Vote Tuesday, November 4

Musings from Maytown realizes that we can say little to add to the discussion of the long and arduous presidential race. Furthermore, Musings from Maytown seriously doubts that any endorsement in the presidential race will sway anyone.
However, Musings from Maytown hopes to speak out on important races and amendment votes that may not be the most prominent in your mind. Musings from Maytown will be endorsing in the local races in Jefferson County (metro Birmingham), Alabama, the key Congressional race in Alabama, the competitive and crucial, yet low-key races for seats on the Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Constitutional Amendments on the ballot in Alabama. Our most-asked inquiry has involved these constitutional amendments.
Please go and vote on Tuesday, November 4. In Alabama, the polls open at 7 AM and close at 7 PM. Please urge every right-thinking Alabamian to vote this Tuesday.
And, while you are considering these posts, please look to the left of the page and vote in our Musings from Maytown presidential poll. This poll links to 2,600 websites through Newsvine. Of these 2,600 websites, Musings from Maytown ranks #8 in total votes and #7 in most Republican votes.

Alabama Constitutional Amendments

This Tuesday, Alabama voters will decide on six constitutional amendments. Also, a local amendment for Jefferson County will be on the ballot. Musings from Maytown recommends the following on the amendments:
Amendment One: Musings from Maytown recommends a NO vote. During the first administration of Gov. Fob James, a huge quantity of oil was discovered off the coast of South Alabama, reaping a great windfall for Alabama government. Gov. James wisely urged that the monies be placed in trust so that the interest would benefit Alabama interests for generations to come. When Gov. Wallace was in office, additional oil windfalls were also placed in trust.
Now, Montgomery is asking us to free up principal to spend on current needs. Tim James is leading the opposition to this amendment (click link for information). Musings from Maytown believes that the temptation to spend the principal is unwise and makes it easy for Montgomery politicians to spend at the expense of future generations. Vote NO on Amendment One.
Amendment Two: Vote Yes to create a Judicial Commission for Shelby County as already operates in Jefferson and Madison Counties. This commission would present a slate of three candidates to the Governor for appointment. However, the appointee would serve only until the next election, and must stand for election to a full term. This keeps a future liberal Governor from making a purely political appointment in a heavily Republican county.
Amendment Three: Vote No on raising taxes for schools in the Madison section of Limestone County. With government too big and taxes taking an excessive amount of our economy, Musings from Maytown uniformly opposes new taxes at any level.
Amendment Four: Vote YES to require Blount County voter approval before a city outside Blount County to annex a portion of Blount County. This amendment is a reaction to Birmingham's past effort to annex areas in Blount County, without voter approval. This amendment does allow for an annexation of Woodhaven Lakes, on the county line, into Pinson--a plan already in the works.
Amendment Five: Vote Yes to allow Russell County to ask for local legislation to set court costs.
Amendment Six: Vote Yes to allow Tuskegee to make the office of Utilities Board an elective post.
Jefferson County Amendment: Vote YES to require that tenants are liable for sewer bills. Jefferson County has had a rash of unpaid sewer bills and has been seeking payment from owners, rather than the ones who caused the sewer bill. In the past, the county has excused the tenant and sought payment from the owner of the property.
To recap, Musings from Maytown reccommends the following:
Amendment One NO
Amendment Two YES
Amendment Three NO
Amendment Four YES
Amendment Five YES
Amendment Six YES
Jefferson County Amendment YES

Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals

Two judgeships on the Court of Criminal Appeals will be filled this Tuesday, to replace retiring judges H.W. Bucky McMillian and Pam Baschab. These judges have both served with a conservative philosophy and respect for the rights of citizens. The Court of Criminal Appeals has served well with a good record of processing cases and making honorable rulings that are not overturned at a higher court. We must replace these two judges with conservatives who would serve conscientiously.
For place one, Beth Kellum. Beth Kellum serves as Chief Assistant to Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Kelli Wise. Kellum grew up in a country church and played piano and taught Sunday School. Musings from Maytown has had pleasant interviews with Kellum and knows her to be a serious-minded conservative. While Musings from Maytown endorsed her opponent in the primary and runoff, we have no negative concerns on Ms. Kellum. Rather, we know her to be qualified and capable. Her experience as Chief Assistant would make Beth Kellum able to go to work on the first day in office.
For place two, Musings from Maytown recommends Mary Windom. Mary Windom is a committed conservative who was mentored by the great Christian legal scholar John Eidsmoe. This court will greatly benefit by the sound thinking of Mary Windom. Windom understands the limits of the judiciary, yet will work to execute justice on the Court of Criminal Appeals. Mary Windom has served as an Assistant Attorney General and has worked for conservative principles in government.

For Congress: Wayne Parker in District Five

Pollsters are speculating on the effect of this election on the composition of the House of Representatives. Republicans controlled the House for over a decade until 2006. While the trend in many districts favors the Democrats, Alabama is a strong pro-McCain state. The question remains as to the effect of the Presidential ticket on the open seats in Alabama.
The one Congressional race in Alabama deemed vital to conservative hopes is the race in District Five to replace retiring Congressman Bud Cramer. Cramer, a Democrat with a moderate record has served since 1990. District Five encompasses the Northern tier of Alabama, that area commonly known as the Tennessee Valley. Major cities in this district include Huntsville, Madison, Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Scottsboro, and Athens.
Obviously, the best choice for Congress in District Five is Wayne Parker. Parker is an outspoken Christian, an elder in a conservative Presbyterian Church, and a bold conservative with convictions on the issues of the day. Wayne Parker is a fiscal conservative who will work against higher taxes and big government.
Parker's opponent is a State Senator who has consistently sided with liberals in the Alabama State Senate. Parker's opponent never sponsored pro-life legislation, waffled on the immigration issue, and has a record of support for liberal candidates, including Howard Dean's failed presidential run in 2004.
Musings from Maytown urges readers to contact everyone you know in the Tennessee Valley to vote Wayne Parker for Congress. Consider this thirty-second ad for Wayne Parker.

Jefferson County, Alabama Judicial Races

Jefferson County, Alabama voters (Birmingham metro area) will vote in two contested judicial elections. In both cases, the incumbents are Republicans who were appointed to fill unexpired terms by Governor Bob Riley. Both judges are well qualified and deserve another term.
District Judge, Place 1: Judge Norman Winston has served well in this court, which handles Small Claims. Judge Winston has almost universal support from the Bar, from business, from Realtors, and from Labor. Judge Winston's opponent is John Amari, who ran for office numerous times as a Republican. Amari is a fine man, but with little or no experience in Winston's Court. Winston is by far the best qualified in this race.
District Judge, Place 2: Davis Lawley is presiding Judge over Drug Court. Judge Lawley is a man of conviction and compassion. Lawley has nineteen years of legal experience as compared to his opponent who has only five years legal experience. While Judge Lawley has handled thousands of drug-related cases, his opponent has yet to set foot in Drug Court. This race is the easiest to decide as Judge Davis Lawley is clearly the most qualified candidate in the race. Check out this thirty-second video for Judge Lawley.

