great POTUS.

And remember, this is a debate comparing Dems' ticket topper and Reps' undercard.


*Over-the-top performance, no real skill or experience.


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John McCain & The Straight Talk Express Come To Salt Lake

Image link

This morning, while driving up Little Cottonwood Canyon on our way to Alta, we received an email from our friend at the RNC, e-Communications Director, Liz Mair. Liz is great. She always looks out for us. And today, she let us know about a McCain media event at the SLC airfield. And got us in.

(Of course we skied the fresh snow first.)

Accompanying Senator McCain at the press conference were governors John Huntsman Jr. and Mitt Romney. Senator McCain spoke first and introduced the governors. Mitt went next and talked about supporting Senator McCain. Romney looked really, really tan.

Governor Huntsman spoke last. He is a long-time McCain supporter--conspicuously so, when Mitt was still in the race. We've heard rumors that Huntsman--as well as Romney--is one of McCain's potential runningmates, and further, that if McCain loses, he (Huntsman) may run for President in 2012.

One of the members of the press asked the senator if these men were here to tryout for VP. As he was asked this, Governor Huntsman pointed towards Governor Romney like, 'look at him, not me.' The three of them did cut quite the picture.

Asked about Governor Huntsman, Senator McCain said that he valued his opinion and leadership. This was why, he said, he had the governor accompany him on a couple of his trips to Iraq. He further pointed out that Governor Huntsman speaks fluent Chinese (we don't know if it's Mandarin or Cantonese) and that such a skill would be very important as China continues to emerge as a world power.

One reporter asked Senator McCain about the economy. McCain said that he understands the dire straits facing Americans, that as they sit at the kitchen table, they have to consider whether to pick up a 2nd job or take some other drastic measure to make ends meet. Regarding a possible "housing bailout," he said that he was sympathetic to well-intentioned families who might lose their houses, but didn't care at all for the "speculator in Scottsdale" who bought 3 houses for profit and might lose his shirt. Such are the inherent risks of business, we suppose.

Good to see Senator McCain avoid the populist rhetoric favored by his rivals.

While there, we also spoke to a McCain supporter. He has supported McCain for President since he (McCain) first formed his exploratory committee back in 2006. We asked him about the latest kerfuffle about McCain, Iran, and Sunni-Shia confusion. He said that it was pretty typical of the press to seize on every little offhand comment and blow it all out of proportion. Sympathetic, we pointed out to him that we had seen reports that said Iran was funding both Shiite and Sunni groups in an attempt to play the one against the other and foment civil war. He just shrugged, saying he'd seen the same reports, but that those details didn't seem to matter to some members of the press.

It appears to us that they are looking for anything that fits their "McCain is too old" story-line. This is how the Democrats and their surrogates combat their candidates' huge experience deficit.

While there, we ran into former Romney guys Phil Case and BYUSA Vice-President elect, Chance Basinger. (Basinger, you'll remember, is part of the ticket we praised for their willingness to lobby Provo City Council on behalf of BYU students in the ongoing parking dispute.) They, along with our brother, Matt Lybbert, were part of the BYU team that staffed the local Romney call center and mobilized BYU students in support of Mitt. It's nice to see that, like their candidate, they don't harbor any hard feelings and are out in support of McCain.

Unfortunately for the Dems, the polls indicate that Obama & Clinton supporters won't be similarly forgiving.

One last thing, before we forget: During his comments, Governor Huntsman compared John McCain to Ronald Reagan and another of our heroes, Theodore Roosevelt. Hunting for the Reagan legacy was the theme of the early Republican primary. So, nothing to see there. But the Roosevelt comparison piqued our interest.

On the ride home with our brother, we discussed it with him, trying to remember what we learned from our reading of Edmund Morris' 2-part bio (links here & here), appropriately, McCullough's Rooosevelt bio, and the research we did for our Roosevelt paper in History 221 (American history, 1860-Present).

While we don't see Senator McCain challenging anyone to a wrestling match or other feat of strength (Roosevelt's signature), we did find Huntsman's comparison apt when it came to McCain's relationship with business and foreign policy.

TR's time was a whole lot different to today, but he too grappled with issues of corporate responsibility and often wondered about the responsibility of business to people and people to business. As we recall, this historical treatment of government regulation of business was our first introduction to the idea.

Everyone knows TR's famous maxim on foreign policy and defense: speak softly and carry a big stick. Broadly, Senator McCain seems to agree with this policy, advocating as he has an increase in defense spending. TR's proud moment was the world tour of his famous Great White Fleet, so named because of their white paint. Great navies equaled military might and political & diplomatic power.

So, yeah, we buy the McCain - Roosevelt comparison.

