RNC Ground Game Memo

FROM: RNC Political Director Chris McNulty

TO: Republican Allies and Surrogates

RE: RNC Ground Game

 

 

After today's election, many of you have been asking about the RNC's role in New Jersey and Virginia this year-and about what we've been doing to prepare for 2014.

As you know, the RNC began a long-term process earlier this year to build a year-round campaign and fundamentally reshape the party's approach to politics. Among our priorities were developing a precinct-based voter contact model, creating a voter engagement strategy for minority communities, and better integrating data and digital capabilities to make voter contact more efficient.

These are still works in progress. The new strategies will be fully in place for 2014. However this year's elections did allow us to test some new models and new ideas. In New Jersey, we accelerated our demographic engagement plans. In Virginia, we focused especially on improving the voter contact model and utilizing new methods and technology. The lessons we learned will be applied in 2014.

 

 Here are some of things we did in New Jersey:

•The RNC spent $2.5 million to support Chris Christie and the Republican ticket, while building the party's presence in New Jersey.

•The RNC had 32 staff in New Jersey, stationed in 20 offices, eight of which were paid for by the RNC.

•Two of the offices, located in Paterson and Vineland, were dedicated to Hispanic engagement and bilingual voter contact. This investment helped the New Jersey Republican Party and the Christie campaign contact and identify new Republican voters.

•On-the-ground Hispanic engagement activities were coordinated with our state advisory team of 15 county chairs. (By next year, the team will have grown to 40 new chairs in targeted precincts.)

•African American engagement staff ensured Republicans had a presence at events and gathering across the state, ready to pass out literature and share our message.

•Republicans attended everything from civic and religious events to high school competitions, from an annual Alpha Kappa Alpha gathering to rallies for African American candidates.

•The Christie campaign utilized RNC offices to hold Asian-Pacific American phone banks and to organize the canvassing operation.

•With a record number of Republican women running for office in New Jersey, the RNC Co-Chair's office helped launched Project New Jersey, along with sister organizations and committees, to provide training and support for these candidates.  

 

Here's a look at Virginia:

•The RNC spent $3 million to support Ken Cuccinelli and the Republican ticket, while building the party's presence in Virginia.

•In getting out the vote for Cuccinelli and the Republican ticket, we tested our new precinct-based voter contact model.

•Precinct Teams, led by Precinct Captains, canvassed neighborhoods using RNC data and new technology.

•This allowed for a more decentralized approach: individuals could focus on neighborhoods with which they were familiar.

•By October, we already had twice as many data points as we did at the same point in 2012.

•We had 50 offices, which was more than 2012.

•We had 60 staff on the ground, on par with 2012.

•Our Virginia-based staff included four dedicated to Asian-Pacific American engagement, two for African American engagement, and one for Hispanic engagement.

•On the communications side, the RNC equipped campaigns with comprehensive communications plans for engaging with minority communities.

•The RNC ran ads on Korean TV, commissioned a poll of Korean residents and tested targeted digital ads-in addition to other efforts to reach new voters.

 

Building a truly national party with a year-round presence takes time. But in just a few short months we've made much progress. We already have hundreds of staff at work in communities all across the country. Under our new grassroots-based ground game model, we're organizing at the precinct level, and our staff will work alongside state parties and campaigns to support a team of thousands of Precinct Captains we've already recruited. They in turn will be responsible for building Precinct Teams to contact and persuade voters neighborhood by neighborhood.

We've made substantial investments in engaging with Hispanic, African American, and Asian-Pacific communities, including staff and offices in Washington, DC, and multiple states. These efforts are based on the same model and organized down to the precinct level. In addition, the RNC is providing playbooks to campaigns for effective minority engagement, giving them resources they otherwise would not have.

 All of this work is long-term. It's about winning in 2014. It's also about 2016, 2020, and beyond. It's about laying a foundation for future candidates and campaigns. 

The RNC's mission is to prepare the field for our candidates. Our work continues on in 2014, and we will refine our approach based on what we learned from 2013.

