Dream Team

I am curiously heartened by the fact that so many people seem to be overlooking or dismissing Herman Cain for 2012.  I believe he is a come-from-behind, Hoosier-type candidate, who will shock everyone.  I am so hungry for a tell-it-like-it-is, torpedoes-be-damned type of candidate and he's it.  I am so sick of smooth-talking and the constant suspicion that I'm getting "sold."  I can only handle so much Used Car Salesman grease.  I want the truth and nothing but the truth...NOW.  Herman Cain unapologetically cuts to the chase.  Couple that with his strong business background and I think we've got a winner.  We need someone fearless and unflappable. I think all he'd have to do is simply occupy space in close proximity to Pres. Obama and he would make the president's foolishness glaringly apparent to those who have not already become aware of it.

Now, besides our desperate need for a strong businessman, someone with a strong military background at the bottom of the ticket would make that ticket a dream team.  That person is Colonel Allen West.  That man repels bull crap (as does Cain.)  Imagine, if you will, a vice presidential debate between V.P. Biden and Colonel Allen West.  It would be like Steve Urkel facing down Norman Schwarzkopf.  My money's on Stormin' Norman.  From what I've seen of Allen West, I would trust him with my children, believing he would die defending them, if necessary.  We put strong business with strong military, mix in unwavering patriotism and fearlessness--and we win BIG.

How I Got Here

The night Barack Obama won the presidency, I didn't even know who my congressional rep was.  I didn't know what a precinct caucus was.  I had never written a letter or placed a call to an elected official.  When Fox News called Ohio for Pres. Obama on election night, fear set in and it created a spark.  A couple days later, I bought a copy of the Declaration and the Constitution and read them.  I looked up my congressional rep.  Now, only 2 1/2 years later, I have called D.C. offices hundreds of times, written letters to the editor, attended tea parties, marched in D.C. on 9-12-09 and 9-12-10, marched in parades for candidates and attended district & state conventions as a delegate.  I've read more books than I can list, one of my favorites being about the constitutional convention.  The amazing thing is there are millions of Americans with a similar story.  It blows my mind.  It is proof that loyalty to this country runs deep. I was amazed and encouraged when, at my first tea party event on 4-15-09, every single word spoken at the mic was just exactly how I felt and what I thought.  It was obvious all 4000 attendees were in agreement.  The call to action I received that day was when the organizer stood at the mic and declared, "Look in the mirror.  That's your leader!"  I will never forget that.  That's the moment I realized it is up to me.  Not my congressional rep.  Not the media.  Not my neighbor.  Not even our awesome military.  Me. The purpose fulfilled by those first tea party events was to establish we are not alone.  Now that we know we have a fantastic team, we all instinctively know that practical application comes next.  We turn our attention to the nitty gritty.  We're done with talk; it is time for action.  And we're taking it.  The results in November are proof.  We're not done and we all know it.  I can't wait to see what the next election brings.

Ever present in my thoughts, as I participate in our self-governance, are my great-grandparents, who made the treacherous journey across the ocean on a ship. They believed a new start in America was worth leaving everything they had and everyone they knew to place the request at Ellis Island for permission to enter.  I knew my great-grandma, which personalizes the immigration story.  I think about them.  Would I dare dishonor my family and throw away everything they risked and everything they sweated for, just because getting involved is uncomfortable, takes time and requires effort?  Never.  The idea of what our government is trying to do infuriates me and motivates me like nothing ever has.  I've wondered many times if the fire-in-the-belly I feel right now is what my great-grandparents felt.  I've wondered if the passion of the tea party is the same as the passion felt by the Founders.  (I think they would have loved the Summer of Screaming Townhalls in August 2009.)  The counter attack put into action on November 2 is a strong start.  But it is a start only.  The freshmen are holding the line, as they were ordered to do, but we have got to send in reinforcements.  I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get started working on the campaign so the next group can ship out.

Stay the Course

Are we eating our own?  Like many conservatives, I was salivating for a government shutdown.  The attempt to impose fear of that possibility bounced off me. It was difficult to ascertain any negatives regarding the idea of muzzling the behemoth that has become our federal government.  Shutdown?  Yes!  Please!  Like many conservatives, I was very disappointed when our side backed away from a shutdown.  I was disappointed with the number $38.5 billion.  It feels like trying to bail water on the Titanic with a teaspoon.  However, I fear we are playing right into the hands of our opponents by allowing ourselves to be consumed with anger & frustration toward the Republicans in Congress.  Won't we accomplish much more if we offer encouragement and support?  The 87 new House members have got to be overwhelmed with the daunting task our nation faces.  I find the idea of becoming consumed with disgust counter-productive.  Let's instead focus on the fact that the American people brought the spending madness to a screeching halt on November 2 and-hey!-even cut some spending, albeit nowhere big enough.  Did we not realize, during last fall's campaign, that it will take several election cycles before this house is cleaned up?  Decades of neglect have left a tangled mess.  We cannot and should not expect overnight results.  My favorite people to hear from right now are not the old, washed up candidates of the past, but, rather, any one of the 87 fire-in-the-belly freshmen.  I often think when I hear them talk, I sent myself to D.C., so to speak.  Would I fold, if it were me in that city?  Absolutely NOT. And I would want to know the people back home believe in me and trust me.  After all, they picked me.