Jefferson County, Alabama Local Elections

Musings from Maytown has a worldwide readership, as evidenced by the international responses to the articles on this website. However, as we are based near Birmingham, Alabama, this website is compelled to promote some excellent candidates running locally here in Jefferson County, Alabama. For those international readers, Jefferson County is the Metropolitan Birmingham area.
Jefferson County has four contested elections for administrative offices. Please consider the following endorsements:
Treasurer: Ken Gomany is a successful attorney and solid conservative who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of the office of Treasurer. Gomany is a quality administrator and is capable and qualified to administer the $600 million a year in county funds. Check out the television commercial for Ken Gomany.

Tax Assessor: Jeff Caddell is a long-time conservative activist who has wide governmental experience. His opponent ran a race-based campaign to win the Democratic primary over the incumbent, Dan Weinrib. Weinrib is a quality individual who would have deserved re-election. However, his opponent ran harsh attacks on Weinrib. Caddell is an outspoken Christian while his opponent has a record of tax delinquency on her business properties. Caddell would follow the good work of current Assessor Dan Weinrib.
Assistant Tax Collector: Andrew A. Smith was appointed by Gov. Riley to fill the unexpired term. Smith is one of the most genuinely likable individuals in public life. Most importantly, Andy Smith handles his job well and has positive work relationship with his employees. Andy Smith certainly is the best qualified candidate and, without question, deserves to win election to a full term. The office of Asst. Tax Assessor is chosen only by voters in the Bessemer Cut-off.
Tax Collector: Vickie Evans Fuller is well qualified to operate and administer the office of Tax Collector. The Democratic incumbent, J.T. Smallwood comes from a fine family,but Smallwood lost this editor when he held a rally on the courthouse steps to announce his switch to the Republican Party only to return to the Democratic Party, when qualifying began. This flip-flop earned Smallwood the title of Boy George in Alabama Politics.

Who's Racist Now?

Musings from Maytown must humbly admit that Doc's Political Parlor is the most-read and premier political blog among Alabama bloggers. This week, Political Parlor displays an audio of a radio ad by Rep. Alvin Holmes of Montgomery. You can hear the ad here.
In this ad, Alvin Holmes blatantly urges voting straight Democrat and using the motivation for the first time in the history of the United States, we have an opportunity to elect a black President. Holmes is not a stranger to stirring up racial division, so Musings from Maytown is not surprised to see Holmes issue such an exhortation.
The challenge from Musings from Maytown is that the mainstream media is silent on the double standard on racial issues. Suppose a white legislator warned unless we vote, we may end up with a black president, so go out and vote the straight Republican ticket. Can you imagine the hue and cry with charges of racism?
Already, the mainstream media has charged that McCain and Palin are playing to racial fears of white voters. The time is here for the Alabama Democratic Party to renounce these blatantly racially-tinged advertisements. Musings from Maytown is not holding our editorial breath waiting for that renunciation.

Worst-Ever Endorsement by the Birmingham News

Each election, most print media outlets endorse candidates for office. Some papers are known to veer to the left, while some are reliably conservative. Frankly, newspaper endorsements mean little in national elections or even high profile races, such as Governor or US Senator. But Musings from Maytown has analyzed past local election results and found that the endorsement of the Birmingham News normally means about three percent support for a candidate for local office in a general election.
Through the years, Musings from Maytown has certainly disagreed with the Birmingham News on many endorsements. Any observer of newspaper endorsements needs to note that the Birmingham News is a newspaper corporation and their editorial page reflects a pro-corporate persepctive on state and national elections. But on local elections, one might well describe the perspective of the news as eclectic. While one cannot go inside the heads of the Editorial Board of the Birmingham News, one can only think that this board does not want to endorse all candidates of one party or of one perspective. Perhaps, the board is desiring to appear diverse, but this year, the Birmingham News made the most absurd endorsement in the memory of this writer.
Two years ago, Governor Riley appointed Davis Lawley to preside over Drug Court in Jefferson County. Judge Lawley had long served as a prosecutor on criminal cases and specialized in dealing with drug-related crimes. Judge Lawley impressed the bi-partisan Jefferson County Judicial Commission, who had nominated Lawley, and then impressed Governor Riley who appointed Davis Lawley to this important post.
Lawley's opposition is thirty-year-old Shanta Owens, a bright and attractive lady with five years total experience as an attorney. Owens is a nice person, friendly, but has never -- that's right-- NEVER had a case in drug court. Today, the Birmingham News endorsed Shanta Owens with the following words of praise:
1) The News describes Owens as a better fit, whatever that means. On the campaign trail, Owens has attacked Judge Lawley, asking what does a guy from Mountain Brook know about drug addiction? For the record, Lawley does not live in Mountain Brook. Does the News endorse the class conflict advocated by Owens? What if Lawley had alluded to her urban background to a suburban audience? Can't you imagine the cries of playing the race card?
2) The News praises Owens for her experience. Judge Lawley has nineteen years experience as an attorney- working in criminal prosecution and as the presiding Judge over Drug Court. Under Lawley's administration, the court is orderly, the docket is handled in a timely manner, and a wise balance is struck between compassion for the drug addict and conviction for justice.
Owens experience? She has been an attorney for five years, and has yet to handle a case in Drug Court. The News is asking voters to reject a seated judge with a good record and take a chance on someone who has never once tried a case in Drug Court, let alone administered a court with such delicate issues. The absurdity of the situation is that the News makes their case by boasting of Owens' experience! If this were not so sad, we would be laughing.
3) The News praises Owens for hoping to see that drug offenders work toward a GED. Fine, Ms. Owens, but this is a program already in place under the leadership of Judge Davis Lawley.
The News closes by stating that Ms. Owens is the right person. Right person for what? Certainly not for experience, capability, training, or background!
Musings from Maytown is certain that Shanta Owens is a nice person, but Judge Davis Lawley is miles ahead in qualification for Presiding Judge of Drug Court. The Birmingham News should lose credibility in their endorsing process.