Gone are the days of stockpiling money till a few months before Election Day. The RNC is operating year round and engaging year round. Over the long term, we believe this approach will pay dividends and result in a larger party that wins more elections.

 

 

My friend, Tim Gibson, noticed the overwhelming racial-interest and lack of concern where politics are concerned.  Here's his take on it:

The Republican National Committee’s memorandum released Wednesday afternoon should be troubling  to anyone wishing to give money to the national party in the future in the state of Virginia and across the country. The next-day quarterbacking memo takes on the divide-and-conquer tactics of the Democratic Party by separating the American people into a number of minority groups instead of focusing on a cohesive set of ideas that unite the citizenry.

Titled “RNC Ground Game”, the document gives a blow- by-blow of all the alleged work the national GOP claimed to engage in over the Virginia and New Jersey state elections in the 2013 cycle.

Most telling is the lack of familiarity with state and national issues in the memo. No mention of the failed rollout of Obamacare, the sluggish national economy, nor the National Security Agency’s controversial citizen spying programs.

Instead the memorandum takes a disturbing turn, segregating the American people into various racial groups instead of speaking of the ideas that unite us all.

 

We've made substantial investments in engaging with Hispanic, African American, and Asian-Pacific communities, including staff and offices in Washington, DC, and multiple states,” the memo sent out by RNC Political Director Chris McNulty. “These efforts are based on the same model and organized down to the precinct level. In addition, the RNC is providing playbooks to campaigns for effective minority engagement, giving them resources they otherwise would not have.

 

In Virginia, the GOP strategists felt the Asian-Pacific demographic could turn the tide for Ken Cuccinelli:

•Our Virginia-based staff included four dedicated to Asian-Pacific American engagement, two for African American engagement, and one for Hispanic engagement.

•On the communications side, the RNC equipped campaigns with comprehensive communications plans for engaging with minority communities.

•The RNC ran ads on Korean TV, commissioned a poll of Korean residents and tested targeted digital ads-in addition to other efforts to reach new voters

 

According to the last U.S. Census, Asian Americans in Virginia only make up 6-percent of population. In comparison, the African-American community makes up 19.7-percent of the population. The GOP only devoted two staff members to the black demographic while four staff members in Virginia were dedicated to the Asian demographic. Even more startling is that the GOP had a black conservative running for the state’s Lieutenant Governor in E.W. Jackson, but failed to mention how the party used his candidacy to support or utilize his experiences to reach out to African-Americans.

 

A similar racially focused plan was also used in the national party’s efforts in New Jersey:

•Two of the offices, located in Paterson and Vineland, were dedicated to Hispanic engagement and bilingual voter contact. This investment helped the New Jersey Republican Party and the Christie campaign contact and identify new Republican voters.

•On-the-ground Hispanic engagement activities were coordinated with our state advisory team of 15 county chairs. (By next year, the team will have grown to 40 new chairs in targeted precincts.)

•African American engagement staff ensured Republicans had a presence at events and gathering across the state, ready to pass out literature and share our message.

•Republicans attended everything from civic and religious events to high school competitions, from an annual Alpha Kappa Alpha gathering to rallies for African American candidates.

•The Christie campaign utilized RNC offices to hold Asian-Pacific American phone banks and to organize the canvassing operation.

 

In Virginia, The GOP also failed to support the Cuccinelli campaign financially as revealed by the memorandum. The national Republican Party only spent $3 million on the race.  However, it should be noted that the Party spent $500,000 less to support New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

 

These are still works in progress. The new strategies will be fully in place for 2014. However this year's elections did allow us to test some new models and new ideas.

 

Tuesday night in Virginia should not have been a test for the GOP to experiment with failed strategies. Instead, it should have been a night to claim victories and build momentum for 2014.