*UPDATE 28 March 12:49pm MST: We ask, you respond. Reader and friend Dallas Stahle answered our query regarding Governor Huntsman's language ability. Dallas writes:

Just thought I'd let you know that Huntsman served a[n] [LDS] mission in Taiwan and speaks Mandarin Chinese. Cantonese speakers reside in Hong Kong, Macau, and the southern province of China known as Guangdong or Canton. However, all the Cantonese speakers know Mandarin (except some of the older generation) because it is the National Language of Mainland China. That doesn't mean they speak Mandarin well, but it's passable. The younger generation speaks perfectly because of the school curriculums now.

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BYUSA Election Follow-Up, Michael Steele, &c.

Today at lunch we spoke with a friend of ours, one of the 5 BYUSA Executive Directors who serve under the BYUSA President and Executive Vice President. Our conversation with him confirmed what we concluded in our last post: it's unfair to expect BYUSA to be something it is not. It is not a student representative organization, it's a student service organization. And in that, they are extremely successful.

He agreed with us (and pointed out that Adam Ruri and Chance Basinger had Provo parking as part of their platform) that there is an opportunity for BYUSA President Adam Ruri to lead the way in parking negotiations with Provo City Council on behalf of BYU students.

We'll follow their progress, if any, again, so you don't have to.

***

On Fox news, Michael Steele, former candidate for the Senate from the state of Maryland, weighed in on the Geraldine Ferraro kerffufle (which we first wrote about here).

He pointed out that in advance of his run for the Senate, his campaign polled Marylanders about race and politics. They asked two questions: first, "would you vote for an African-American for senate?" and second, "would your neighbor vote for an African-American?"

These polls were anonymous, so people had no apparent reason to lie. 78% said yes to the first question. 40% said yes to the second question. Steele and the Crash-crowd draw the wrong conclusion from polls like these--that racism is a big problem in America.

Sure, there's racism, but what this poll shows is that the problem is hugely overblown. What it shows is that a vast majority--78%, in this instance--are not racist, but that an almost equally large majority--60%--think their neighbors are racist.

The only disconnect is between public perception of racism and the reality.

***

At FreedomsWatch.org, guest blogger Mark Mix writes about union's attempts to move away from unionization by secret ballot to unionization by peer pressure and intimidation. Unions have steadily lost membership for the last 30 years as their usefulness declined. This latest legislation is a last ditch attempt to maintain political clout.

***

Our friends at the RNC are running a Blog Madness competition to name their official blog. Cue rabid netroots.

***

The BYU Student Alumni Association is sponsoring a personal finance course on 22 March @ 10:00am in the Hinkcley Center. With subprime loans, inflation, the falling dollar and stock market all the rage, this is a valuable opportunity to learn how to navigate the financial storm.

***

Steve Sweet, associate of recruiting and marketing, asked me to pass along information about the Koch Associate Program. After limited research into this program, it seems worth passing along:

"The Koch Associate Program is a year-long, paid program designed to develop promising leaders and entrepreneurs interested in liberty and the non-profit arena. During the program Associates work in non-profit roles four days a week, then spend one day a week at the Foundation learning Market-Based Management® in a classroom setting. You can learn more about the Associate Program, as well as the Koch Internship Program and the Koch Foundation at www.cgkfoundation.org. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2008."

***

If you're looking for a cheap, stimulating intellectual experience this summer, we recommend applying for one of the free summer seminars sponsored by The Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. They take place at universities all over the US with different topics at each. Housing, food, books, and lecture costs are all covered by IHS, you just have to figure out how to get there.

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Interview With Brian Jones, Former RNC Director Of Communications - Part 3

Part 3, the conclusion to our interview with Brian Jones.

***

OL&L: There are some among our conservative friends who, as much as they despise the Clintons, and don’t want them back in the White House, if there must be a Democratic President, they actually prefer Hillary to Barack because they know she’ll do what’s popular, what’s safe, and wont veer hard to the left.

Brian Jones: I think there’s a pragmatism to Hillary Clinton that’s hard to get away from. Hillary is someone to took a poll about where she should live in New York when she ran for the Senate. She’s driven by ambition and calculation. There’s a belief among some that that ambition will keep her kind of on the straight and narrow. She won’t go too far off the deep end. Whether that’s true or not, I’m not sure. It makes sense to me that that’s how she operates, and that’s how she’ll continue to operate. It’s how her husband operated and why you had him talking about things like seat belts and school uniforms and never really doing anything big in his presidency.

Obama is much more of an unknown. Sometimes it seems like he’s coming at Hillary from the right, but then you look at his voting record and find that he is a dyed-in-the-wool liberal.

I do believe there is something to this notion that she would be more of a centrist candidate. And maybe that helps her in the general election.

OL&L: One of our friends, a self-described Libertarian, said that he will vote for Obama because he views him as a symbol of hope and he believes his rhetoric about change. But the thing that struck us about his support for Obama, and we wonder if this is common among Obama supporters, is that despite what Obama is saying to appeal to the base, he believes Obama is smart enough that once he gets in office, he’ll make the good decision, that he won't be ultra liberal. Do you believe that to be true?