Polling the Presidential Election 2008

If polls are to be believed, Senator Barack Obama should be ordering the planks for the platform for his swearing-in as President. Please consider several reasons why the election is still undetermined.
1) The polls are all over the board. This past Monday, CBS News announced that Senator Obama led Senator McCain by 13 points. On the same day, ABC News announced an 11-point Obama lead. Yet, on that same day, the Associated Press pronounced the race deadlocked as did the Investors Business Daily. On a side note, the Investors Business Daily had the most accurate poll in the 2004 presidential election.
2) Remember, the national poll is worthless, since the election is determined by states. The electoral college is one of the few semblances of a Republic left in this country. At present, a few points shift in key states would have Senator McCain in contention by election day.
3) Dick Morris declares that undecided voters will swing toward McCain. In the past three presidential elections, Republicans gained ground in the closing days of the campaign. Obviously, certain issues could turn votes, such as a revelation of the Los Angeles Times of Senator Obama's friendship with a Palestinian terrorist. Florida's large Jewish population could shift considerably as this news unfolds.
As of this writing, the Investors Business Daily shows Obama leading 46.9% to 43.9% with a large undecided block among independents and Catholics. Ramsussen has Obama ahead 50%-47%, but with momentum toward McCain. The Gallup Poll shows Obama ahead 49%-46 %, with a trend toward McCain.
In the 1980 presidential election, Jimmy Carter led in virtually every poll with days to go before voting day. On Election Day 2000, Ronald Reagan won a landslide victory. The Reagan pollsters' own polling never saw Carter leading. Even so, McCain's internal polls show the race much closer than the polling from network news.
Please understand that Musings from Maytown is not predicting a McCain victory. Obviously, the Obama camp has the money for a powerful get-out-the-vote effort at the grassroots level. But neither are we willing to concede a victory by Senator Obama. The race could be close enough that either McCain or Obama could be the victor.

The Third Party Alternative

Frustrated conservatives might be tempted to look beyond John McCain for a presidential vote. Frankly, many regular readers of Musings from Maytown are involved in third party efforts and are actively supporting one of several right-leaning alternatives to the GOP ticket.
Perhaps the best known conservative third party nominee is former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr, the nominee of the Libertarian Party. Barr is campaigning on a platform of limited government, abolishing the federal income tax, decentralizing the Federal Government, ending the policy of intervention in foreign conflicts, and abolishing the Federal Reserve. Barr has campaigned hard against the recent federal bailout of the big banks. Barr is on the ballot in forty-five states and has raised over $1.2 million. Several capable leaders from the Ron Paul effort have signed on to help Bob Barr, including the dynamic Stephen Gordon who engineered Barr's nomination from the Libertarian Party. As a Congressman, Barr was best known for leading the charge to impeach President Bill Clinton. One wishing to make a statement would do well to consider Bob Barr.
Another leading conservative alternative is Chuck Baldwin, nominee of the Constitution Party. Baldwin is Pastor of the Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL and is known for his widely-distributed articles. A powerful speaker and prolific writer, Baldwin has been a leader in conservative activism, and four years ago was the Vice Presidential nominee of the Constitution Party. Actually endorsed by Congressman Ron Paul, Baldwin majors on a return to the U.S. Constitution and a retreat from the advance of a New World Order. Conservatives who want to vote principle would have a genuine option in voting for Chuck Baldwin, at least in the thirty-seven states where Baldwin is on the ballot.
My very favorite third party candidate is Gene Amondson of the Prohibition Party. A long-time minister with the Church of God (Anderson, IN), Amondson is an artist and woodcarver, but is best known for his anti-booze crusades. Amondson is known for protesting breweries, dressed as the Grim Reaper. Amondson's greatest success has come in his re-enactment of the famous Evangelist Billy Sunday's sermon on Booze, where Sunday urged hearers to get on the water wagon. Amondson is on the ballot in Florida, Colorado, and Louisiana. Amondson's platform is, you guessed it, opposition to alcohol. Rev. Amondson is a regular reader of Musings from Maytown and a dear friend of the editor. Amondson has spoken at numerous churches and school across the United States in his anti-alcohol crusade. Amondson has authored a book on pie recipies, an excellent book on preparing the best pies in the world.
You can watch Amondson's brief television commercial here:
However, before voting third party, please consider the following:
1. Historically, third parties have siphoned votes from the major candidate closest to the position of the third party. In 1860, when the Democratic Party was the conservative party, the Democrats split three ways and allowed the Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln to win the presidency with only 38% of the vote. The Democratic nominee Stephen F. Douglas tried to unite the Democrats, but the Southern Democrats chose John Breckinridge. Another group split and supported the Bell-Everett ticket. The election of Lincoln led to the tragic War Between the States, cost a million lives, and moved this Federal Republic more toward central government and away from the Republic intended by our Founders.
In 1912, Teddy Roosevelt ran as a third party candidate, siphoning votes from Wm. Taft and electing Woodrow Wilson, who did more to promote internationalism than any President up to that point.
Arguments could be made that Ross Perot's candidacy in 1992, siphoned enough votes from George Bush to elect Bill Clinton.
In 2001, I had dinner with Pat Buchanan who had run as the Reform Party nominee in 2000. Buchanan personally told this editor that on Election Night 2000, as the race was extremely close between Gore and Bush, Buchanan envisioned these words on his tombstone: He Elected Al Gore.
2. Already polling in 2008 shows that conservative third party candidates could swing the difference and elect Democrats.
In several states, the Barr vote is polling enough numbers to cover the spread between Obama and McCain. Granted, one cannot assume that all Barr votes would select McCain over Obama, but the point remains that conservative voters will not be making the difference for McCain in that scenario.
In North Carolina, a Libertarian candidate for US Senate, may make the difference for liberal Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan against pro-life Republican Elizabeth Dole. In Oregon, a Constitution Party candidate may make swing enough conservative voters to defeat Republican Gordon Smith. Georgia Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss could lose to a liberal Democrat, with the Libertarian drawing several percentage points. How will conservatives feel the day after the election if the end result of conservative third party effort has made the difference in electing Barack Obama and helping Democrats attain a fillibuster-proof US Senate. How will pro-life activists in the Constitution Party feel when every pro-life gain over the past twenty years is shot down in months as a President Obama signs into law the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)? How will fiscal conservatives who vote Bob Barr feel when Democrats in power enact National Health Care?
George C. Wallace ran as a third party candidate in 1968 and cried there's not a dime's worth of difference between the national Democratic Party and the National Republican Party. Vote third party in 2008, and you may find the difference.

