Hillary Gets in the White House(For the Occasional Visit)

Hillary Clinton could be the United States’ Secretary of State. Can we not just get raptured right now? Hillary Clinton is going to be the face of our foreign policy to the world. Yeah, that one, the lady who was bent on breaking the gender barrier in the Presidency and is most likely bitter as hell about Obama upstaging her. Just a year ago or less, Clinton was the clear-cut candidate for being the Democratic representative and now she finds herself being appeased by the Dear Leader-Elect with a cabinet position. I can understand that, but why Secretary of State? Could we not put her over the EPA or the Education department or some other non-functioning government bureaucracy? We are replacing Colin Powell and Condeleeza Rice with freaking Billary. That is not a change I would ever want to believe in(I bet Bill is gonna love her being gone to the Middle East and China all the time though–good for him).

In other news, the guy with a killer goatee, Bill Richardson, is probably going to re-enter the fun world of government bureaucracy also. I really do not have much of a problem with that.

But I just cannot get over Obama’s first real grievous act of his Presidency putting Billary as our representative to the world. Obviously, he is streamlining her for a run in ’16 which if she does not screw up too bad, she will be a heavy favorite(mainly because the Republican party is in shambles and I have little faith in their ability to plug the holes in the sinking ship).

Side Issue

Is Religion to Blame for the GOP’s Downfall?

I am one of those pesky evangelical Christians. According to a piece in today’s Greenville News(sorry no link but I found it actually in the print version…I might have to explain what that is to some people), me and my co-horts are the reason why the Republican Party is sucking right now.  I am not surprised that the Christians are to blame for the Republican Party going down. I mean, when all else fails, blame the Christians! They were to blame for the burning of Rome, right? I am not trying to go victim complex on you, but religion is not to blame the absolute suckage of the GOP.

How about the Republicans becoming just like the Democrats in regards to spending? You know, like abandoning the conservative principles the entire party is founded on with economic policies? Religion can be a negative force for a party. The Democratic Party does not have to worry about because they are devoid of any moral compass, but this is a “problem” the Republican Party has to deal with. There will be those whackos like Pat Robertson calling for the heads of foreign dictators, but that is not representative of the entire base. Christians are probably the most loyal of all factions within the Republican Party to a fault really.

The issue could be that the zealous Christians could be alienating the rest of Republicans which is altogether possible because Christians can tend to be abrasive sometimes. Christian issues that fuse into Republican issues like marriage between homosexuals and the right to life can be a problem also. Though even in California, the marriage issue did not really go on party lines because Kaleefornya is a traditionally liberal state(but despite this, it is my favorite state in the union, love every minute of living outside of ‘Frisco). The Republican Party needs to focus on returning to conservatism rather than seperating themselves from religion because without that base, they will never be prominent again and a third party could conceivably be created.

Well thats my ramblings for the day…if you read…then comment please…out

So Politics Have Gotten a Bit Boring Now

I am I the only one feeling a little withdrawal? I really need Jon King to point out some counties in Montana that are traditionally conservative. I need Wolf Blitzer’s soothing voice guiding me through some election results in Massachusetts. I’m waiting on the mail for something disparaging about one candidate or another. I need MSNBC trying to convince me with all their might that Obama is the candidate I should choose, but they have won and now we begin the Obama rear-end kissing for the next 8 years. It was so much more fun President Bush was in power. What exactly is Keith Olbermann going to talk about anymore? Once the Democrats have near absolute majority status in both houses of Congress and a liberal in the Presidency–is he going to start going after Governors and state senates that are controlled by Republicans? This really is going to be the age of the conservative pundit. They will be able to pick away at the Supreme Leader for eight years and attract a following slowly while doing. Will it be enough to take down Hillary in ’16? Who knows, but I see the next 8 years of Obama as an opportunity for the Republican Party to get a face lift and get a hold of itself. So we wait a little while for the Dear Leader to become President in January, the fun begins after that.

I Watch Glenn Beck…

and I like it. Of all the talking heads on television, he seems to be the most upfront guy out there. Fox’s O’Reilly and MSNBC’s Olbermann claim fairness, but Beck makes no apologies for his biases. He is strong in his conservative values and Mormon faith.

I was listening to his show the other day and he had an interesting  back-and-forth conversation with a caller. If you could not figure it out, I am more than a little cynical about the Supreme Leader coming to office January 2009, but Beck made me think a bit(which is a rare occurrence some would say…) The full transcript can be found here. But he took on a caller who was less then pleased with Obama being President-Elect:

“Well, Joe, then you’re un-American because this is the way our system works, and this is — you are exactly the kind of person that caused so much trouble with George W. Bush. When the Supreme Court decided the way our system works, when the Supreme Court decided you count the way you are supposed to count the votes, you guys set this up, the Democrats were the ones who set it up. So you’ve got to play by those rules. When they counted the votes the way they were supposed to be counted and even when they counted them the way that they were trying to get them to count, you know, and change the rules, George Bush still won, they still said, “Well, he’s not my President; he was selected, not elected. No, the facts are he was elected the President of the United States through the Supreme Court and then the New York Times — that crazy — I mean, it might as well be reading the National Review. That crazy newspaper went back and counted them again and Al Gore still lost. And yet people said he’s not my President. Well, that was the problem. And Joe, you are now the person that you most likely railed against in 2000. Barack Obama won. He is now our President. We do not sacrifice our values. We are not required to now become a socialist. We’re now not required to stand up and fight for the things that he believes in if we disagree, but we understand that he is the President of the United States.

So are you going to be a new kind of American that continues to separate us and continue to pull us apart?”

