Now, you've really gone and done it!

Now, you’ve gone and done it!

How many times have we heard those words said to us?

As a child, I heard that many times…from my siblings when I did some something stupid and was about to get my ass paddled, from my teachers when I did something dumb and was about to get in real trouble, from my parents when the school told them what I had done…..

Thankfully, as an adult, I do not hear those words said anywhere nearly as often….perhaps I have outgrown stupidity? Not very likely as we all carry the inclination to throw wisdom to the wind and be stupid at times.

In any event….for a long time I didn’t hear those words….

But now? Now we are hearing variations of these words on an almost daily basis. With the Republican primaries in full swing we hear the media stating it in relation to some dumb statement by one of the candidates on an almost daily basis.

So, in honor of a media that LOVES to use gotcha style questions and grab the answers for sound bites and inappropriate pictures, I am going to look at some of my favorite “Now, you’ve gone and done it” moments of the last week.

Let’s look at the occupy movement first.

In Oakland, about 400 peaceful demonstrators were viciously attacked by the police and arrested. The police use of riot quelling tactics was uncalled for against a peacefully congregated group of folk who had no intention or desire to break the law. The fact that 400 were arrested is unconscionable and reflects poorly on the Oakland police department.

Ooooops!! Sorry…I was simply repeating the mantra of the Occupy movement followers as reported in most media today.

A closer examination shows us that these demonstrators were anything BUT peaceful. They indulged in breaking and entering of government buildings, vandalism, throwing rocks and bottles at police officers and all sorts of activities that decry their claims to be a peaceful law-abiding protest. The fact they believe they have a right to occupy any land, be it government owned or privately owned, is sufficient reason to label these idiots as anything but peaceful.

But my favorite moment? The moment, well documented in pictures and photographs adorning most newspapers over the last couple of days…the moment that garners the “Now you’ve gone and done it” award?

That moment is the photograph of the brave demonstrators, bandana’s covering their faces to avoid identification, burning the American flag. One protestor is reported as having tried to prevent this…screaming “No, this will divide the movement” but had no effect on the brave demonstrators determined to exercise their free speech rights by burning the flag after vandalizing the building.

Now, you’ve really gone and done it!

This one act, with all it’s attendant publicity, should rightfully drive a chasm through the center of this pathetic little whiny movement. Those who actually believe the crap but do not endorse anarchy, will rapidly try to disengage….those that believe in anarchy will try to drive further violence.

But at the end of the day, the movement is done. What remains will be no more important and have no more impact than a bug that gets squashed underfoot. The violence will be quelled…the anarchists jailed and the rest of the believers will slowly become educated.

What a moment that was…now, they really HAVE done it!

The next moment I want to look at is an exchange between Romney and Gingrich at one of the recent debates. Much has been said and written about the moon base idea that Gingrich presented…a moon colony that could perhaps become the 51^st state?

Let’s take a moment to look at this idea. The theory is that NASA would be re-invented as a much leaner organization tasked with an “oversee” function rather than the operator it is today. This would mean that many of the 10,000 strong army of engineers sitting around the hallowed halls of NASA discussing the merits of life on Mars while wearing white jackets complete with pocket protectors, and having abnormally heavy German accents, would need to find real jobs in the real world!

Many of the functions carried out by NASA today would become the bread and butter of new space firms in the Commercial market. The use of prizes will encourage the commercial space firms to develop the technology needed to develop a lunar colony at no cost to the tax payer, apart from the known size of the prize.

Let me see….a reduction in size, scope and cost of NASA – can only be a good thing, right?

Government sponsored prizes to encourage commercial enterprises to develop new technology, gain private sector funding of research and development, create jobs and develop new space systems?  Doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me.

Use commercial space to build vehicles to service America’s needs for transporting people and supplies to the space station, ending our reliance on the expensive rides provided by a government that is not particularly friendly to the United States?  Sounds like a good plan to me…not being reliant on Russia MUST be a good thing, right?

The creation of a moon colony would serve as a good defense against the Chinese who have already admitted their intent to capture the moon as part of the People’s Republic of China sounds reasonable to me. Of course, China is friendly to the USA….they wouldn’t do anything with the moon that would pose a threat to us, would they?

And finally, the moon has significant supplies of water and methane and many types of minerals. The establishment of a moon colony would enable the moon to be used as a way-station for refueling of commercially built spaceships on their way to exploration of more distant parts of space. Not at all a bad idea!

As far as I can see, this is a big hairy audacious plan that reduces the risk to the taxpayer while ensuring America remains in the forefront of space technology.

So what is my moment of “Now, you’ve  gone and done it”?

Well…Mitt Romney had a great statement about Gingrich’s moon colony idea.

He said (and I paraphrase)…”If I was an employer and somebody came to me with this kind of idea, I would fire him!”

Really?

Is this the real Mitt emerging?

The Mitt who will not listen to big audacious ideas, but will fire anybody that dares to come to him with one?