Vote Tuesday, November 4 and Vote Today

In Alabama, the deadline to register to vote in the November 4 election is Friday, October 24. Here at Musings from Maytown, you can download the voter registration form. Please do so and make certain that your voter registration form reaches your respective county courthouse by the close of business on Friday, October 24.

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However, you can also vote monthly at Musings from Maytown. On the upper left-hand side of this page, you will find a black box poll with the names of every candidate from the primary season. Frustrated with the choices? You can still vote for your favorite candidate from the primary here at this website.
This poll links to the Newsvine poll, the largest on-line poll in the US, linking to (as of Thursday, October 23) 2,568 websites. Musings from Maytown currently ranks #10 in most votes cast and #8 in most Republican votes cast. Your vote in this poll is greatly appreciated. The poll registers re-start each month, so you can vote monthly in this poll.

The Dilemma of Pro-Life Democrats

Since the US Supreme Court overturned abortion laws in all fifty states with the Roe vs. Wade decision, the fight between pro-life forces, who support protection of the life of the unborn, and pro-choice forces, who support the right to choose abortion, has intensified. Each year, we find new battlefields in the war over abortion. Pro-life activists continue to work to chip away at the absolute pro-choice position with pursuit of laws to require parental consent, informed consent for patients prior to an abortion, twenty-four hour waiting period, and other regulations. At the same time, pro-life activists have pushed for the appointment and confirmation of strict constructionists to the Federal Judiciary, who would be likely to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
In the battle for the right to life, the lines have often divided along party lines. Since 1976, the Republican Party has included a pro-life plank in the party platform. At the same time, the Democratic Party platform has consistently stated support for Roe vs. Wade, federal funding of abortion, and demands that federal judgeship appointments be made in light of support for Roe vs. Wade.
The dilemma for the Democratic Party is that polls consistently show that 45% of Democrats nationally are pro-life. Many traditionally Democratic constituencies, such as ethnic Catholics and rural voters trend strongly pro-life. A fair number of Democrats in Congress have voted solidly pro-life. Leading pro-life Democrats have included Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan, Rep. Tony Hall of Ohio, Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi, and Senator Bill Nelson of Nebraska. However, when former Pennsylvania Governor Bill Casey was to speak to the Democratic Convention in times past, he was instructed not to voice his pro-life convictions.
As a result of this dilemma, we have seen pro-life Democrats organize into the Democrats for Life of America, now with chapters in the majority of states.
DNC Chairman Howard Dean has insisted that pro-life candidates be included, especially in districts with pro-life majorities. As a result, we have seen pro-life Democrats win seats normally held by Republicans. Congressman Heath Shuler of North Carolina won a seat held by a GOP Congressman, by defusing the issue of the right to life. Senator Bill Casey won a seat in Pennsylvania that had turned Republican, basically on the right-to-life issue.
Musings from Maytown appreciates those of any political persuasion who support the right-to-life. Many honorable political liberals hold the seamless garment view, supporting a consistent life ethic. The seamless garment view opposes the death penalty, takes a pacifist stance on war and military action, and also supports the right to life of the unborn. One must applaud honest, consistent liberal thought on this issue.
But the Democratic dilemma on the right to life is coming to a head with this issue. First of all, the standard bearer for the Democratic Party, Barack Obama has pledged an activist administration on the issues relating to abortion, hoping that the first bill he would sign is the pro-abortion Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) which would re-state support for Roe vs. Wade and would overturn pro-life gains made through the years.
Alabama is a strong pro-life state and the two open Congressional seats feature Democratic candidates who claim to be pro-life. In District Two, the Democratic nominee is Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright who is a Deacon at the evangelistic First Baptist Church of Montgomery-- a church with a Pastor who is a strong Bible preacher, Dr. Jay Wolf. Frankly, I believe that Mayor Bright is truly pro-life in his. convictions, as is his GOP
opponent, Rep. Jay Love, also a Deacon at First Baptist Church of Montgomery. As a state legislator, Jay Love co-sponsored pro-life legislation.
In District Five, the Democratic nominee is State Senator Parker Griffith, who has always sided with the liberal faction in the Alabama State Senate and has never co-sponsored any pro-life legislation. Griffith had no record of support for the right to life, prior to his current run for Congress.
But, giving these men the benefit of the doubt, let's suppose these men are elected as pro-life Democrats. They would join with other pro-life Democrats in Congress, such as those previously mentioned. What will be the effect of the election of these pro-life Democrats?
These pro-life Democrats may well make the difference in the balance of power in Congress. These pro-life Democrats will likely provide the margin of victory which will keep pro-abortion Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. Speaker Pelosi's appointments to Committee Chairs will guarantee that no pro-life legislation will ever see the floor of the House. In the Senate, the few pro-life Democrats will help build a filibuster-proof majority that will guarantee that pro-choice liberals are placed on the US Supreme Court, rolling back years of gains made on the courts through Republican leadership.
So, even if Bright and Griffith are pro-life Democrats, their very election to Congress will be a loss to the pro-life cause. For this reason, I hope voters in the Second District will elect Jay Love to Congress and in the Fifth District will elect a convictional pro-lifer Wayne Parker to Congress.

Is the Presidential Race Over?

Musings from Maytown monitors the national and state polls on a daily basis. While all three of the following websites have a liberal bias, the information is worth wading through the slant: Electoral Vote,
Real Clear Politics, and Political Wire.
Last night, MSNBC reported on a poll where Senator Obama leads Senator McCain by fourteen points. The spin from the report of that poll was that the election is basically over and Obama is our next President. Musings from Maytown responds with Hold it! Not so fast! The election is almost three weeks away and much can happen in those three weeks. While the odds favor Obama, the election is not yet a sealed matter. For several reasons, this election may still be winnable by the McCain-Palin ticket.
1) The national polls range in margin from IBD's 45-43 Obama over McCain to George Washington University's Obama 53-McCain 40. The ranges are wild and one must note the great fluctuation in the polling.
2) In the Democratic primaries, Obama consistently over polled his actual votes by six percent.
3) McCain generally under polled in the GOP primaries, likely due to his strong finishes. McCain generally does well among late-deciders.
4) Presently, independent voters favor Obama by a fourteen-point spread. Precedence shows that independent voters trend Republican late in the election.
5) In the last three presidential elections, the GOP candidates have finished strong. Dole was behind twenty points in 1996, and made up twelve points in the last week--still losing, but making the election close enough that the GOP did not lose seats in the House and Senate. In 2000, George W. Bush was down eleven points with a month to go, but he went on to win. In 2004, the network news actually announced Kerry the winner on election day, but late deciders turned the election to Bush.
6) The questions about Obama may linger in the minds of voters and in the deciding time, may opt for a more secure choice.
7) Dare we mention the Bradley Effect? Tom Bradley, former Mayor of Los Angeles, led in the 1982 race for Governor of California by ten points, but Pete Wilson won the election. Pundits declare that Democratic voters will state support for a black candidate, but when the election comes, they do not vote for the black candidate.
This election is not over. While Musings from Maytown is not ready to predict a McCain-Palin victory, neither are we conceding the election to Obama-Biden.