It is a good dialogue and question at the end. Now, I reserve my right to sarcastic about the Dear Leader’s re-distribution of America, but he is the American President and his election was the voice of the people. I was a part of that voice. I did not vote for McCain because as Beck calls him, “Obama-Lite” was not something to get excited about as a conservative. I hope the Republican party gets it together but I think Obama is all but assured of an 8 year term.

My only direction is to stay informed and not just vote for a party, but for America. Thanks for reading and God bless America!

Obama’s Mandate to…

Give college football a playoff could very well be his finest plan.

The Great One said:

“I think it is about time that we had playoffs in college football,” he said. “I’m fed up with these computer rankings.”(link)

Our Supreme Leader in a few months is tired of computer rankings determining who plays for championship much like me. Much like most of his plans, he is vague on the details of how he will bring change to college football, but I put my full support behind our Dear Leader-Elect in this matter.

This season we could have as much as a mess as ever in the Bowl Championship Series. Texas Tech Red Raiders, Penn State Nittany Lions, Alabama Crimson Tide, Utah Utes, Ball State Cardinals, and Boise State Broncos are the last unbeatens. Two undefeated teams meeting in the BCS Championship Game is the dream scenario that just has not happened like it should. Of these undefeateds, Texas Tech, Penn State, and Alabama are the ones really with a shot at taking the title. Once we get past these teams, you have a number of quality one loss teams. Texas Longhorns lead the group in my book in addition to the Florida Gators, Southern California Trojans, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, TCU Horned Frogs, and BYU Cougars.

That’s thirteen teams people. How can a system designed for two undefeated teams have so many contenders and still be successful? The answer is it cannot. It will never satisfy the masses. Anti-playoff people claim the awesomeness of the regular season is due to the lack of a playoff. This argument fails to satisfy me because the regular season is still important in the NFL. A playoff would be one of the greatest things to happen to college football. The excitement in a 4, 8, 16, or beyond team tournament would be off the charts in college football which is home to probably the most raving, passionate fans on earth.

A college football playoff is change we can believe in and I hope the Anointed One brings forth one for the sake of the integrity of college football.

Playoff Proposals

4 Team: Top four teams ranked in a poll move on to a playoff. 1 plays 4 and 2 plays 3…winners meet in championship game.

Pros: Better than what we have.

Cons: Seems a bit a small. Potential for a number of teams being left out in the cold.

8 Team: Several ways to do it. Could be six champions from the current BCS conferences plus two at-larges. Could just be the top 8 teams. Could be hosted at current BCS bowl sites over the 3 week period.

Pros: More teams allows for less controversy, finds way to include most of the conference champions.

Cons: Still could be a little bigger. 13 teams right now with a reasonable shot at the title with no or one losses.

16 Teams: Could include all eleven conference champions. Could have top six conference champions plus a number of at-larges.

Pros: More inclusive, could include more conferences.

Cons: Possibly too inclusive, could dilute the championship pool.

That’s my thoughts…Hope…Change…Dear Leader…Bring us playoff in college football!

Current State of Politics in Pictures

Obama Economic Plan for Country…

Republican Party…

Obama’s Foreign Policy…

President Bush after a few years of Obama…

“That guy’s making me look good!”

______________________________
American people after a few years…

This is all in good fun…and it is fun. Google image search is great. I can just type in trainwreck and get a picture from the 1800s. Good stuff…well we have survived nearly 24 hours of Obama being the President-Elect(only 8 years to go Republicans!) I leave you with a lasting image…

(B. Rink)

Jumping into the Deep End

Much like my vote on Tuesday, November 2008, this is my third party vote. One of my blogs is on Sporting News and I stick to sports. Another is on this site with my school curriculum in college. This is my foray into political commentary mixed with my heavily sports watching diet. I am a sports fanatic and this fanaticism is what I try to apply to every aspect of my life whether with my faith, family, or politics.

I created this blog because politics just got a little more interesting after the U.S.’s political election yesterday. The feeling is inescapable that the game has changed politically in America. In a move to the left I figured would happen in 2004, it started in 2006 and came with a large thud in 2008′s election. (Writing this while I’m watching Karl Rove on Fox News…I don’t really watch Fox News a lot…I will a lot more when Glenn Beck comes to the network…I like parentheses…and ellipticals…so if you don’t like them…you probably won’t like…this…blog). Barack Obama is our President-Elect and will be sworn in to be the the President of the United States of America. I feel terrified and excited at the same time. From an aspiring historian’s perspective, this is history in the making. It just gives you the warm fuzzys all over. But his political ideology and lack of experience is troubling.

Obama is going to be great. He is either going to be one of the greatest Presidents ever through saving the economy and redistributing wealth so that all of America is prosperous. Or….he could be the greatest failure in the history of the Democratic Party. He has promised a lot for the possibility to not be able to deliver. One thing is for certain, the media will be doing its best to make him look good.

If you have not figured it out, I am conservative in my political persuasion. I voted Tuesday on principle rather than for the lesser of two evils therefore I voted for Bob Barr. He had no shot of winning. I knew that. He knew that. His political ideology matched up with mine so I voted for him. McCain did the best he could with what he had. He was not well liked by conservatives like me especially in the economy. His view to throw more taxpayer money at the problem was just what people like me did not want to hear. The Sarah Palin pick was initially a smooth move, but it proved costly afterwards. The party I am registered as a member of is at a crossroads. Will they shrink into obscurity? Or will they regroup and refocus to start chipping away at the messianic aura of President-Elect Obama?

Either way, America has chose its direction for the next four years. I thank God that I am in a country where we can choose what direction we can go in. It will not always be what I like, but it always will make me proud to be an American. Thanks for reading and let me know you read me!

(B. Rink)