Now, I ask you…is this the sort of man we want as President? A man who would FIRE anybody with a big idea…without even giving it due consideration, or research or anything? Just a summary dismissal?

I don’t know about you, but I want someone in the big house who is able to listen to his advisers, able to consider the merits of ideas before deciding to not do them. And certainly not someone willing to fire an employee just for making a suggestion!!

Romney, you’ve really done it this time!!

And finally, in my list of favorite moments, how could I ignore this?

“We need to let President Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and my dear friend the chairman of the Democrat National Committee (Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz), we need to let them know that Florida ain’t on the table."

“Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message of economic dependency, take your message of enslaving the entrepreneurial will and spirit of the American people somewhere else. You can take it to Europe, you can take it to the bottom of the sea, you can take it to the North Pole, but get the hell out of the United States of America.”

Representative Alan West, my hat is off to you!! Now you’ve really gone and done it!!

What have you done?

You have taken the words from the mouths of every conservative in this Nation. You have taken them and refined them and ignored the lies that are political correctness, and you have stood up and told the world how you really feel.

Well played, sir…but you’ve really done it now.

You have unleashed a fury from the left that has not been seen since Adam was a boy. You have insulted the intelligentsia of the left, and have left them gaping with mouth’s wide open, amazed that a conservative could speak the truth in such an unmistakable manner.

In one well-placed statement you have shown who the left are, where they are pushing this country, and what conservatives think of it.

And for that, the insults and arrows will fly your way…for that you will be pronounced as a hater, an Uncle Tom, disgusting and disgraceful. The likes of Bob Beckel will tell all who will listen just how disgraceful you are.

And for every taunt that comes your way, with every rock thrown, you will show the left to be who they really are. Their hypocrisy will show clearly in the words they use.

Yes, Representative West… Now, you’ve gone and done it!

And I hope that more people stand up and decry political correctness and say what they really mean….you, sir, present as a great example of American patriotism….may we all be so bold!

…..devereaux

Time for a moment.

Romney is the candidate!

No, he’s not…Gingrich is the man now…he has more delegates!

No…that doesn’t matter, Santorum is moving nicely…he is the one.

No…Ron Paul has managed to capture the Paul-bots…he will have the greatest  influence.

Yawn!

At this point there have been 1% – 2% of available delegates won. Nobody can tell you who will get the nod or who will find public support or who the best candidates are to win against Obama.

All we can say today is that there is a long way to go.

Of course, the political pundits and talking heads are desperately trying to find reasons for the shocking reversal…reasons that explain why their chosen man did not win this last weekend.

We are hearing all sorts of stuff like it was Juan William’s or King that should be thanked for Gingrich’s sudden reversal in the polls.

Really?

Let me see….a question suggesting a candidate was racist because he called Obama a “food stamp president” was enough to give that candidate an edge in the primary? Ok, if you say so.

Or, a question about an ex-wife’s statement was enough to give the candidate a victory in the Primary?

Do you REALLY think that is true?

Or maybe you think it was those questions that allowed Gingrich an opportunity to answer…to create a moment…to absolutely destroy the front-runner in the primary by being outspoken about his own beliefs?

How simple minded do you folk really think we are?

Do you really believe that people voted for Gingrich because he attacked the media?

Do you really believe it is Gingrich’s debating ability that got him the victory?

We live in a world where the Republican establishment has already selected their candidate. There is no doubt in my mind that Romney was given the nod maybe even 4 years ago. The establishment stacked the candidate roster with a lot of consevatives….in the hope that the real conservative vote would be split with no single conservative having the support to challenge the moderate Romney.

Apart from the fact that this plan was sure to fail, and that it would ultimately lead to the re-election of Obama, I guess it was a good one.

I say it was sure to fail because it did not take into account the thirst of the conservative voter. It did not take into account the need for the conservative voter to know as much about the eventual candidate as possible. It did not take into account the fact that people no longer trust the Republican establishment.

This is why we have the “anybody but Romney” kickback.

And the establishment is rocked….it cannot believe that the nomination process is not over. It does not believe that it’s choice for candidate is not already crowned.

And it cannot believe that Gingrich can possibly be seen as a viable option.

Why?

Well, with all his baggage, the religious vote cannot possibly go his way….wrong!

Gingrich received 41% of the evangelical vote in South Carolina.

Hmm…well, married women will never vote for this philanderer!  Wrong again…41% did!

Ok…then, how about this….no way can he get the much sought after independent vote…he is far to extreme to get them….!  Umm…44% of independents say you are wrong!

So what happened?

Why did the guy with all the baggage…the guy that is unelectable….the guy who is too liberal or too conservative…or two abrasive…win the South Carolina Primary?

For anybody with their heads up their “you-know-whats”, this is a difficult question to answer. For the rest of us….it is easy.