Hank Jr. on McCain-Palin

Hank Williams Jr used to campaign for Alabama Governor George C. Wallace. Well, now Hank Jr.is on the campaign trail. Check out this Hank Jr. song about the current presidential campaign.

Any Hope Left for McCain?

While the Mainstream Media has all but anointed Barack Obama as the next president, John McCain and Sarah Palin continue campaigning, albeit not too effectively. With polls consistently showing Obama leading McCain, and the election just over three weeks away, one wonders if McCain has any hopes of winning. Musings from Maytown believes that McCain lost a great opportunity. When the stock market dramatically fell, the approval ratings of the current Administration fell with the economic conditions. With the Republican hopes fading, the Bush Administration signed on to a terrible plan to bailout Wall Street investors. Initially, Republican House members opposed the plan, but enough pork was added to an already bloated bill so that the politician spirit ruled the day and these politicians caved and supported the bailout.
Had McCain opposed this bailout, he would have appeared the principled statesman and would have regained his ground. McCain's support of the bailout made him appear as just another Republican hack and the grassroots, already upset with the Bush Administration, did not gravitate toward McCain.
But again, we ask, does McCain have any hope left for winning? Here in the fourth quarter, with McCain behind, Musings from Maytown sees still a glimmer of hope for McCain to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. How can McCain win?
1) Ignore the media!! This will be especially hard to do for McCain. Back in 2000, when conservatives supported Bush over McCain for the GOP nomination, McCain became the media's favorite Republican. McCain began to support issues like campaign finance reform, embryonic stem cell research, make critical remarks of Bush's court appointments, oppose the Bush tax cuts, etc. McCain appeared to respond to the media's portrayal of McCain as a maverick. Now, when McCain is all that stands between the absolute media favorite, Barack Obama, and the White House, the media is focusing attacks on McCain.
John McCain needs to sidestep the news commentators and speak straight to the American people. McCain should ignore the criticisms he receives from MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC. These people want Obama and will do whatever they must do to elect Obama. Responding to the media, much less seeking to curry favor with the media, will only dilute McCain's message. Ignore the biased media!
2) Turn loose the dogs! McCain should learn the lesson of 2004. When President Bush was in deep trouble, an independent expenditure group produced the famous Swift Boat ads, which questioned Democratic nominee John Kerry's wartime service. In 1988, George Bush (the daddy) was seriously behind, and an independent group ran the now infamous Willie Horton ads, which accused Democratic nominee and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis of allowing a furlough for convicted criminal Willie Horton who committed a heinous crime while out on furlough, under Massachusetts's liberal provisions for prison furloughs. After these ads ran for awhile, Bush soundly defeated Michael Dukakis.
McCain should not apologize for attacks that people make on Barack Obama. From the Bill Ayers connection to the Michelle Obama dissertation to the Obama funding from Middle Eastern sources, the anti-Obama contingent has plenty of ammunition to paint Obama into a left-corner of the political spectrum. At this point, Americans are weary with Republicans, but are not ready to elect a genuine leftist. Paint Obama as a leftist, and McCain might have a shot! Let the attack groups mobilize! Like it or not, negative campaigning works.
3) Let Sarah Speak! Few times, in modern US politics, has a Vice Presidential candidate taken the public by storm, as did Sarah Palin. The liberals don't understand the appeal of Gov. Palin, just as they never understood the appeal of Ronald Reagan. Palin is the anti-Washington candidate and as the public believes that Washington is broken, Palin comes on the scene presented as the true candidate of the people. While the media's attack has been relentless, the McCain campaign has seemed to recoil in their promotion of Palin. Musings from Maytown believes that Palin should be given complete freedom to disagree with Bush and even McCain. Palin should be allowed to speak, gaffes and all. This woman could invigorate the conservatives, the independents, the working class, and even the Reagan Democrats. Let her say what she wishes and watch her build a following, energizing the support. States like West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana would be solidly in the fold with a heavy dose of campaigning by Sarah Palin.
4) In this Tuesday's debate, McCain needs to be plain spoken on conservative principles. Draw a line in the sand and make certain that the public sees a difference. With no distinguishable differences, the public will vote for the Democrat. While the Democrats control Congress, the public sees the current crises of war and the economy as taking place on a Republican watch. McCain needs to present a cause to rally to by speaking forthrightly. Otherwise, the public will see him as a milquetoast version of Washington (which he probably really is).
5) Without being disrespectful, McCain needs to distinguish himself from President Bush. The Bush Administration is leaving office with record unpopularity. Frankly, McCain's attitude on the bailout and the war make it nearly impossible to separate himself from Bush. If this can be done, he should do so.
Most conservatives I know are sickened with McCain's performance. Most conservatives have no desire to vote for McCain. But the fear of an Obama presidency will force these same conservatives to vote for John McCain. McCain has a slim opportunity to move back into contention in this race. Already, the polls are slightly narrowing. This narrowing comes, not because of McCain's ability as a candidate, but because of growing skepticism of Obama. McCain must rally his voters and persuade natural allies, such as working class voters who socially conservative. If not, we could wake up on November 5 with a Democratic House, a filibuster-proof Democratic Senate, and a President with the most left-leaning agenda in American history.