Mitch McConnell: The Call Girl

When my husband joined the Army, he was bombarded with questions to discover whether or not he had a history of drug use or financial distress.  When he applied for his security clearance, he was subjected to extensive background checks to verify the answers to those questions.  Most soldiers go through these necessary procedures for one reason.  Someone who has used drugs can be rehabilitated and function just like anyone else.  Someone who has been in financial trouble can reverse their fortune and live responsibly. A soldier’s past is examined to ensure that he or she is less likely to relapse into the same problems and allow an opportunity for an enemy to turn the soldier by using drugs or money.  Plain and simple, a weak person is a target for leverage.

Mitch McConnell started his political career with the best intentions. He has an outstanding record on pro-life voting and the protection of the 2^nd Amendment.  When it comes to fiscal responsibility and individual liberty, he has eroded.  Over time, McConnell has learned that as a mediocre political figure, he has to steal American tax dollars in order to be re-elected.  Time and again, he has brought substantial pork home to Kentucky.  The projects he has earmarked have given him power, job security, and in his own words, “clout.”  This has developed into an addiction.  McConnell is the senator who repeatedly barks about a ban on earmarks while ranking in the top of his peers for earmarked money.  By some estimates, McConnell actually requests more pork than anyone else.  McConnell was personally responsible for $1.5 billion in earmark requests during the “transparency years” of 2008-2010.  Most recently, McConnell was paid off with another $2.9 billion for the shutdown deal.  He comprises every time; these prices are small for democrats to pay.  The guys he is negotiating with love to write government checks.  For democrats, they are giving McConnell $100 worth of presents for a $20,000 car.  Great deal.  For McConnell, it is like he is negotiating for Christmas presents for his grandkids by trading in his unknowing neighbor’s car.  Easy enough. 

Like any other addict, Mitch McConnell is taken advantage of by those who see his weakness.  Like a prostitute turning tricks to make it from one high to the next, McConnell is used and abused regularly.  He has followed the same routine for decades: talk tough, concede for a kickback, save face, rinse and repeat.  Take a look at his voting record and it is plain to see McConnell is not firm on very many convictions, save for gun control and abortion.  He has lain down, flip flopped, and weaseled into whatever vote will get him more pork.  His cornerstone belief is that he is in his rightful place; he will do anything to stay there. 

Mitch McConnell does not stand on principle, he stands on the throats of the taxpayers that line the pockets of his big donors and fund his pet projects.  He even bragged about his sleazy tactics to justify his reelection when he feared defeat in 2008. 

“The biggest issue in this race is whether or not our small state is going to continue to have a person of significant clout in Washington or whether we are to trade that person in for a rookie.”

He knows he is inadequate, but hey, he can bring in more pork than the other guy.  Mitch McConnell is nothing but a whore standing ready to do anything for a dollar.  He is not what Kentucky needs; he is not what America needs.  I plead with Kentucky to vote this dubious corpse out and vote for what is right.  We need strong, fiscal conservatives in office, not thieves and con-artists.  #MoneyMitch

-HashtagHolly

www.hashtagholly.com

#GrandmasterGrayson

Rep Alan Grayson sent this not-so-subtle message to possible donors.  The Tea Party is repeatedly accused of fear mongering while they are targeted by fear campaigns like you see here.   The Tea Party is repeatedly accused of being motivated by racism while they are targeted by racially-fueled propaganda.   Funny that the very party that created this terror group accuses everyone else of being affiliated with it.  The Tea Party does not want to share in your people’s hate-filled philosophy, Mr. Grayson.  And by the way, what racist ideal is of the Tea Party?   The consistent message of the Tea Party is that of small government. 

Should we be afraid of liberty and responsibility or those that wish to demonize that very thought?  Imagine a husband telling the neighborhood that his wife was racist and threatening everyone’s lives because she would not let him buy a new Benz on credit while they are losing their house.  This is the argument Alan Grayson makes because Alan Grayson is disgusting, shameless, and void of integrity.

… And a grandmaster KKK clansman of 40 years (in my opinion). 