Two happened in this last week or so that made people take a second look at Newt:-

1.       He managed to parlay stupid questions in a debate into “memorable moments”. I have spoken before on the need for candidates to create “moments”. See my post back in June last year where I set out a blueprint for how to win the nomination. (http://devereauxdailydose.blogspot.com/2011/06/wanna-win-forget-debates.html ) . Perhaps Gingrich or his handlers actually read it? In any event, he has understood that in order to win, you must create moments…and deliver a simple message.

2.       The second thing that Gingrich has done, that none of the other candidates has even come close to doing. He has been able to articulate the conservative message in simple terms that can be understood by all. He is able to reference that message to the problems we all see in our daily lives. He is able to connect the dots in a personal way that none of the other candidates is doing.

As a result, he is winning over the conservative base….he is giving them reason to hope…he is providing the motivation to know that their own beliefs are rock solid. And most importantly, he is offering a real alternative to the Obama we have now.

He is not afraid of attacking Obama….he is not afraid of standing strongly on what he believes…he is not afraid of his past…and he is visible to all the world where his faults are seen.

Is he the perfect candidate?

Far from it.

Do the voters care?

Not at all.

And this is why I have said many times that the nomination process must continue for as long as possible.

If Romney is able to learn and understand that we want a conservative, he can turn this around…if he learns to articulate what conservatism is.

If Newt’s baggage, or lack of self-control becomes an issue, it will come out as the primaries progress…remember Howard Dean’s meltdown? If Newt is going to implode, let him implode.

If Santorum find some passion and learns what we really want in a conservative candidate, maybe he will be the one.

Even Ron Paul could ignite the imagination…and have a greater impact.

The last thing we should be looking for right now is a reduction in the field. These 4 guys should be encouraged to go at it hammer and fist…..they should be encouraged to debate policy, but not attack each other’s conservative credentials….they should unite in continuous attacks against Obama….but above all, they must learn what the conservative base wants and earn the trust of those people. They must become the champions that will do what the people want.

Then, and only then, should the nomination be decided.

As far as Obama goes…well, he is preparing for his State of the Campaign speech tomorrow night. The rumor mill tells us that he is going to base his speech on the premise that he “wants America to return to what made America great”….

Really?

That is what he has?

The most powerful leader in the world is telling the country he wants it to return to what made it great?

I have a question….

Why is he not leading us there? Why is he not using his great leadership skills to motivate us to follow him to greatness?

Could it be because he :-

a)      Has NO leadership skills

b)      Does know where he is headed

c)       Does not know what made America great

d)      All of the above

The Campaigner-in-Chief is once again calling on America to do his own job for him, so that he can sit back and say he did it.

You can expect several themes from this State-of- the-Campaign speech:-

1.       A continuation of the class warfare approach. He will rail strongly against the 1%

2.       A continuation of the fairness culture…the rich must pay their fair share

3.       A claim that the middle class is at risk as a result of the greed of the wealthy

4.       Attacks against an intransigent and broken congress caused by the unwillingness of the Republicans to agree to liberal demands (of course it will be phrased as their preference for party politics over taking action that will feed grandma or keep your kids safe)

5.       Continued statements that the poor must be protected from Wall Street. That people must be kept in their homes,  and that the economy is getting better.

6.       Expect the lies about employment numbers and for good measure maybe even inflation numbers

7.       Expect the plea for further stimulus and higher debt to keep the country improving so we do not short –stop the economy through starvation of the dollar kind

8.       I am not entirely sure of this but I suspect he will play the race card somewhere here as a weak and very obvious attempt to rally blacks to his re-election cause

IN looking at that above list one has to wonder just how badly his re-election campaign must be doing. He clearly can’t stand on his performance…and has to appeal to the future performance – if only he gets 4 more years!

And finally…there is no doubt that liberalism is a mental disorder. That is the only reason I can think of for why so many Obama supporters are so stupid. If it is a mental disorder, maybe we should all pick one liberal family member, or friend, and arrange an intervention.

Their disease is curable….but only if they accept their addiction and want to change to become worthy of the mantel of citizen of the United States of America.

…..devereaux

Dear diary......

Dear diary…..

Yesterday I made a decision.

When I was wanting this role of President of the United States of America, I never realized how tough a job it really is.

Oh, I know…there are an awful lot of benefits to being regarded as the most powerful person on earth…and I have tried, I really have tried, to live up to all of my expectations.

My golf score has improved dramatically, I have discovered why Kobe beef is really expensive (it is really good) and I have learned that Martha’s Vineyard is not really a vineyard at all…it is a cool place to go and visit with the mega wealthy!! Who knew?

Of course, the bowling alley in the big house had to go…I still bowl like a special Olympian…but the hoops court is really cool, except when a stray elbow gets me and gives me a fat lip! At least, that is what we told the press…I tell ya, Michelle has a temper that knows no end. I am so glad we do not have guns …in fact she is a damned good reason to ban the sale of guns to the citizens!!

Anyway, I digress…what was I saying…..?

No…it wasn’t the about the football games coming up….and no, it wasn’t about that pesky guy what’s his name…the one that is in Iran…got those nuclear plans…what’s his name?  Armadinnerjacket  …or something like that. I am so glad Michelle wrote that letter to his requesting a private meeting….