The End of Two Eras: Judge Ralph Coleman Retires

An era ended today, maybe two eras. First of all, Judge Ralph Coleman retired after twenty-four years as District Judge in the Bessemer Division of Jefferson County. Since 1984, Judge Coleman has meted out justice with honor at the Bessemer Courthouse. A brilliant man and a legal scholar, Judge Coleman has presided over small claims court, the court where the cases often involve disputes which are one person vs. one person. A top student at Cumberland School of Law, Coleman worked his way through Law School as a basketball coach and teacher at a local Christian School.
Judge Coleman takes his job seriously, works hard, and is well-respected by the legal community, having served as President of the District Judges Association statewide. His personal and family life are exemplary and in twenty-four years, Judge Coleman has never had a hint of a scandal in the performance of his duties. A faithful Christian, Ralph Coleman is a model of one who approached his work with a worldview shaped by his Christian faith. His wife, Marianne, is a godly woman and the Colemans have friendly and capable children who have done well in their young lives.
But another era passed this past Friday. Judge Coleman was the last official in Jefferson County who began service with an appointment from Governor George Wallace. One by one, as officials retire, the influence of past Administrations begins to wane. Musings from Maytown believes that we were better off with more influence in local government from those who supported Governor Wallace. Like Wallace, Ralph Coleman was a strong conservative. Coleman, like Wallace, was influenced by his Christian faith to support moral principles in public policy. Yet, like Wallace, Coleman had, as George Wallace Jr. describes his dad, a populist streak. While Coleman switched to the GOP in 1997, he still retained the support of the Labor community in Jefferson County. The Wallace leadership was always fiscally and socially conservative, yet with strong consideration of the common citizen. This philosophy was represented by Wallace appointees like Ralph Coleman.
In a day when Alabama judges divide between pro-trial lawyer and pro-business, we are worse off for losing the Wallace-appointed judges like Ralph Coleman, who care for the average citizen, yet believe in absolute principles of justice.

McCain and Obama Debate in Tennessee

The second Presidential campaign debate of the 2008 election took place Tuesday night, October 7 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Musings from Maytown is proud to note that two of the three presidential campaign debates were scheduled in the South: one in Oxford, MS and one in Nashville, TN. The Vice Presidential campaign debate took place in Missouri, another state aligned with the Confederacy during the Late Unpleasantness.
This debate took place when the Obama campaign had been riding high from the bounce from economic conditions that would favor the party not currently in the White House. However, the post-VP debate spin seemed to be moving toward McCain. Tuesday morning's polling seemed to indicate that McCain was cutting into Obama's lead. However, Musings from Maytown believes that the slight swing to McCain will end with the results of Tuesday night's debate.
Pat Buchanan noted on MSNBC that McCain likely won the debate on points. Yet, Buchanan noted that McCain missed opportunities to win voters and regain momentum. Obama gained on three fronts:
1) Obama came across as natural, as Kennedy-esque, while McCain appeared wooden and never relaxed. Some Americans may view McCain's appearance as dignified and serious, but Obama connected with viewers much more so than McCain with a straightforward approach. McCain's one moment of connection with the viewers was his testimony of his devotion to country that would motivate his service.
2) Obama did well in exposing one of McCain's worst policies--that of taxing health insurance benefits for workers. While Musings from Maytown agrees with McCain's support for tax cuts for businesses, advocacy of taxing the worker's health insurance benefit will kill his populist appeal. This advocacy is typical of blue blood Republicans who never connect with the working class voters who vote for many Republicans, but those voters never quite feel comfortable with the party of Big Business. McCain's policy on taxing health insurance benefits is a loser.
3) McCain was placed on the defensive concerning his internationalist, interventionist foreign policy. McCain was forced to defend the indefensible-- going to Iraq as a result of 9/11 and his comment on bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran

The sad truth is that Obama is equally the internationalist as McCain. Even worse, Obama would possibly switch allegiances, while at least McCain's interventionism seems to advocate that which is in America's own interests. Consider the Musings from Maytown observations on the dilemma of our foreign policy quagmire:
* The US is financially busted and can no longer afford to police the world.
* The US is settling border disputes around the world, but we are not guarding our own borders.
* The morale of the American people is not lifted by our continued meddling in international affairs.
* The US is fighting wars, using pre-emptive strikes in violation of the historic Christian position on Just War.
* Americans have never bought the idea of going into Iraq because of a plot hatched in Afghanistan and carried out by Saudis. We continue to trade with Saudis, but we are fighting Iraq. The dots have never connected and people are not swayed by appeals to patriotism. The public no longer trusts Washington.
Let's face it--the Republicans nominated a dud when they nominated McCain, over the objections of most movement conservatives. McCain is dull, and has taken positions that will never sell with the American people. However, the alternative of an Obama Administration is unthinkable for those with a conservative, limited government perspective.
This writer has been an active Republican for all of his adult life. But conservative voters are waking up to the fact that the Republican leadership have betrayed their base on issue after issue. The Reagan Coalition is fragile and cracking, but could still coalesce around the McCain ticket for two reasons: 1) Sarah Palin is a true believing conservative and 2) Obama scares the living daylights out of us!

Alabama Municipal Runoff Election Results

A number of runoff elections were held across Alabama in various municipalities on Tuesday, October 7. Musings from Maytown had made endorsements in selected races and presents a review of those races.
Huntsville: Incumbent Loretta Spencer went down in flames against challenger and former Huntsville Councilman Tommy Battle. In the August 25 primary, Spencer and Battle were evenly matched. However, following the endorsement by Musings from Maytown, Battle went on to win handily by a 56%-44% margin. Battle built bi-racial support and had the almost unanimous support of conservatives.
Selma: In a race between two fine individuals, Dr. Geraldine Allen won a close race for Council President over Gene Hisel, Selma businessman. Allen and Hisel were both identified with the reform movement in Selma that propelled George Evans to the Mayor's office over incumbent Mayor James Perkins. While Musings from Maytown endorsed Hisel as the more aggressive reformer, word from Selma is that the reform movement will be well served by Dr. Allen as Council President on a team with the new Mayor.
Jefferson County
Brighton: Councilman Angelo Hinkle defeated Council member Rhonda Bean for Mayor by a 2-1 margin. Obviously, the endorsement and support of County Commissioner Shelia Smoot was not a help to Bean, but likely a drawback.
Gardendale: Conservative Othell Phillips soundly defeated Councilman Oscar Mann by a 61%-39% margin. Note that as a council member, Phillips had worked to block a tax increase while Mann had proposed and worked toward a tax increase.
Graysville: Incumbent Mayor Doug Brewer won re-election by a 3-2 margin. Brewer is the son of longtime conservative leader Glenn Brewer.