See how that’s done?  Now trust in my dishonesty and spread the word to all of your sheeple!

 

#GrandmasterGrayson

 
-HashtagHolly

www.hashtagholly.com

 

The Spider Saves the Mosquito

                The mosquito was hungry.  His whole life had been next to the pond and he lived it the same each day.  He buzzed around the pond from sun up to sun down with his friends.  They played games and dreamed of the great things they would do in their lifetime.  In the late afternoon, when the dog came to get a drink, the mosquito and his friends would feed on its blood.  They always ate well, until the dog became sick from the constant feedings.  The dog was dying.  The mosquito did not care for the dog, but now he was hungry.  He was helpless without the dog.  It was his nature.

                The mosquito did not know where to turn, so he watched the other insects to see how they thrived.  He noticed the butterfly had nice lifestyle; flowers were abundant and always there for food.  The mosquito wondered how he could live his life that easily.  He watched the caterpillar as the caterpillar worked all day.  The caterpillar dreamed of becoming a butterfly and worked tirelessly to achieve his goals without regard to the world around him.  It was his nature.  The mosquito asked the caterpillar why he worked so hard. 

“I am working to become a butterfly one day,” the caterpillar was happy to enlighten the mosquito.  “All day long I travel long distances to find food to store for my energy.  All night I work to build my cocoon.  That will surely help me to become a butterfly one day.”

The mosquito was confused.

“But, where is my food?  The dog is now sick.  Where is my cocoon?  I do not have one,” the mosquito explained.

“I will show you what you need to do and how hard you must work,” said the caterpillar.  “I want you to be as grand as the butterfly like I will be.”

“I cannot do that, it is simply too much.  You are delusional to think that you can become a butterfly solely on your own.  There must be another way,” the mosquito asserted.

The spider saw everything; he rested above the other insect and always watched them to find his next prey.  He noticed the plight of the mosquito and thought he could help. 

“Why does the caterpillar get to become a butterfly and not you?” the spider questioned the mosquito.

“The caterpillar works very hard,” the mosquito confidently answered.  “Watch him as he labors night and day.”

“The caterpillar was born to be a butterfly.  You are not a caterpillar; you will starve and die without the dog.” 

“What can I do?  I cannot become a butterfly.  I did not travel far and wide to find food for my energy.  I did not work tireless each night to build a cocoon,” the mosquito protested.

“Everyone should be as happy as the butterfly.  The world is unjust,” the spider appealed to the mosquito. 

The mosquito became envious and asked for the spider’s aid.  The spider explained how he could save the mosquito.  The mosquito and the spider would solicit the caterpillar for help because the caterpillar had prepared for himself enough and others needed his assistance.  The mosquito would lead the caterpillar into the spider’s trap, where he would be stuck.  The mosquito could then feed on the caterpillar for energy and then use his cocoon to transform into a butterfly.  The mosquito had no other choice.  He obliged and asked the caterpillar for help.

“It is really not my place to feed you or build your cocoon.  I am barely making it on my own,” the caterpillar said.

“Look at the mosquito,” the spider said to the caterpillar.  “He cannot survive on his own.  You were born into a better environment and you have plenty.  It is only right that you help those that are in need.”  The spider was convincing.

The caterpillar conceded to the spider and began helping the mosquito each day.  The mosquito used the caterpillar and led him into the spider’s trap.  The mosquito then drained the caterpillar until he was dead.  The spider’s plan had saved the mosquito’s life.

“Now you must go to Compunction Cavern.  That is where the caterpillar built his cocoon and it is where you will begin your new, happy life as a butterfly,” announced the spider.

The mosquito was overjoyed.  He raced to Compunction Cavern without delay.  The spider was a godsend.  He flew as fast as he could, not watching where he was going and not stopping in time before he slammed into the spider’s web.  He was stunned; surely this must be a mistake.  The spider will come by to free him and get him into the cocoon he deserved.  He heard something.

“Spider, is that you?” said one voice.

