Election Thoughts

First thought. Congratulations to the Mineral County Republican Executive Committee, Potomac Highlands Patriots Tea Party, volunteers, and candidates. This was a huge amount of effort that resulted in a conservative sweep in Mineral County. Great job, folks!

Mineral County's closest race was between Gary Howell and Charles Messick. Howell won by about ten percentage points. Richard "Doc" Lechliter defeated Wayne Spiggle for county commission by about twelve points. The other Mineral County numbers and percentages were much, much higher.

Thank you Lauren Ellifritz, Mineral County Clerk. Last night we saw that there was a very heavy turnout. Her staff, helped by Rose Ann Maine, Mary Margaret Rinehart, Janice LaRue, Cindy Pyles, and others made the election night go very, very smoothly. Thanks again, Lauren and everyone else!

Thank you to all the volunteers who got almost all the signs up last night. Some people do not mind them, but to other citizens they are an imposition that they tolerate becauseof the season. Getting the signs up quickly ensures that we retain their goodwill.

The narrow John Raese defeat, if seen from August, should be considered a Republican victory of sorts. Joe Manchin successfully deflected the message of the race away from his pro Obama statements and towards Raese himself and the Republican campaign. That is why he ultimately won. That all being said, who would have predicted that this race would have gotten this close three months ago?

Across the state, we saw some legislative setbacks. Craig Blair, a well known GOP figure, may have lost in his bid to jump from the House of Delegates to the State Senate in the Eastern Panhandle. The race is still statistically 50-50 with the mercurial John Unger leading by a few hundred votes. Mitch Carmichael's delegate race was much closer than it ought to have been in a district that is mostly Jackson County, but at this point he looks to have won. Former delegate Debbie Stevens was unable to regain the 46th from incumbent Stan Shaver. Republicans also failed to do well in the 57th and 58th districts in Jefferson County. Republicans certainly did better across the state in areas where they have not enjoyed success for some time. Over the next two years, the party needs to focus on local committees and get them up to the fight in every single county. Gary Howell's brief tenure as Mineral County chair demonstrated what can be done on the local level. Thousands of voter guides were distributed on foot and through the newspapers. Door to door walks were done on behalf of several candidates. The committee organized sign distribution and pick ups in a systematic fashion. Unopposed candidates, such as Krista Dixon and Lauren Ellifritz, remained involved throughout the fall with party functions. This is evidence of what can be done by the committees across the state.

Also do not forget the Tea Party. They held dinners and had some of the largest Tea Party rallies in the entire state. They participated in candidate walks. They raised money and paid for billboards in Keyser and the northern part of the county. Their activity was an essential part of victory last night for Republicans in this county. It could not have been done without their work and support. When Tea Parties and Republicans get behind good candidates instead of sniping at each other, they can do great things. The Tea Party brought people into politics who might otherwise have not been involved. Republicans need to recognize how essential the Tea Party movement has been and follow through on promises made to fight for smaller government and the expansion of freedom.

David McKinley, barring any surprise in any recount, seems to have won a slender victory over Mike Oliverio. This was a seat held by Democrats for a very long time. It reflects frustration with federal anti-mining and industrial policies combined with the growing affluence of Morgantown and Fairmont. McKinley is the star of the moment and the biggest success of this election, so long as Democratic lawyers don't find a way to steal the victory from him.

So both locally and across the state, we have a lot of work to do. Election day may be closer than we think. There is a chance of having a special gubernatorial election early next year. In any event, 2012 is closer than we think.

Tea Parties On the March

The liberal media is enjoying the so-called upset Tea Party victory over the establishment Republican candidate in the Delaware Senate primaries. They obviously hope that this indicates a division in Republicans and conservative ranks that can be exploited in November to at least head off GOP control of the Senate. Almost every indicator shows that Republicans will oust Democrats from control there.

Liberals and leftists still have a stereotype of Tea Partiers as wild eyed extremists instead of principled libertarians and conservatives. Perhaps their main frame of reference lies in the aimless protest movements of the 1960s that simply sought to gather young white suburbanites into an area to show numerical support for whatever. Tea Partiers take off of work, bring their children, and travel hundreds of miles to jon in common cause. These are not knee jerk, professional revolutionaries. They are reasonable people in unreasonable times.