No…it was important…what was it?

You know, this whole election thing is getting to be very distracting. I was watching Jerry Springer the other night and he said I was doing a great job….I think more Americans should watch this guy….they may learn something about me….after all, if he thinks I am doing a good job, I must be.

Of course, Michelle disagrees…but then she disagrees with everyone…such a disagreeable woman!

Oh…did you hear that Newt wanted an open marriage? Lucky bastard…he gets to screw around and still run for President. I just get to look at that dragon with her ghastly expressions and big ass, and try to smooth the waters when she gets her knickers in a twist and tries to get rid of my Chief of Staff, or my Press Secretary. I swear…she must have hormonal problems…I need to make a note to get the White House physician to check that next time he is here.

Now, where was I?

That’s right…how could I have forgotten?

Yesterday, I made a decision!

I was so proud of myself….I had to think long and hard about this…after all, it was very important. I actually hate having the lives of millions of people depending on my decisions…which is why, to date, I have avoided them totally. Up until yesterday, I was able to rely on that big assed gorilla, Michelle, to make my decisions for me…or if that failed, we could get the girls to tell us what they would do…they were usually pretty good.

But yesterday…yesterday was different. I put on my big boy undies and told her that I was going to make this decision…all by myself.

I told her that it was time she was put in her place, and that I was President…and that it was about time she let ME make the decisions…if she wouldn’t mind.

Her reaction surprised me, I must confess.

She simply patted me on the head, and said…”if you really think you are ready for it, go ahead and make the decision”…and then she waddled toward the kitchen in search of something fried to eat.

So, I made the decision…well…I sort of made the decision. You see, the weight of needing to make the RIGHT decision was weighing heavily on my shoulders. A bit of putting practice in the oval office while ignoring a scheduled security meeting didn’t help. Throwing some hoops while that idiot Reid and his nasty sidekick Pelosi waited for me did nothing to ease my consternation (nice word, huh? I learned that from Boehner when we were talking about the debt limit a few months back…he said I could use it whenever I wanted! ) Consternation….sort of rolls off the tongue real nice….like that hundred year old Armagnac she allowed me to taste last night….very smooth!

Reid and Pelosi could just cool their heels while I make this decision….after all, they are just going to ask me to do something for them…when are they ever going to do something for me? Wait…being President is not what I thought it would be…after all…everybody seems to want me to do something. Can’t a fella just watch TV sports and veg out for his four years in the big house? At least Michelle is here to take care of most of that crap….and we do get the parties, and entertainers fawning at our feet at the Wednesday night family concerts. Just like movie nights, only better – wow….what a good line…I guess Newt could say…”just like date night, only crunchier”….wow…I am so damn funny!!

Speaking of Newt…he scares me….if he beats Mitt for the nomination what am I going to do? I can’t very well send Michelle into the debates….I guess I will have to wear that damn earwig again and let her whisper the answers to me while I try to look in deep contemplation…..

…but I am good at that now….after all….I made a decision…and had to contemplate for a long time before getting it done.

Anyway…after the hoops, I realized I could not make the decision without getting some guidance from someone who I really trusted. Not being able to think of anybody around here that I really trusted, I suddenly realized the answer to that quandary was right beside me….Bo the wonder dog had been lying courtside watching me play hoops…or maybe dreaming of fire hydrants? I surely don’t know which…but he seemed to be smiling….

So I said to Bo…”Bo, talk to me about this pipeline thing….I really have no idea what it is or even where Keystone is…I have no idea what the fuss is all about….”

Bo just looked at me, lifted his leg and pissed on my pants….

At first I didn’t understand….

But then it hit me…”Piss on it” is what he meant…so I did….

The pipeline was dead. I had made my decision.

I literally skipped through the big house looking for Michelle, to tell her…and then to Jay and all the other people.

I pulled up my big boy undies and told them all…piss on it….and the pipeline was dead.

So today….the press and the talking heads are not filled with stories of my decision making process…but rather with how bad the decision is.

Oh well…when the crap hits the fan, at least I can say…”Bo told me to do it…it is his fault”

Signed,

Barry

Are we rats on a sinking ship?

What is that saying about rats and sinking ships?

As I hear the latest news about the tragedy unfolding in Italy, my mind wanders to what a leader should look like.. . and I don’t mean whether male/female, tall short, blonde/dark etc. I am talking about what qualities we should be seeking in our leaders of tomorrow.

The captain of that stricken cruise ship off the Italian coast is a great example of what we should NOT be looking for. After all, in modern ships, the captain’s job is not so closely aligned with the steering of the vessel through dangerous waters as it was in the past. With computer controlled steering, and pre-set safe passage waterways, the ship is certainly able to navigate the waters without human intervention. When it comes to docking or traveling into difficult ports, pilots are provided to steer the ships in…pilots with very specific local knowledge and well-practiced skills.