“I am ready to get into my new cocoon!” shouted another.  “I have been waiting so long!”

“Have you brought a caterpillar for us to feed on?  We are so hungry” asked a distant voice.

The mosquito looked around.  Dozens of other mosquitos were stuck in the same, complex spider web.  His heart sank.

“No, it is just me.  The mosquito,” he said with a broken spirit.

The other mosquitos started to panic.  Their optimism quickly left them as they began screaming for help; they were all doomed to the same trap.

The spider had a pipeline of easy prey because he was smart, deceitful, and methodical.  It was his nature.  The spider stayed well fed for a long time.  The spider, however, did not consider the bat.  The bat had been waiting.  He knew he could not save the caterpillar; the caterpillar was self-absorbed and could not see what was going on around him.  He knew he could not save the mosquito, as he was too envious and unwilling to help himself.

The bat waited until the spider was too immersed in this dubious game to see him coming.  He swooped in and ate the spider quickly and quietly as he had planned.  He thought he could save the caterpillars, now that the spider was gone.  However, there were no caterpillars left.  He went to Compunction Cavern to save the mosquitos, but was met with horror when he found that the mosquitos were thrashing around, trying to eat each other out of starvation.

 

He returned alone, sadly, to his home in Contumacious Cave.  He would have to learn to live with less, now that the spider had decimated his environment.  But the bat was ready for anything; he was patient, independent, aware, and resourceful.  It was his nature.

 

-Hashtag Holly

www.hashtagholly.com

Shutdown Showdown: Who the Hell Cares?

The federal government has now been shut down for five days.  Five days of apocalyptic doom has swept over the country and we are now living in an episode of The Walking Dead.  Everyone knew that we couldn't function without the help of a fully functioning, burgeoning US government; no one could imagine it would come to this.  Excuse me while I wake up from a democrat’s nightmare and continue about my everyday life.  We do have a government shutdown, but the effects are non-existent.  Both sides of the aisle have acted and continue to behave like children and there is a clamoring for the heads of those responsible.  Continually, the question is asked, “Who gets the blame for this?”  The 17 trillion dollar question is, “Who the hell cares?”

 

Republicans in congress have blamed Harry Reid and President Obama for the government shutdown.  Everyone else in the world has blamed Ted Cruz and John Boehner.  The blame belongs in the dumpster with the rest of the partisan garbage; both parties are trying to gain political ground from this manufactured crisis but neither seems to realize that the public will not care one year from now.  Most Americans don’t understand the shutdown, nor do they care.  Many thought they would not have to go to school, or wouldn’t get their mail.  Some believed that their electric would be turned off in the middle of the night and their precious Wi-Fi symbol would not appear on their iSomething.  Some of the most informed of citizens thought a government shutdown would include at least some terrible backlash.  Many predicted the economy would be devastated; the S&P500 welcomed a shutdown, with a 0.8% gain on October 1^st.  While Congress and the administration are primarily concerned with the blame game, the American public will be relieved about how little the federal government plays a role in their lives.  Recipients of government assistance are still being paid; they don’t care.  Liberals seem to think this is the worst thing that has ever happened to them, although they can’t explain why.  Conservatives are relishing in a moment of the tiniest shrinkage of government whilst President Obama contends, “I was in the pool!”
 

 

The worst atrocity the administration has weaponized is the closing of national parks and open-air monuments.  Park employees are over capacity making sure that no money is wasted because of the milling about of patriots who want to see what their tax dollars have already constructed.  
 

 

 

We the People should shrug off the shutdown because, whether you are a liberal or conservative, the temporary closing of national parks should not affect your core beliefs.  The government shutdown is all but proven to be a Hollywood production; asinine and cost-adding park closings are laughably the worst pain the administration can inflict.  This emergency has been is a farce and it shows so much that Congress and all media have moved on to running a new line, “If you think this is bad, wait until the debt ceiling debate.” 

