Californian Sojourn

Is The Hillary Vs. Obama "Race War" A Sign Of Things To Come?

Having read this post over at Michelle's blog I'm left wondering if this is just the forerunner for what's to come in the general presidential election if Obama is elected.  Early on one of the admirable things about Obama was that he didn't pander to the Race Card and even deflected those who would seek to make it an issue.  All that's changed now as even as I write this Fox News is reporting about BET's Bob Johnson's remarks against Obama.  I don't know if this is just Hillary's answer to an Iowa loss or Obama's answer to his NH loss but all the same it is ugly and really unnecessary.

So if Obama becomes the nominee will the white GOP nominee have to face this or worse?  Well all it will take is one misstep, one thing said out of turn and it will all go to hell in a handbag in one way or another.  You better believe the MSM will be salivating at the chance as they are already lapping this up and it's between two Democrats!  And of course, now that I think about it, there really isn't much to stop a Hillary nomination from becoming just as ugly in terms of gender wars either.  In fact that could be perhaps even uglier if Hillary busts out the tears and the GOP nominee jumps on it.

As crazy as these primaries have been I can only imagine how divisive the general election is going to be!  Ah the things to look forward to.

Politics And Religion

I came across this piece of reporting (via Blogs for Fred Thompson) about Fred Thompson who was answering questions asked of him by an audience member:

Mixing theology and social issues on the campaign trail is rare for Fred Thompson, but he discussed it today answering a question from a member of the audience.

A woman asked him if he would “as a Christian, as a conservative” continue President Bush’s programs to combat global AIDS.

“Christ didn’t tell us to go to the government and pass a bill to get some of these social problems dealt with. He told us to do it,” Thompson said.

“The government has its role, but we need to keep firmly in mind the role of the government, and the role of us as individuals and as Christians on the other.”

He received a round of applause for his answer, and went on to expand on the role of government in fighting AIDS and other diseases.

“I’m not going to go around the state and the country with regards to a serious problem and say that I’m going to prioritize that,” he said.

“With people dying of cancer, and heart disease, and children dying of leukemia still, I got to tell you – we’ve got a lot of problems here, and we all may have our one that’s affected us the most, but it’s a broad array. And a president who will tell you the truth is that we have to look across the board and do what we can and what we should based upon the severity of the problem and the chances that our research money will do some good in these areas.”

Now this is an issue that has been on my heart for quite some time as I have sought to further understand what role, as a Christian, my faith should play in politics.  It certainly is a difficult question considering the fact that Man has fought wars to reconcile the place of religion in the State.  Certainly there should be a freedom of religion and the State has no right to infringe on my ability to exercise my faith but how much does my faith ask of me to change the world around me through political methods ?  Should the government charge more taxes to help the poor or should a church take that money, which would have gone to taxes, and help the poor through its own methods? 

I believe it should be evident to all that who follow governmental projects AFTER  they are enacted to know that they are often caught up in all forms of bureaucracy that cause delays (or worse cancellations) as well as going far over budget.  A good example is the two hundred mile border "fence" that was already passed in Congress and yet remains nowhere near completed despite being signed into law awhile ago.  Now this isn't to say private organizations don't fall to the same kind of troubles as the government does, but it occurs far less because if your projects are constantly delayed or over budget you will normally go out of business.  So it is wise to come in on time and on budget as often as possible.  Unfortunately the government doesn't find itself without funding often times because of your money in the forms of taxes.  Can you see the problem here?   

First and foremost the money of the People is better suited to remain in the hands of the People and they should be able to put that money to work as they see fit.  The United States provides the most private aid to the world out of any other country by a long shot.  In fact, in 2006 the American people gave $295 billion, a record, and most of that came in the form of non-corporate donations.  That is an incredible number and certainly shows that people are willing to give of their hard earned money for the benefits of others.  It is this, I believe, which shows that Christians should not be seeking answers to the world's social problems through the government because the money is already there.  In fact our energies should be focused on making sure that money is properly allocated and that people are truly blessed by those funds.  You'll notice Christ never went to the government to solve issues, He engaged the people.  The government has it roles but real change (the political hot word of the season!) comes from the movement of the People.

Now I know the Rick Warren's of the world have taken to petitioning the government for greater help in social causes (such as AIDs and poverty) but I must respectfully disagree with such methods.  Unfortunately pastors and politics have been cemented in my mind as two entities that should stay far away from each other.  You can certainly "pastor" politicians but I believe it is a mistake to interject yourself in politics where anything you say can invalidate your teachings of Christ in peoples' minds.  Rick Warren has done such a thing when he went to Syria and praised their "religious tolerance" then ended up saying he never said such a thing.  Oops!  Pastors should shepherd their flock and leave the movement of government to the Christians who have chosen to become politicians.  As difficult as it may be to stand on the sidelines of public policy as a person of influence one must remember that Christ's influence is what we should seek the most in the lives of people. 

In the end Fred Thompson hits this nail on the head and further galvanizes my support for him.  As much as I believe Huckabee could be a great person to sit down and chat with I cannot abide convictions and matters of faith that were meant for the personal to become the overt political.  Sure you can lead your life in office following the tenants of Christianity but that cannot bleed over to making laws.  Pray you make the right decisions and have faith that the Lord will handle the rest.

Update: Bryan over at Hot Air likes what he reads as well.

Fred Thompson's Holiday Message

Or, "How Fred just killed every other holiday message from any other candidate."

Lessons In A Long Political Season

Some things I'm learning in the first presidential primary I've paid attention to to such a degree:

1. Your guy will not always look the best or do the best things.

     2.  Even the smallest things, no matter the insignificance to the issues at large, can be blown up in your           face.