So it seems to me that the captain no longer needs to know much about steering the ships or navigation. His skills are necessarily more directed toward ensuring the safety of his passengers and crew.

It is only when something happens to take the ship off its preprogrammed course, that any sort of navigational skills are required.

It is possible that in my ignorance, I am simplifying the requirements…and I suspect that ships captains all around the world will be howling in disagreement right now. Of course, they have a profession to protect whereas I have no vested interest either way.

In any event, the captain is the main go-to guy to make decisions when something out of the ordinary takes place….like running aground on a reef when the ship is nearly 4 miles off course because the computer controlled navigation had been manually over-ridden.

I am not going to get up in the rights and wrongs of who did what that caused the ship to be off course. Nor am I going to sling blame about that. But I am going to look at the qualities required of a captain when something untoward took place.

We have all heard the adage that the captain is expected to go down with his ship. There is a reason for this. The old time thinking was that if the Captain must be the last to leave the ship, then he will do everything possible NOT to allow the ship to sink…his own self-interest will ensure he will make the best decisions he can – if for no other reason than his own personal safety.

Maritime law continues to require the captain to ensure the safety of his passengers and crew first. He is required to stay on his sinking vessel so as to co-ordinate rescue efforts. He is expected to direct evacuation procedures, maintain calm, co-ordinate communication between his crew and the passengers and the coast guard/rescuers.

When all has been done…he may leave the vessel…after every living person has left, not before.

Leadership.

Sometimes it is forced by self-preservation, sometimes enabled by bravery…sometimes through sheer guts and determination, sometimes through enforced regulation.

But NEVER has it ever been said that cowardice has any part of leadership.

The cowardice of the Captain in Italy ensured he was not only one of the first off the ship and taken to safety, but it prevented him from doing the job that he was paid to do, the job that his passengers believed he would do, the job that his crew expected he would do, and the job that his employers demanded he do.

Cowardice.

Cowardice has brought down many a good man. And it is only when ones mettle is tested, when one must walk into the fiery furnace, that a man or woman will know for sure whether they are a coward or not.

I wrote a post back in August last year that looked at leadership and looked at how important it is to know who you are. I have included excerpts below….

“I have spoken many times about the need for personal responsibility and personal accountability. I have intimated that liberals/progressives want government to bear that responsibility and accountability and that the individual is not to blame...it is the system that caused them to be the way they are.

Yeah, right.

In 1971 Don McLean released his song American Pie. This was a very important time in my life and was the catalyst for me knowing who I am.

I was in 10th grade at school (giving away my age here) and my English Literature teacher was one of those guys who could have stepped straight out of Woodstock, or the summer of love. He was the long haired hippie type we all aspired to being. As a new teacher he had yet to learn the restraints that the education system was going to place on his teaching methods. He believed in teaching English Literature in the context of modern developments and was extremely good at taking pop culture and dissecting it into bite-size portions that could then be compared and analysed by reference to traditional English Literature (the classic novels).

As wet behind the ears 10th graders, whose only experience of English Literature up till then had been the classics, it was quite a shock to find our first study requirement being A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrik's brilliant 1971 movie based on the 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess.) We studied songs by The Who, The Rolling Stones and of course, the one that made sense of it all, American Pie.

As you know, I had a great love for reading from childhood, but this teacher (whose name I don't recall) took it further and showed me how music, movies, pop-culture, politics and the whole history of culture all play a part in how we see the world, how we understanding it working, and how we see ourselves.

One day, we were waiting in class for the next study of some wildly interesting topic, when he walked in, sat his ass on a desk and said....

"I have tried to help you discover the world and how it is reflected in popular culture. I have tried to show you how to find yourself among the confusion. Now, I need to ask you a question...

If you were caught in a raging flood, and found yourself safely in a tree, wet and cold but knowing you were safe....and then you saw someone floating past you, in trouble...drowning...would you leave your safe haven to save that stranger, knowing that you could die in the process,....or would you hang on to your safety net, and just pray that person survives?"

Wow. That was a heavy question.

He then said..."Don't answer that question now. The reality is you do not know what you would do. Most people have no idea what they would do until they are in the situation. But, I have learned that the secret to a happy life is to know yourself...so what I am about to tell you is very important. Take heed. Everything you do, everything you think, everything you say...becomes a part of you. Your job is to know yourself...no more and no less."

With that he stood up and walked out.

We never saw him again. He walked out of our classroom, out of the school, and out of our experience.

I will never forget that day, or that question.

I desperately wanted to believe that I would jump in the torrent and try to save that person floating past me. That appealed to my sense of right. That appealed to my sense of honor and my need to see myself as courageous. That was who I wanted to be.

Of course, most people never find themselves in those sorts of situations. Most people never find out who they really are. It took 20 years for me to find out the answer to that question...20 years of not knowing was answered in a split second decision.