The debt ceiling is the next faux crisis on the administrations agenda.  The talking points funneling through the news are now shifting to whether or not Congress will allow the US to default on its debt.  Since the treasury is the number one holder of our debt, this would mostly amount to you giving your cousin, Eddie, an IOU to borrow a worthless baseball card, and then cutting the baseball card up and not returning one of the slivers by the date you promised.  Cousin Eddie doesn't really care; he prints the baseball cards off of his Lexmark. 

To digress, the US will not default on its debt.  The 14^th Amendment forbids defaulting on old debts, so the representative branch and the president are required to pay our interest requirements before anything else.  No questions asked.  The estimated tax receipts for next year are three trillion dollars.  The interest payments on our debt will amount to $400 billion at most, and that is if interest rates were to raise as much as some experts predict.  Default is not possible.  However, the real spending kicks in with Social Security and Medicare, which are estimated to be about $1.8 trillion.  This worst case scenario would leave $800 billion, plenty of money to pay for defense, VA benefits, federal retirement, and welfare programs.  Keeping the debt ceiling at its present level will not induce catastrophe; only public awareness and congressional haste, both good things.  These mushrooming programs and out-of-control spending categories, as well as foreign aid and special earmarked pork must be slashed now; the can has been kicked for too long and snowballed enough that it cannot be ignored and is impossible to wish away.

 

This shutdown crisis is a paper tiger; the debt limit crisis is a paper tiger.  Those who are blind to the real world will not be affected as their Honey BooBoo marathon will continue as scheduled.  Those who are awake will see how little we need our federal government.  In this aspect, Obama and democrats have overplayed their hand.   The longer the debate, the less vitriol the public will have towards the GOP.  If the shutdown continues and the debt limit is not increased, Americans will go to work, come home, eat chicken wings, and realize, “What exactly are our taxes paying for?”

Republicans need to call Obama’s bluff and the political impact will reverse.  The administration can only tell us how catastrophic things are for so long before we look around and wonder what they are talking about.  Specifically, squishy House Republicans need to hold the line.  Do what you were elected to do.  Fight Obamacare, reduce the size of government, #GrowAPair, and stand up to the #PaperTiger.  #WhoTheHellCares

-Hashtag Holly
www.hashtagholly.com

Spy Versus Spy: Finding Closure with Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden, the whistleblower, spy, hero, villain, is now Tom Hanks without a Wilson.  He is stuck, alone on castaway island, and all by himself.  His last hope for a home is Venezuela, a wicked place that is as good as any to sign a book deal.  So as the man who leaked one of the biggest bombshells in recent history begs every country on Earth for asylum and the US government slams every door, the media and the people argue his historical place.

No surprise that the feds and other demonic beings (Cheney) called for his head outright.  No surprise that the hippies called for his nomination to run on the Green Party ticket next year.  No surprise that your everyday-er doesn't know Edward Snowden from Edward Scissorhands.  The issue that must be addressed is that "We the People" are still largely undecided.  How do we ignore the media and other barking dogs to come to a rational decision of what to think of actions such as Snowden's.  The man himself is not as important as what he has done.  Do we stand against big government at every angle and support vigilante actions to chip away from it?  Do we run to big brother in fear and allow it to crush any opposition because this is, as always, a matter of national security and public safety?  The correct process is to look deeply into the details surrounding each case and make the right decision.  This is not a menial thought process to take, it is very important on how the public remembers this case and ones like it in the future because it has huge implications on our acceptance of overreaches and the treatment of dissidents.

Important Fact 1:  Edward Snowden is the enemy of our enemy; something that I think most Americans can agree upon.  No, the US government is not your enemy if you are a sane person.  However, government overreaches and breaches of constitutional protections should be something that all Americans hate.  The military swears to defend the constitution before anything or anyone else; it should be the most important political thing we care about as well.  