The Tea Party victories do not demonstrate divisiveness among the electorate as much as a resolve to actually alter the course of events. Voters have so far rejected individuals whom they fear will compromise the change that is to take place next year. They fear adding Olympia Snowes and Lindsay Grahams to the Congress. Compromising most of your principles is no longer acceptable to the voters.

Here in West Virginia we have an opportunity this fall to help bring our nation back to the right course and also take steps to resurrect our state. It will take time and effort, but it can be done. Please help your local and state Republicans parties and their candidates this fall. West Virginia, incidentally, has had for a long time one of the most Tea Party friendly GOPs. It's good to see people of principle working hard in the common cause of saving our state and nation.

Is Anyone Else Tired of the Sturmabteilung Tactics of the Left?

The New Black Panther Party is videotaped in the act of intimidating white voters in Philadelphia. The Service Employees International Union invade people's yards to intimidate young teenagers whose relatives happen to be connected to banks. These and other groups advocate even more extreme action to further their own agendas.

Why do we tolerate it?

The Sturmabteilung was the main group that facilitated the rise of National Socialism to power in Germany. They specialized in street violence and menacing law abiding citizens, especially Jews. Leftists, which Hitler and teh National Socialists were, lioked to push the envelope when they operated in a democracy only to clamp down when they took power.

Fortunately, these thug tactics horrify a majority of independents and a minority of Democrats. This has led to Obama and his radicals being unable to maintain a tight grip on power despite their efforts to intimidate the media and politicians.

But how do we the people fight back when we see thugs and National Socialist wannabes show up to try and scare good and decent people? If you are in an area where these types congregate at election time, first call the law, then call the local Tea Party organization. Safety exists in numbers and cameras. The presence of cameras and almost instantaneous uploading of video to Youtube and news organizations will make sure law enforcement does its job and may even restrain the thugs.

This is our country. We want traditional American elections, not voters intimidated like they are voting in Venezuela. Hopefully we will have a government soon that recognizes the fact that no difference exists between the New Black Panthers and the Ku Klux Klan when it comes to bigotry and bad intentions. And if the SEIU comes onto private property, well if you are in a Castle Law state, you know what to do.

It's Inevitable, Democrats Will Lose Power in West Virginia Within a Few Years

It's inevitable. It has a momentum all its own. And no one is pushing it faster than those that stand to lose the most.

West Virginia will soon be a Democratic minority state. I would say this process will be complete by at the latest 2014.

Yes Democrats have the majority of registered voters now, but they face a steady stream of defections from their ranks. New voters who see little future in what Obama promises, who understand that leftists want to steal the rewards of ambition and work, they are leaving. Miners and their families, even in die hard Democratic counties, are leaving. People who have clung fiercely to the Democratic Party for generations have found that Obama, Pelosi, Mollohan, etc do not follow policies that will put food on workers' tables in West Virginia. Demographics do not favor Democrats. The older generation is passing on, taking away the last of the FDR voters and some of those inspired by Kennedy. Younger people tend to choose Republican or Independent registrations.

But will West Virginia be a Republican majority state? It all depends. In state history, party switches happen quickly. Chaning conditions and party stances often provoke powerful and fast changes. West Virginia has never been a two party state.

In the 1890s Stephen Elkins, pictured to the left, brought organization and leadership to West Virginia in a time when major party shifts took place nationwide. Elkins sold the GOP vision in West Virginia. Not everyone was entirely on board in support of Elkins, but the people favored the development policies he advocated. West Virginia moved from the Democratic to the Republican Party.

Republican leadership in West Virginia is moving forward to take advantage of the shift taking place in the state. It must continue to remind voters that Republicans here support development and oppose additional federal burdens. They must stay committed to lowering taxes and reducing spending at all levels of government to gain support.

Democrats are declining quickly in West Virginia, but it is not yet inevitable that Republicans will gain a clear majority. Disgusted Democrats and Tea Party style libertarians for different reasons are choosing to remain independent. To gain and keep the support of both, the GOP must continue to support basic anti-tax and pro-development issues. Elected officials must also act on the principles that got them elected.