1991. It was a beautiful sunny day. I was at a beach with my 5 year old son. It was a favorite surf beach but was not patrolled by lifesavers. My experience as a surfer led me to watch the waves, the sky, the rhythm of the sea before I would go near the water. On this day, the skies had a particular hue that to me looked like a storm had gathered well out to sea. The waves were choppy and not consistent. Waves usually come in sets of 3 - 6 waves. These waves were all over the place...coming from different directions, breaking in different places....just very odd.

As my eyes traveled along the shore I saw a lot of people playing in the shallows, many playing in the channel between two sand bars...a channel that I knew could change from a fun place to romp to a dangerous powerful rip in mere seconds as the bottom of the sandbar changed with every wave crashing on it.

As I watched, it happened. A mother and her two children playing with a rubber blow-up mattress suddenly disappeared under an enormous wave. When they reappeared, they were in the middle of a narrow rip that instantly started to take them out to sea. My mind raced back to that question that was asked 20 years ago...and I suddenly knew the answer.

Without hesitation I was in that water, swimming through waves, using the edge of the rip to aid my efforts to reach this family that was now struggling to keep hold of their mattress, being battered by waves that were now approaching 6 or maybe 7 feet. With no lifeguards it was up to whoever could do it, to go after them...or they would drown.

I don't want to be over-dramatic. I reached them. I screamed at them where they needed to try to get to...somehow, above the roar of the waves, they heard, and somehow remained calm, and somehow allowed me to guide them. The two small children held the air mattress for dear life while the mother found some new strength inside her and we all made it, firstly to the side of the rip, and then beginning the long swim back to shore. When I first saw this family they were no more than 50 - 75 feet from shore. When we got out of the rip, we were 3,000 feet from shore.

We reached the shore. Everyone playing there was oblivious to the dangers. I went straight to my son and hugged him tight to me. When I looked up again, the family were nowhere to be seen...vanished...not so much as a thank you. I was ok with that. I knew at that moment who I was.

On that day, 11 people on that stretch of beach were dragged out to sea by dangerous rips that appeared from nowhere. Only 8 were rescued.

I don't know who that family was. I don't know why I was the only one who saw their distress. I don't know why I was even watching. All I know is that on that bright but stormy summer day, I answered the question that had been there for so long.

So...I ask you...do you know who you are?

I am not suggesting that we need to put ourselves in danger to answer that question. Very few of us will ever be called upon in that way. Most of us will go through life with the normal highs and lows of life, never needing to consider what they would do, and never needing to decide what they have to do.

It's ok to live life that way.

What is not ok is to not know who you are.

And this, I fear is the crux of the problem in today's America.

I have yet to meet a liberal who knows who they are. I have met many who know who they would like to be. I have met many who know what fantasy life they would like to have. I have met many who say they know who they are but when pressed do not even know what they believe.

Without knowing who you are, without knowing what you believe, without knowing why you believe it...you will be as lost as the liberal progressives who try to tell you what you should be. Their own insecurities are seen in their desire to tell us all how we should live, what we should be like, and what we should believe.

If you truly know who you are, these pressures that the liberals apply will have absolutely no impact on you. On the other hand, if you have not found out who you are, you are at risk of succumbing to their nonsense.

The true story above is not there because I see myself as a hero. I tell you this only because it helps you understand a little more about me...a little more about why I am who I am. To help you see that self knowledge is the single most important thing in your life.

That teacher all those years ago was 100% correct...the way to a happy life is to know who you are.

When I look at our leaders, I see lies and deception. I see sorrow. I see anger. I see distrust. I see power lust and I see doubt. But there is hope...there is always the exception that proves the rule.

When I look at some of the true conservatives in Congress, I see light, I see joy, I see acceptance of themselves as who they are, warts and all, I see determination to make the world a better place, and I see love....both love for others and a deep accepting love of who they are.

These people are the heroes of congress. These people are the ones that will shape a better America...these are the ones who know who they are.

They may have never needed to answer that question that was asked so many years ago...but they have indeed discovered who they are.

That is why they will succeed.

They do not have to pretend to be something they wish they were. They are them. Sharp corners and all.

I don't want you to go on a voyage of self discovery, testing your limits, finding out what you will do in different circumstances. That is not the right way for everyone. Some need that, but most don't.

Most people simply need a few moments of quiet honesty with themselves. And then a few moments of quiet acceptance of what they found. Then a few moments of quiet confidence that what they found is good.

Then you will know who you are.

.....devereaux, August 3 2011”

So, what should we be looking for in our leaders of tomorrow?

This question is vital as we select those that will compete against the Liar-in-Chief in the upcoming Presidential elections.

We need more than just someone who looks right…we need more than just someone who could beat Obama…we need someone who knows themselves…we need someone who will not desert a sinking ship, a rat with cowardice filling his well-manicured and politically savvy body. Beware the candidates who do not stand strong when attacked by friend and foe…beware the candidate who stutters and stammers, who uses evasion or misdirection to avoid the tough questions.

Search for the candidate who knows himself, who has been tested by fire and, although not perfect (who on this earth is?) is able to express sorrow for his failings, and a willingness to learn from his mistakes.