We turned a blind eye during World War 2 while Stalin continued killing millions of his own people.  Even before the War, Stalin was killing American immigrants on the basis of terrorism.  After World War 2, our focus turned to stop Stalin.  During the Revolutionary War, we gladly accepted all the help we could get from France, although they murdered entire villages just years earlier during the French and Indian War.  Years later, we spit in their face when they asked for help against Britain and again went to war with them based off of mutual hatred.  Hosni Mubarak was a terrible man that was overlooked because he played by our rules and stood with us publicly on most issues.  We used Mubarak up and let him be trampled when his chips were down.  The historical precedence for dealing with enemies of our enemies is to turn a blind eye and accept the help until it is no longer useful for us.  That does not make it okay.

Important Fact 2:  Snowden is a traitor because he has given away information to the Chinese and undoubtedly, the Russians and everyone else who has given him a forum.  The question that needs to be asked in regards to this second fact is, can we overlook him giving away secret information to other countries in order to save his own skin?  The answer must be no.

We should be willing to happily watch Snowden receive his judgement from the US government because he fled the country and sold his soul to keep his freedom.  He seeks asylum from countries where there is little freedom.  The reality of Edward Snowden is that he is either out to hurt America in anyway possible, or he is a snake who cares more for himself than even his own cause.  A hero cannot also be a weasel.  

The recipe for being a hero is to first do something heroic, then stand by what you have done.  If a person is truly being selfless and doing what is right, the people will stand with that person as they are saved or as they go down a martyr.  Snowden is simply a snake and should be viewed historically as a useful idiot.  Everyone suspected that the federal government was spying on law-abiding citizens, but not to what extent and with no smoking gun.  The lesson for others who find themselves in Snowden's shoes is if you want to be a hero, be heroic.  Thank you for the leaked information Edward Snowden, that action alone was the right thing to do.  Now, go rot in an Obama gulag camp. 

The sad truth of this story is the lack of outrage over the leaked information.  Most who are even still talking about NSA spying are talking about Edward Snowden and not the fact that everyone's fourth amendment rights continue to be molested everyday.  This post is as guilty as any.  The Obama administration has masterfully turned this story on its head and made it about a nerdy hacker.  I have made my judgement, make yours and move on to the 4th Amendment.

-Hashtag Holly

The Declaration of the People

Two hundred thirty-seven years ago today, fifty-six brave men signed a declaration, stating that the constituents they represented would no longer swear allegiance to their tyrannical king.  The declaration was unheard of at the time; the British Empire had a firm grip on a huge portion of the world, through colonial rule, trade, and military power.  The declaration was sure to be a declaration of war; the kingdom could not lose the American cash cow or show weakness to other colonies.  The separatists didn't stand a chance; they were underdogs that paled in every comparison except for their dedication to the cause.  Their cause was just, their motivations were selfless, their resolve was historic.

Many think of the great efforts of these fifty-six powdered-wigged patriots when they enjoy their grilled meats every July 4th. Others recall on the heroic actions of those who fought and/or died during the Revolutionary War and visions of blood-spattered Mel Gibsons dance in their heads.  Both are valid reasons to eat pie.  But in the wake of uprisings in Egypt and widespread civil unrest around the world, this year is as good as any to remember "We the People."  Yes the fifty-six delegates made the bold and poetic declaration and should be given much of the credit.  However, they were only politicians and their mouths would have not opened had it not been for the Americans that they represented.  It was the People's will that wrote the letter and the People that would bare the consequences of its words.  The representatives did an impeccable job, standing up to tyranny.  But they were not alone.  Behind them was a majority that stood ready to lay down everything to put their money where their delegated mouths spoke.  The people declared  independence, stood up to the King, and won an unlikely war to keep that independence

We the People can do anything.  In this so-called information age, the common person is as uninformed as ever.  The injustices of the King and the resulting revolution was spurred through bar conversations and town hall meetings.  With all of the information the world has to offer resting at our fingertips, Americans choose to keep up with Kardashians and the like.  The People have been sidelined by daily mediocrities and a haze sits in front of our faces.

