VOLuntarilyConservative

The Blount County Young Republicans will be hosting a Republican Presidential Debate Watching Party on this upcoming Monday, January 16th. The event will take place at the Court Yard Grill on Alcoa Highway, and guests are encouraged to arrive by 8:45 P.M. The debate starts at 9:00 P.M. and will last until approximately 11:00 P.M.

I plan on attending (providing that I can get at least one of the boys to sleep by then). As with most YR events, it will be a casual evening with informal discussions by Republicans under 40 who are concerned about our nation. For those not familiar with Court Yard Grill, it is on the right as you head south down Alcoa Highway just prior to entering the Alcoa Motor Mile. It's a big restaurant with green neon highlights.

Labels: 2012 Presidential Campaign, Blount County, YRs

One could fill a book with the nuances of the redistricting plan put forth by GOP National Committeeman John Ryder and the Tennessee Republican Party - why lines were drawn here, how subtle differences impact voters there. It's chocked full of interesting decisions and - likely - more political favoritism and money than any of us will ever know.

The one decision which jumped out to me and a few others in the blogosphere is what is being done to Kerry Roberts. Roberts, a Tea Party favorite, persevered and eventually was elected to replace moderate Diane Black when Black moved on to the U.S. House. Now with redistricting, Kerry Roberts is being treated worse than any of the Democrats, basically ousted from the Senate by being drawn into another Republican's district that doesn't come up for election again until 2014. That means that Roberts' term will end when this session ends and, if he so chooses to run for the Senate again, he will have to do so in a contested GOP primary in 2014 against a sitting incumbent.

This sends a very dangerous message to the grassroots. Ken over at Blue Collar Muse is none too pleased, and the GOP needs to be clear with the Tennessee grassroots as to why this was done. I don't think I would want to disrespect the grassroots when, in all likelihood, the top of the ticket is going to be represented in 2012 by a candidate that the grassroots does not care for in Mitt Romney. And Ken might be the most important grassroots leader in Tennessee politics at this juncture, having worked over the past couple of years to strengthen the networking in the Volunteer State.

Lots of questions, and very few answers thus far...

Labels: 2012 Tennessee Races, General Assembly, Grassroots, Political Canibalism, Political Strategy, Redistricting

Lots of Republicans are angry at President Obama's recess appointment of Richard Cordray as the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). One argument being used that Obama's action was illegal is that the Senate is not in recess, instead being brought into session for a few minutes every few days.

I believe that the argument above is with merit. However, there's one that is just as good contained within the text of the Dodd-Frank Bill itself, the legislation that created the CFPB. That legislation states that the board needs a director to exercise its designated powers, and that director can exercise those powers once he or she "is confirmed by the Senate."

That obviously didn't happen here, and it is a reasonable interpretation of the law that the Congress specifically was stating through its legislative intent that the director not be subject to a recess appointment.

So, even if a judge found that the Senate is for all intents and purposes in recess, that doesn't win the day for Obama. He still doesn't have a director, as per the terms of the legislation that created a need to have one in the first place.

Someone needs to challenge Cordray's appointment in federal court - and soon - before the CFPB starts making a mess of things through actions that will be difficult to undo.

Labels: Legislative Intent, President Obama, Recess Appointments

Well, who could have foreseen those results from Iowa a couple of weeks back? Despite average to below average debate performances and having done nothing of real note except for participate in Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats' pay-for-pay scheme that "earned" Santorum the endorsement of several Iowa Christian religious leaders, Rick Santorum rolls out of Iowa with the most personal political relevance since he turned his back on Pennsylvania conservatives and worked for Arlen Specter's re-election.

Meanwhile, Bachmann does something that I can't remember ever happening - going from Ames Straw Poll winner to last amongst the active Iowa campaigns at the caucuses. Sure, her debate performances were uneven, but they weren't significantly worse than Santorum's - surely not worth twenty-points worse.

Perry comes out of Iowa not only disappointed, but significantly confused. Why on earth did he seem to signal his exit from the field Tuesday night, saying that he was returning to Texas instead of continuing on to South Carolina? Maybe it's just this experienced guy's opinion, but if it had been my call, I would have put a contrite but strong Rick Perry out in front of the cameras, shown that my candidate was a fighter and that he was going to carry the fight to South Carolina. Go all-in in the Palmetto State. Fight for Bachmann's supporters while courting Gingrich's unorganized crowd in the hopes that he straps on a figurative suicide bomb in his anger and tries to destroy Romney in a quixotic charge in New Hampshire. Stem Santorum's rise in South Carolina, where Santorum has no organization and has not campaigned with regularity. Come out of South Carolina in the top-two, marginalize Paul, and say that you are the candidate for the Anti-Romney movement. But what do I know...

I'll let Jackie and Dunlap from Red State Update take it from here on the Iowa wrap-up:

Labels: 2012 Presidential Campaign, Iowa, Michelle Bachmann, Mitt Romney, New Hampshire, Red State Update, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, South Carolina, Videos

Stephen Green drunkblogged it over at PJ Media. Even as his blood alcohol level increased, his analysis remained pretty much on point.

Personally, I thought that there were several shots that landed against frontrunner Newt, but that he handled himself relatively well. It was Rick Perry's strongest debate by far, and Santorum likely had his strongest night, as well.

Romney needed to come on strong, which I don't believe that he did. He looked desperate at times, and tonight might be the beginning of the end of his campaign. The proposed bet of $10,000 towards Perry was awful and made him look out of touch with the average American. (If Mitt felt that he needed to bet someone during the debate, he should have tried to get Newt to put up that $300,000+ that he scored from Fannie and Freddie Mac. That ain't chump change - ask the taxpayers who picked up the tab.)

The real surprise might be Ron Paul, who kept his crazy positions and statements to a minimum tonight and actually scored on a variety of points. I've heard from more than one wonk "in the know" that has mentioned the possibility of a Paul win in Iowa without meaning it as a punchline.

All in all, a good debate for everyone - except Mitt. I can't believe that I'm going to have to vote for one of these folks in under three months. Given that I'm not seeing any bumper stickers, yard signs, etc., here in East Tennessee, I don't think that I'm alone in that camp.

Labels: 2012 Presidential Campaign, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Ron Paul

Remember, remember the Fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
We see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

Of course, the putrid Freebaggers (thanks, Blue Collar Muse) who have adopted the Guy Fawkes mask as their symbol are laughable. Guy Fawkes had testicular fortitude. All that you have is poor hygiene and time to kill. Yeah, that's the same thing...

Labels: Guy Fawkes, OWS

Interesting ad that depicts Herman Cain as the conservative option that the Right has been complaining has been lacking from the previous election cycles.

Labels: 2012 Presidential Campaign, Herman Cain

It was apparent to this observer from watching the debate earlier this week that the folks running against Herman Cain for the GOP nomination are relying on folks not being informed as to Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan. Their hope is that American voters remain confused as to the differences in state and federal taxes. Like Cain said in the debate, this is apples and oranges. Cain is trying to reform the federal tax program. Despite Mitt Romney's protestations, it wouldn't be legal for any sitting president to alter the way a state taxes its residents.

Cain explained a little more about his plan in Detroit earlier today. In the nearly 20 minute speech, Cain talks about incentives for capital gains by corporations and entrepreneurs, the deductions that businesses would have to work in "opportunity zones," how this activity would be an incentive for cities to work to help themselves, and other facets of the plan.



I am with Ann Coulter, who, as she stated last night on "Hannity," likes the plan more and more as Cain's political rivals keep attacking it.

Labels: 2012 Presidential Campaign, Economy, Herman Cain