Cherryholmes Releases New CD--Destined to be a Smash Hit

On September 30, Cherryhomes released their new CD, Cherryholmes III Don't Believe. Readers of Musings from Maytown are familiar with this family band who plays high energy bluegrass.
This new album combines the best in instrumentalism along with excellent vocals by the family members. The album contains strong Gospel songs, such as The King as a Babe Come Down, featuring the mother Sandy Cherryholmes and This is My Son featuring the powerful vocals of daughter Cia. By the way, Bluegrass Now described Sandy as Cia's sister.
But Cherryholmes III also included a jazz-style bluegrass number in Sumantra. This album includes Celtic style tunes, all in the expected high energy style that Cherryholmes fans have come to expect. Readers of Musings from Maytown can hear clips from Cherryholmes III at Cherryholmes III at Skaggs Family Records. You can order the CD at Cherryholmes. For a full biography, check out Cherryholmes Bio at Skaggs Family Records
One final note. Cherryholmes will be in concert at the Hoover Library Theater in April,16 & 17, 2009. While the April 17 show is already sold out, a few tickets remain for the April 16 show. Tickets may be obtained by calling 205-444-7888. Musings from Maytown reports that a Cherryholmes concert is an experience hard to duplicate.
Listen in on a live performance of Don't Believe, the title track of the latest CD. You will hear a powerful combination of instruments, plus the unique voice of Cia Leigh Cherryholmes.

Municipal Runoff Elections Across Alabama on Tuesday, October 7

This Tuesday, October 7, municipalities across Alabama will vote in runoff elections to determine officials for city elections. Most municipalities elect officials in the same year as the Presidential elections. Some municipalities (ex. Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery, Talladega, Gadsden, Bessemer) have statutes that set elections on different years. But most cities and towns vote in presidential years.
The municipal elections were held in August, and this coming Tuesday is the day for runoff elections in towns and cities where no individual won more than fifty percent of the vote for a particular office.
Musings from Maytown has become the cutting edge voice for conservatives in Alabama and that status demands that we comment on some important races.
HUNTSVILLE Perhaps the biggest runoff election this Tuesday is the runoff for Mayor of Huntsville. Loretta Spencer has served as Mayor for some years. Mayor Spencer is a typical tax and spend Democrat who has worked to raise fees in Huntsville. Under Spencer's administration, pro-life demonstrators felt harassed by the Huntsville Police Department. Spencer's opposition is Tommy Battle, a former Council member with a record on the Council of supporting sound fiscal policies. Battle is endorsed by the Conservative Christians of Alabama. Musings from Maytown is glad to add an endorsement of Tommy Battle.Check out Tommy Battle for Mayor website.
SELMA On August 25, Selma kicked out liberal Mayor James Perkins and several of his cohorts. A quality leader, George Evans won election as Mayor and appears to have a bi-racial coalition of support on the City Council. Both candidates in the runoff for City Council President,Dr.Geraldine Allen and Gene Hisel, are part of the reform effort in Selma. Neither candidate is backed by the liberal Perkins faction in Selma. Dr. Allen is a current Council member and Hisel is a Selma businessman. Both should serve in an Evans Administration.
However, when the grassroots were stirred against the corrupt Perkins Administration, few fought as hard as Gene Hisel. For the past four years, Gene Hisel has kept the corruption of the Perkins Administration before the citizenry of Selma. For a real housecleaning, Selma citizens should elect Gene Hisel as Council President.
JEFFERSON COUNTY Three mayoral races in Jefferson County are worthy of note.
In Brighton, the mayoral race has come to a runoff between Councilmember Rhonda Bean and Angelo Hinkle. Musings from Maytown knows absolutely nothing on either candidate. However, the Birmingham News reported that Jefferson County Commissioner Shelia Smoot contributed to the campaign of Rhonda Bean. This fact alone would cause Musings from Maytown to hope for the election of Angelo Hinkle.
For the past four years, Graysville Mayor Doug Brewer has worked hard to place Graysville on the map. Brewer represents Graysville well in county business and has made a good impression for this Western suburb. Graysville citizens would do well to re-elect Mayor Doug Brewer.
The Gardendale election matches two City Council members. Oscar Mann led the effort to raise taxes in Gardendale while Othell Phillips was the leader to derail the tax increase. Phillips has supported conservative candidates in the past and is known to have a strong Christian testimony. Phillips is a graduate of Liberty Bible Institute and has served as a local Pastor. Musings from Maytown offers an endorsement to Othell Phillips for Mayor of Gardendale. Othell Phillips would be a strong voice for fiscal sanity and moral values. Also, Phillips was endorsed by the third, fourth, and fifth place candidates in the August election. Furthermore, Phillips is supported by Dr. Paul Hicks, one of the most discerning individuals on the Alabama scene today. With the support of the runner-up candidates and the wholehearted endorsement of Dr. Hicks, Phillips should be elected Mayor of this fast-growing suburb to Birmingham's North.

Rules on Making Comments at Musings from Maytown

Certain subjects seem to draw more comments on Musings from Maytown. For what it is worth, the editor of Musings from Maytown has a policy of not interjecting himself into the comments sections of this web newsletter. Consider that the commentators have the option of remaining anonymous, even to the point of using pseudonyms. Hence, commentators make make absurd comments and hide their bitter attitudes behind their anonymity.
For this reason, I do want regular readers of Musings from Maytown to understand:
1) Musings from Maytown intends to continue to allow anonymous postings.
2) The editor will not interject himself into the comments section of this web newsletter.
3) Unless the matter is extreme, Musings from Maytown will not delete postings made by commentators.
4) The editor of Musings from Maytown trusts that readers will recognize that one who hides behind anonymity or obvious false names is not willing to stand behind their comments. For this reason, the editor does not believe that the intelligent readers of Musings from Maytown will give credence to the wild claims made by some anonymous posters.
5) Hats are off to those who identify themselves, yet readers are not required to do so.
Thank you for reading the cutting edge of the conservative effort in the state of Alabama--Musings from Maytown.

The Tide Struggles Over Kentucky 17-14

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The naysayers are already declaring that the Alabama Crimson Tide is not the team that many of us have thought. For the record, Musings from Maytown has consistently said that the Tide is two years away from contending for a national championship. Frankly, if the Tide ends the year ranked in the top five, one can only live with optimism for the next few years. Frankly, Coach Nick Saban has the program moving forward and moving well. Consider several observations:
1) Kentucky, while not a traditional power, is a good team. Alabama defeated a team this past Saturday who was previously unbeaten and had allowed only twenty-one points in four games. Alabama's win over Kentucky was hard-fought over a quality team who was well-coached.
2) Alabama's youth was on display as Alabama suffered more penalities than had been previously seen all game.
3) One still must note that Alabama's defense shut down the Wildcat offense for most of the game. The defense still looks powerful and ready to face later opponents.
4) Alabama rushed well against one of the nation's top defenses. Coffee's 218 yards is commendable against a tough defense.
5) Alabama was tackling well and the runners always bounced off tackles well. The Tide displayed good conditioning.
Am I still optimistic for the 2008 version of the Crimson Tide? Absolutely. Does Musings from Maytown still extol the coaching talents of Nick Saban? Certainly. Does this website predict a national championship this year? Not yet.