"all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed"

We the People have grown accustomed to a government that grows more tyrannical every day.  We accept overreaches of our government, breaches of the Constitution, and the decaying of our values because they are not gross in comparison to the last overreach, breach, or decay.  Progressives love to be called progressives because they wear their strategy on their name tag and no one seems to notice.  It is time we pay attention to what is happening.

"He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance"

"He has obstructed the Administration of Justice"

"He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone"

"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance."

"He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution"

"In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms:  Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury.  A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."

 

The words of our founding documents and the People they protected are what made this the greatest country on Earth.  People stood up and put an end to tyranny and corruption, then created a constitution with strict separation and limitation of powers, enforcing the will of the people and the rule of law.  The founding documents are still relevant, the Declaration of Independence maybe more so now than in decades past.  

Back then, "He" was the tyrannical king.  Today, "He" does not refer solely to the tyrant Obama, because our corrupt federal government will continue its path long after President Obama is gone.  The "He" we face today is that bulbous, stinking, out of control federal mass that recreates and mutates into an uglier, more sinister cancer all the time.  Wake up.  Talk with your family and friends.  Get informed.  This is the only way to reverse our course in a prudent and peaceful way.

-Hashtag Holly

Arab Gladiators: Tahrir's Square Peg in Obama's Round Hole

The strategies of the Obama administration in the Middle East and surrounding regions are void of the transparency he promised.  The president has failed to communicate his policy.  He apologized to the world of Islam for America being America and taking the lead for international stability and human rights.  He ducked in Libya and punted to the rest of the world.  He did not stand up to evil after he helped oust the government, allowing terrorist organizations to run rampant and resulting in the execution of one of our ambassadors.  He stalled in Syria, then gave underground support to Al-Qaeda affiliates, ultimately deciding to support the heart-munching opposition that is the equally wicked of two evils fighting there.  He has been nothing but politically even-keeled, staying gutless and apologetic.

President Obama's overarching policy is that as leader of the free world, he wants America to slip into being the harbinger of the decline of freedom.  His ideals do not line up with what we believe, something any voter that was paying attention should have recognized.  We believe in the rule of law, in human decency and safety, in free trade and the actual definition of fairness.  The president would see America  take a back seat to the rest of the world, because he believes that the weak rise as the mighty fall.  His vision is coming to pass and this is clear when watching the death matches occurring in Arab nations.  The flaw of his vision is that we are not living in the story of Robin Hood or David and Goliath.  The weak do not always have good ideas or intentions; they are frequently in their position because of their bad ideas and wicked intentions.

The situation is completely broken.  Where there may have been obscure opportunities to act on the right side of history and save a bloodbath, we are now in the viewing booth watching slaves fight to the death at the Roman Coliseum.  Instead of picking our favorite gladiator after it was too late in Syria and giving them heavy weapons of war, President Obama should focus on a diplomatic solution with Russia.  Focus should be on stopping Russia and Iran from giving tools of death to Assad's regime, increasing the carnage.  We are past the point of trying to pick the winner and loser; because everyone is now a loser.

Egypt is on the brink and Obama has yet another chance put America on the high ground.  The official statement reads:

 "President Obama encouraged President Morsi to take steps to show that he is responsive to their concerns, and underscored that the current crisis can only be resolved through a political process. As he has said since the revolution, President Obama reiterated that only Egyptians can make the decisions that will determine their future."

Gutless, even-keeled politics.  If we would have elected a president who stands up and does what needs to be done, America would immediately cut off all aid and hold all contracts until a recall vote is held.  The President would have a loud, resounding voice for the rest of the world to follow suit.  There are at least three parties that will move to civil war if the situation is not dealt with properly, and we will be left with the next-gen of Islamist extremism. Obama has the chance to be on the historical high-ground and the possibility of helping to stop the gladiators from entering the pit.

But alas, this is the new America, the new world, and we are all getting drunk in the viewing booth.  How soon until we find ourselves in the pit, wondering how we got there?

-Hashtag Holly