We need someone who will lead…who will take control when things go awry, who will stand on the deck, offering help and securing the passengers safety even as his own life is threatened.

We need someone who will staunchly defend what is right, regardless of the temptation to follow what is popular.

We need someone who will defend this Country even when the enemy is already at his throat.

We need somebody who will unite the people behind moral certitudes and patriotic pride, someone who will lead from the front, loudly proclaiming the truth, even when his political enemies attack his beliefs, his sense of right and his morality.

We need someone who remains fearless in the face of public outcry, staunchly observing the principles upon which he was elected, even when that may cost him the next election.

We need someone who hears our voice, hears our compassion and understands our demands for freedom.

We need someone who exerts influence, rather than peddling cheap answers in exchange for tomorrow’s votes. We need someone who encourages his people rather than someone who drags them along through protestations. We need someone who is…in short….

……a LEADER.

As conservatives across the country are faced with a decision over the coming weeks, we must all pray that we select our leaders based on the right requirements.

We don’t need another hero – we tried that in 2008 and that didn’t work out so well…we need a leader…a true leader.

Before casting your votes, I implore you to think carefully and vote for the candidate that can unite the country behind his special brand of leadership. Nobody else is good enough!

…..devereaux

A house built on sand.

Today I want to ask a few simple questions….just to see whether what I think is indeed the way the world works or whether I have truly disappeared down the rabbit hole and will be spending the rest of my life chasing white rabbits to tea parties.

Now, the answers to these questions could easily be very simple or very complicated. I am not looking for long drawn out discussions trying to rephrase the question so that the answers fit with what you perceive as reality….I just want you to blurt out the first answer that makes sense to you…ok?

Let’s start with this one….

What helps poor people most? Charity…or business?

When I first heard John Stossel ask this question over the weekend, my initial answer was business!!  And that has not changed at all. The reality is that charity may help poor folk get back on their feet, it may help them temporarily but it cannot do anything to ensure that poor folk can gravitate from poverty to a more comfortable living. Only business can do that. Only business can provide jobs, only business can create wealth, only business can generate the continuous income to ensure that economic growth can raise all people’s boats just as a rising tide does. On the other hand, if business (and the wealthy owners) contributed all of their capital to be distributed among the poor, the poor would remain poor and the rest of us would join them in poverty in short order as the capita;l needed to create economic growth is distributed to keep the poor in their poverty.

OK…let’s look at another quick one.

Is it good for the country that more people vote? I mean, if more people voted, then the democratic process is better served and the chances of getting a better government based on the combined wisdom of the masses must be improved, right?

This is another question from John Stossel.  My answer?

Hell no!!

At the last general election, approximately 90 million people voted. With 200 million eligible voters, it is clear that more people chose NOT to vote than chose TO vote. I say this is a good thing, not a bad thing. In fact, I would like to see fewer people voting than even this proportion. Why? Because so many voters have no idea what they are voting for. Few of them have any idea who the candidates are, what they stand for, or why they are voting. How can this be good for the country?

I believe that the only people who should vote are those who know the issues, follow politics closely and vote based on their belief in the their preferred candidates and the policies they promise to implement.

Voting based on family history (my family has always voted democrat and we will to the day we die), or based on job type (I am a factory worker therefor I must vote democrat) or on the freebies offered to the disenfranchised (I will vote democrat because they will make sure I don’t starve to death just because I don’t want to work) or based on color (I have to vote for the black guy)…are all the wrong reasons to vote!

Now…I have picked on the democrats in this example…but the republicans are just as bad. They do not get out of jail free.

This is why the current primary process is so screwed up. Conventional wisdom states clearly that approximately 40% of voters are mindless republican voters, 40% are mindless democrat voters and the balance are the thinkers in the middle…the ones who will ultimately determine who wins the election.

So…the republican brains trust has determined that in order to win, republicans must achieve a few solid things:-

1.       They must not ever be derogatory to the opposition. They must NOT alienate any of the 40% democrats who may move to the independent group, and surely must not risk offending those newly minted independents by being too aggressive to the boy they may have voted for in the last election

2.       They MUST not be socially conservative. They must not take a stand for the conservative beliefs that molded them for fear that the newly minted independents will find their stance on gays or abortion will be so untenable that they cannot possibly vote for them

3.       They MUST not talk about the benefits of capitalism because most people do not understand what capitalism really is. Most of the center, the independents, are scared of capitalism…it just doesn’t feel right to them, so they could never vote for someone who proclaims free trade as the answer. Much better to talk in terms of “sensible” government regulation to make sure capitalism does not get carried away.

4.       Do not talk about the conservative need to reduce government expenditure on freebies. Do not attack social security; do not talk about Medicaid or Medicare or the elderly or the hard decisions and actions that have to be made.

5.       Talk ONLY about the fee-good things…the jobs you will create, the “bad” laws you will get rid off, the tax changes you would like to see.  Talk about how you are the only one qualified to drive the Nation…blah blah blah.