Musings from Maytown Presidential Poll

Readers of Musings from Maytown notice the presidential poll on the left hand side of the page. This is not a poll that we have formulated, but this poll is linked to almost 2500 websites across the country through Newsvine. The candidates from the primary season are still listed, so one can still vote for Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, Hillary Clinton, and others along with the choices of Barack Obama and John McCain.
Musings from Maytown is glad to report that with almost 2500 websites linked to this poll, Musings from Maytown ranks #12 in the most votes cast and #8 in most Republican votes cast.
Please look to the left-hand side of the page and vote in the presidential poll. Thank you for your vote.

Blues Brothers Leading the Way in British Football

On several occasions, Musings from Maytown has spotlighted the Glasgow Rangers football team in the Scottish Premier League. At the outset of this current season, Musings from Maytown predicted that the Chelsea Blues would win the English Premier League.
My experience is that many Britishers seem to support the Blues Brothers as a package: Rangers in the Scottish Premier League, Chelsea in the English Premier League, and Linfield (of Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK) in the Irish League. All three of these teams seem to draw fans from the Unionist persuasion. Generally, Rangers fans tend to support Chelsea in the English League and Linfield in the Irish League. Those fans tend to support British Unionism and tend to be Protestants. In England, the Chelsea fans tend to vote Conservative. In Scotland the Rangers fans vote Unionist as opposed to the Scottish Nationalist Party, and in Northern Ireland, the Linfield fans tend to support the Crown as opposed to Irish Nationalism. All three Blues Brothers teams use symbols that display loyalty to the Crown. The left wing in the UK would tend to criticize all three of these teams.
Musings from Maytown is glad to report that, going into the weekend, that all three of the Blues Brothers are leading in their respective leagues: Chelsea in England, Rangers in Scotland, and Linfield in Ireland. Let's hope that this year fans can keep the blue flag flying high as one the Chelsea fan songs says. Check out this Chelsea song and enjoy this sound by English singer Suggs.

Pure and Simple: Sarah Palin Won the Debate

As predicted earlier, the mainstream media has tried to couch the Vice Presidential debate so as to declare a victory for Senator Joe Biden. Musings from Maytown, hub of the alternative media, is declaring a victory in the debate for Gov. Sarah Palin.
First, Senator Biden made harsh charges against John McCain which sounded incredible. While watching the debate, this writer began to question the statistics and information given by Senator Biden. Sure enough, in an after-debate interview on FOX News with Karl Rove, Rove pointed out ten factual errors made by Biden. The McCain campaign lists Fourteen Lies by Biden in the Debate
Secondly, as pointed out by Pat Buchanan on MSNBC, Biden came across like a Washington insider while Palin came across as fresh. Biden has the quintessential appearance of a Washington politician, while Palin truly comes across as average America.
Thirdly, Sarah Palin is just plain likable. She has a strong aura, a friendly smile, a natural voice,and one finds listening to Gov. Palin as pleasant. Again, Biden comes across as a big city lawyer who snidely makes his negative comments. To put it plainly, Palin comes across naturally friendly while Biden's niceties appear forced.
The after-debate call-in poll on FOX news had Palin winning the debate 88-12. The McCain-Palin camp was celebrating while the Obama-Biden camp was nervously claiming victory. Certainly, the questions about Palin's competence as a candidate should be over.
The McCain campaign needs to turn Gov. Palin loose, send her into swing states, and watch her bring home undecided voters. The Palin debate performance just might be the catalyst to turn the momentum of this campaign around and possibly bring home a victory for the McCain-Palin ticket.

Musings from Maytown Readers Oppose the Bailout

By a margin of 110-14, the readers of Musings from Maytown voted to oppose the current bailout of financial institutions. How bad is this bailout?
Economist Jim Rogers said America is more communist than China is right now. You can see that this is welfare of the rich, it is socialism for the rich… it's just bailing out financial institutions. Senator Jim Demint of South Carolina said that this bailout was leading us to the pit of socialism. I am thankful that both US Senators from Alabama, Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions voted NO on the bailout.
We still have time to stop this insanity. Call your Congressman today.

Palin vs. Biden: the VP Candidates Square Off

Tonight, in St. Louis, MO, the major party candidates for Vice President will square off in their one scheduled debate. Remember, this article is written in advance of the debate. Musings from Maytown has promoted Sarah Palin as an excellent choice for Senator McCain's running mate. As we face the VP candidates debate, consider some observations on the impending debate:
1) Regardless of the outcome, the media will declare that Biden won the debate. Remember that in 1980, all media claimed that Jimmy Carter won the debate with Ronald Reagan, but the public preferred Reagan.
2) Sarah Palin has been muzzled by the McCain campaign. This vibrant, talented woman has been kept on a leash. I honestly believe that if Palin were told to say what she wishes, this powerful woman would connect with the public.
3) Palin should not attempt to come across like a policy wonk, but speak forth her convictions. The sound of good sense and principled conviction will carry the day. Her conviction will contrast well with the insincere approach of Joe Biden--a first-class phony.
4) An unleashed Sarah Palin is McCain's last hope to win this election. Her candidacy ignited the grassroots, but the weak response of the McCain campaign to the incessant media attacks on Palin have dulled her influence.
5) I will never believe that Sarah Palin supports this terrible bailout plan passed by the Senate and supported by both McCain and Obama. If Palin would come out against the bailout and explain that this is a difference she has with McCain, this would rally conservatives and help demonstrate her independence. This independent streak would build confidence in Palin, particularly among women voters.
6) One last observation--the highest brand of stupidity is reserved for the moderate wing of the Republican Party. They never understood Ronald Reagan and they don't understand Sarah Palin. These are the folks who have given us such losers as the Bushes, Bob Dole, and now John McCain. Conservatives swallow hard and vote for the lesser of two evils, but the average voter is not drawn. These moderate Republicans want to bail out Wall Street and then don't see why common people see their hypocrisy at their opposition to spending for the poor and middle class. These moderate, country club Republicans will say that national health care for the poor is too expensive on our economy (they are right) but then work to bail out corporations. These blue-bloods fail to see the irony of their policy and they lose elections.
Face it--George Bush (the father) won in 1988 on Reagan's coattails but could not hold on. The current President, like his father, is leaving office as an unpopular leader, due to his governing without conviction and principle.
For conservatives, our one hope for leadership is the influence of Sarah Palin. Let Palin be Palin, and McCain might just win on her popularity.