Brian Jones: There’s no doubt he’s a very intelligent person. And it’s the game that every politician plays in the primary—some better than others. They start off appealing to the base and then try to broaden their appeal in the general election. They search for ways to appeal to more people—whether that’s through compassionate conservatism or whatever. Ronald Reagan was able to successfully appeal to a group now referred to as Reagan Democrats,

In the case of Obama, I’m not sure you can say which way he’ll go. For anyone who goes through the process, is ambitious enough to seek the Presidency and reach the level Barack Obama is at right now, there have to be elements that, for lack of a better word, are commonsensical. In an Obama Presidency you’re going to see higher taxes. You’re going to see a larger federal bureaucracy. You’re going to wind up seeing more government spending. Remember, Bill Clinton came into office and within a year passed the largest tax increase in the history of the country. You’re going to see policies that aren’t going to get many centrists and Republicans excited.

OL&L: With Democrat turnout and campaign donations at current levels, you don’t see a Democrat in the White House as an inevitability, do you?

Brian Jones: Now way. I don’t see it at all. Elections are about choices. Right now you see a lot of energy for the Democrats. But at the same time, we haven’t reached the point where you’ve got one candidate vs. another candidate where you can really begin to engage on the issues. In the last months or so, as the campaign has become front and center for people, the generic ballot, which tracks whether someone would vote for a Democrat or Republican for Congress, the Democrats, who had a double digit lead for a number of months, have seen their lead shrink to 4 or 5 points. I think that, as soon as we get to focus on the issues, realize what’s at stake, and have a candidate who’s the manifestation of that, it will wind up changing. This notion that the Democrats have it in the bag is a complete misnomer. You could have talked to many Democrats in February 2004who would have said that there was no way George Bush was going to get reelected. And this year we’re going to have a new face, and I think there’s a very good chance Republicans could wind up keeping the White house.

OL&L: Fantastic. Thank you very much for your time, Mr. Jones.


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Interview With Brian Jones, Former RNC Director Of Communications - Part 2

Here's part two of our three part conversation with Brian Jones, former RNC Communications Director and John McCain for President Communications Director.

***

OL&L: Our concern, and maybe the concern of other conservative voters is that when it comes to the general election, and there are more than just ardent Republicans and Democrats voting, do you think that “like-ability” will have a better or broader appeal? How will the Republican candidate combat that superficial appeal?

Brian Jones: Hillary’s appeal may be superficial and image based, but let’s face it, she’s not a like-able candidate. Even Democrats I talk to—and I think most Democrats would agree—say she’s not as like-able as Obama.

The challenge for Obama, if he gets the nomination, is how does he maintain this rockstar-like status? How does he maintain that aura for eight, nine, ten months? It just seems that in today’s media environment, we’ve seen what can happen with other candidates. It doesn’t take long to be this inevitable, floating-above-everything candidate, like Rudy Giuliani. Then, the next thing you know, you’re on the outside looking in.

One thing McCain does have is that like-ability factor, a certain honesty, a genuineness that people appreciate. Sometimes it works against him. Sometimes that genuineness strikes people as a little too much candor or even anger. I think it’s just genuineness, honesty, candor. And I think most people connect with him on that level. They might not always agree with him, but they know he’s always going to give it to them straight.

OL&L: So you see him as being able to rival the like-ability of Barack Obama?

Brian Jones: You see it with members of the press and I think you see it with voters too. He may not be able to match Obama’s like-ability, but that will be offset by other facets of McCain’s personality. In McCain you have someone with impeccable foreign policy credentials. Granted, the economy has taken center stage, but there’s news out of Iraq today that al-Qaeda is training children to shoot weapons and be suicide bombers. This problem is not going to go away. For people who are fed up with government spending, McCain has a long record of fighting government waste.

If it’s Barack versus McCain, Obama may be the more like-able candidate, but that’s not going to take him all the way. And McCain’s straight talking will help offset that.

OL&L: As you mentioned before, McCain has the next 10 months to point out that there’s more to being President than just being well liked—we aren’t voting for the junior class president.

Brian Jones: McCain can sometimes be a little streaky as a politician, but he is a great story teller. I saw it when I traveled with him. He has this ability to really get people wrapped up in what he is saying. I don’t think it has come out in this campaign yet. I remember one instance, when we were riding on the bus all day long and he was telling stories about the ’96 Dole campaign and other campaigns. There were staffers and reporters and a couple of local supporters on the bus for the last stretch. We got to the hotel and no one had realized the bus had stopped because they were so in to the stories he was telling. The bus driver had to come back and say, “hey, we’re at the hotel now.”

He’s got that ability to connect with people in a way that other politicians don’t. That hasn’t received as much attention because of the media infatuation with Obama. Huckabee is also a great communicator. But McCain clearly has strengths there, too.


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