And then, the Republican brains trust expects that on election day you will have the 40% brainless republican voters plus more than 50% of the independents because you have not scared them away…and in that result, you win.

Simple, huh?

If this is true, why is it that the democrats are taking a totally different tack? Why are they ignoring the 50% of the population that is middle class, and concentrating on the poor and the wealthy elite? Surely they know that they should be going after the independents? Surely they know that without them they cannot win an election?

Or is it more likely that they understand that elections are won by finding support amongst those potential voters that simply want to be told what to do?

In the case of the democrats, they are seeking the totally unthinking vote. They don’t care about anyone who needs to think about it. The rich elite have enough money that they don’t care about the result so they can afford to assuage their guilt by supporting the great redistributor of wealth. The poor just want more hand-outs and are more than willing to sell their vote for the promise of the next handout. The blacks want their guy in the whitehouse, and the unions want more free companies that only Obama will give them. So the democrat strategy will be to promise more free stuff…and to ignore the voters who cannot be bought.

At the same time, they will denigrate the conservative candidates at every turn. They will use the vilest language, accusations and lies. They will not hesitate to offend…because the people they offend are not their voters anyway. Their objective will be to paint the Republican candidate as unworthy…and to make people believe that voting is of no value. In a low turnout election, the democrats win.

Very simple math.

So we have the Republicans playing the game. Not going after Obama, not providing a seriously different option…falling into the trap of trying to get the 20% while the 40% are deciding not to even vote.

Wake up, you idiots on the right!!

Take a cue from Ron Paul…his popularity is not based on the fact that he is liberal light…..it is based on the fact that he is different…that he says clearly that government MUST change. I have no doubt that if Dr. Paul could better articulate his foreign policy and not get drawn into the petty “what if’s” of a nuclear Iran, he would win easily…against both the other republican candidates and eventually against Obama. Unfortunately, he will not get his foreign policy under control and the best he can hope for is to influence the conservative platform (not necessarily a bad thing.)

SO that leaves us with Obama Light, in Romney…the slick but somehow not believable candidate that is not prepared to simply say that free trade is good and that property rights are vital. Why doesn’t he say that whoever owns a company has the right to do with it whatever they want? End of story! He refuses to say this….because of rule number 3 above.  Rather, he wants to appeal to the independents by proclaiming that their guy did something similar…so it must be ok. Pathetic!!!

We then have Perry accusing Romney of vulture capitalism. Why doesn’t he attack Obama as a Marxist? Again, simple…Rule number 1 and Rule number 3 above. If he attacks Obama as a Marxist he will offend the independents. If he doesn’t attack Romney’s capitalism, he will be seen as a supporter of a greater evil. Pathetic.

And Newt…as I predicted days ago, he is embarking on a path of self destruction with his continued attacks on Romney. Now Newt is smart enough to understand that he is following the Republican rules by doing this. He is also smart enough to know that every time he damages Romney with an attack, he also damages his own chances of success. But he simply can’t help himself.  Pathetic.

Santorum is managing to stay at least partly out of the fray…he is playing it smart…he is calling on the other candidates to control their superpacs with the correct message that if they cannot control their supporters, how can they manage and lead their administration without the benefit of it being necessarily friendly?

Santorum is also breaking some of the rules above. His social conservatism is on display daily, but he needs to learn how to deflect the questions better. His positions are fine, but will not solve the nation’s woes. He needs to learn how to redirect the questions to the economy and Obama’s lack of credible performance if he wants to beat Obama.

And Huntsman is gone. No surprise there.

Back to the questions I started this post with….

As a reminder….

1.       Business helps the poor more than charity – the candidates need to stand proudly on this truth….making a moment out of it every time they speak. The people they want to vote for them know this…they just need the logic of the fallacy that charity is better to be pointed out to them once again

2.       The only voters you want are those that understand the implications. These are the voters that will go out in the snow storms, in the bad weather and in extreme circumstance to cast their votes. These are the voters that will mobilize and throw support behind you.

The voters that the democrats are after will not go out in the cold, in the storms…they are basing their thoughtless votes on “what’s in it for me”…and the republicans or conservatives will NEVER get those votes.

No…the votes the Conservatives need are the people who really care what happens to this country….and to get them they must offer a completely different alternative.

A proud and strong conservative with sound fiscal policies, reasonable foreign policies and strong convictions on social policies can win this election.

The electorate is crying out loud for a leader….and for moral certitudes…and for honesty and truth. The candidate that shows through his actions that these are his attributes can win in a landslide.

The candidate that waters these down in a mistaken belief that they need to portray a more moderate side, has no chance.

If that is what we display as an alternative to Obama…we will be soundly defeated….because our box of rocks that I believe could beat Obama is little more than a box of sand, ever moving under your feet, impossible to get a grip on, and presenting nothing that the country can be built on.

You all know the story of the man who built his house on the sand…didn’t end too well for him, did it?

…..devereaux