Tax Day Protests All Over, Especially In Washington DC

Tax Day Tea Party in Washington, D.C.

Fron FreedomWorks in Washington DC

Join us this April 15th by the Washington Monument

FreedomWorks has agreed to host the 2010 Tax Day Tea Party for Washington, DC. On Tax Day, April 15th, hundreds of thousands of Americans will protest big government around the country. They will protest in big cities and small towns, from Los Angeles, California to Burlington, North Carolina.FreedomWorks will be hosting the DC Tax Day Tea Party, at The Washington Monument, in view of the White House.As we put together the details of the event, check back here for updates if you are planning to attend. Just so you know, we are planning to have an evening event with speakers, music and lots of rowdy protesters.

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Try to find a protest somewhere if you have free time. Almost 15,000 appeared yesterday in Boston to listen to Sarah Palin and other speakers.

The image above came from that event, courtesy of Stacey Higgins, Tea Party activist extraordinaire.

Tea Party Movement Now More Popular Than Either Political Party

This morning's news broadcast out of Washington made an interesting statement. For a few weeks now polls showed that the Tea Party movement outstripped the Republican Party in popularity. This morning the Democrats now find themselves looking up at the Tea Party in terms of support numbers.

Liberal media types write with glee about the demise of the Republican Party and th epotential for splintering going into the election of 2010. That being said, the GOP has substantially outraised the Democratic Party since Obama took office.

Left wing control of the government sparked outrage over the waste of money and time. Frustrated protesters have seen the Republican Party as stumbling along too slowly and getting behind the curve on important issues. All too often they accuse Republicans of differing viewpoints of not being real conservatives. The media also fails to realize that committed Republicans have held Tea Party rallies.

The problems within the GOP and conservative movement overall are relatively picayune. Libertarians and conservatives in some areas have problems with party leadership, usually more on procedural than ideological grounds. Democrats are splitting on ideological issues. Conservative Democrats fear the wrath of constituents and left wing leaders. Some have courageously split, others try to steer the rapids in the middle of the river.

Republicans need a leader to emerge as Reagan did in the 1970s. From 1976 to 1980 the GOP was split by ideological differences. "Moderates" such as Nelson Rockefeller battled Goldwater inspired small government conservatives such as Ronald Reagan. Reagan understood the anger he shared with the American people, but channeled it into a specific vision of a brighter future rather than simply dislike of Jimmy Carter.

Where will that leader come from? The same model should succeed in 2012 as in 1980. Whoever it is needs to step forth and help inspire party loyalists and those that are simply mad as hell at the movement away from true American values.

"You Lie!"

Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina (whose official site is currently offline due to high traffic) made international news last night and in some ways stole the show. As Barack Obama ground through his proposals for health care reform, Wilson channeled his inner British Member of Parliament and shouted in disgust "You lie!"

As usual Obama tried to play it both ways, suggesting the public option was a great idea, but that he migth consider other options. He pleaded for bipartisanship, but slammed dissidence. It was a typical act that, according to polls, was just as well received as the failed Clinton effort to pass his version of socialized health care one year before the GOP retook Congress.

Wilson's shout broke the tradition of recent decades that Congressmen and women must remain quiet during presidential addresses with the exception of applause. One registers disapproval by refusing to make any appreciative noises. Wilson's anger hearkens back to the original century of congressional deportment. George Washington briefly attended congressional debates until he found himself repeatedly attacked and vowed to never return except when constitutionally mandated.

The focus on "You Lie!" reintroduces into the responsible media the persistent gaps between what Obama says and what the proposed legislation could do. He keeps Factcheck.com extremely busy. For left wing Democrats it represents the final nail in the bipartisan coffin. For Republicans it is a war cry. Some will debate the propriety of Wilson's action, but not the message it conveys. "You Lie!" is not the cry of the old school GOP leadership, but of the Tea Party movement, educated by years of Bush bashing in confrontational politics.

What is promises is that this fight will get uglier. As we approach the next election cycle, the chances that Obama will get anything he wants dims. However the bruised egos and hostile emotions will only burn brighter. 2010 will be one of the nastiest campaigns in American history because the stakes are so high. "You Lie!" was the first shot across the bow.