     3.  Your guy may never get the traction he deserves regardless at how frustrate that makes you.

     4.  Politics, and this really has been the case for many years, is really in a bad place.  Issues, nay                   principles, have become second to appearance and frivolities and whoever looks best (or says the           right things) and screws up the least wins out.  Needless to say this will also frustrate you.

Certainly there's more, but these are the things that have been sticking out the most in the past few days and I've had to come to learn some patience regarding them.  Regardless this has been one difficult political season and in some senses it hasn't even begun yet!

You Know That Post About Just Letting The Left Speak?

Well it looks as if that applies to one Mike Huckabee as well.

Witness his foreign policy, in all it's feel good glory.

A snippet:

   

American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out. The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. My administration will recognize that the United States' main fight today does not pit us against the world but pits the world against the terrorists. At the same time, my administration will never surrender any of our sovereignty, which is why I was the first presidential candidate to oppose ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty, which would endanger both our national security and our economic interests.

A more successful U.S. foreign policy needs to better explain Islamic jihadism to the American people. Given how Americans have thrived on diversity -- religious, ethnic, racial -- it takes an enormous leap of imagination to understand what Islamic terrorists are about, that they really do want to kill every last one of us and destroy civilization as we know it. If they are willing to kill their own children by letting them detonate suicide bombs, then they will also be willing to kill our children for their misguided cause. The Bush administration has never adequately explained the theology and ideology behind Islamic terrorism or convinced us of its ruthless fanaticism. The first rule of war is "know your enemy," and most Americans do not know theirs. To grasp the magnitude of the threat, we first have to understand what makes Islamic terrorists tick. Very few Americans are familiar with the writings of Sayyid Qutb, the Egyptian radical executed in 1966, or the Muslim Brotherhood, whose call to active jihad influenced Osama bin Laden and the rise of al Qaeda. Qutb raged against the decadence and sin he saw around him and sought to restore the "pure" Islam of the seventh century through a theocratic caliphate without national borders. He saw nothing decadent or sinful in murdering in order to achieve that end. America's culture of life stands in stark contrast to the jihadists' culture of death.

Quote in bold is my emphasis.  Sorry Huck but it's not a matter of knowing what makes them tick.  It's a matter of standing up to what is OBVIOUS tyranny and not blinking.  If Americans don't know what they face already then we're already lost.  Also, despite your efforts there is still a MSM that won't let that message get across like you think it will.  Frankly, it all smacks of an intense naivety.

So I commented a little...shoot me.

Huckabee. No Thank You.

So the primaries for both parties are quickly coming around the corner here and candidates are either losing or gaining steam with the voting bases.  One candidate in particular has received some unexplainable (in my eyes) jumps in recent polls and I believe it means bad things for the Republican party.  Sure Huck's Christian and wears it like any good former minister on his sleeve but that's also the problem.  Because every issue the man has come out on lately I struck my one singular word to describe him, soft.  And it today's day and age that last thing we need is softness (or feel good vibrations) in our Commander and Chief.  Now I know he's got the world's baddest man endorsing him now but the problem is his policies stink.  In just the past few days he's already called for waterboarding to stop and Gitmo to close (nevermind as of June 2007 he was for it to still be open, see link) all so the world will "like us" again.  He's also stated that he won't back down on scholarships for illegal aliens because "his soul won't let him" (funny his soul let him change his opinion on Gitmo).  Frankly the guy's a disaster yet his faith is keeping him rocking the polls and I find it disheartening.  Look I'm Christian through and through and I understand the comfort it can give to hear Huckabee repeatedly come out with faith in the forefront.  The problem though is that despite his faith his policies are absolute bunk, not good for America (Right, Left, or in-between) and nevermind that despite the Chuck ad Huckabee seems to be fiscally liberal on steroids.

I really got into this race at the time when it looked as if Fred was going to run and he was all kinds of impressive.  Then he took a little too long to announce his candidacy which didn't help him and then didn't seem to have the same fire he did prior to that announcement that didn't help him and so it's been hard to come out with the same enthusiasm as I did in one of my last blog posts.  But looking at this race and seeing who we have I'm afraid Fred is the only answer, at least if you're looking at true Conservatism.  And personally I believe that's what we really need because even though Bush has been a hard-liner in foreign diplomacy not much in his domestic agenda has sent conservatives cheering. And it is at this point where we need to be as strong domestically (borders and economics especially) as possible.

Paul talks about testing the spirits, well if your Christian and you think Huck is what we need it might be high time to start testing.

We're Having Ourselves a Full-On Political Music Video Fest!

    So first we have this little Pop and R&B number from the "Obama Girl" regarding the tad bit over his head Democratic candidate Barack Obama.  It's funny and my wife bemoans the fact she didn't think of it first (for Thompson, but I'm not quite sure how that would actually work out so perhaps it's for the best) but other then that it doesn't say too much.

    On the other end of the sphere we have Michelle Malkin and her Hot Air accomplice Bryan Preston presenting a reworking of the Fray's "How to Save a Life" into "How to Take a Life."  Though the vocals were shaky and could use some work, for some reason, I was surprised Malkin knew how to play the keyboard and decently at that.  Sure she's you know, Asian, but with everything else she's involved with I'd figure she wouldn't have the time to develop the skill.  Shows what effective time management can do for oneself.  This one, as you may suspect, actually provides a message (well there was a message in the first video but I don't think it was about Obama) and a rather solemn one at that.  If you haven't had a chance to see the reality of the situation, well the images will sure be eye opening.

I look forward to the Rudy G East Coast gangsta rap and Hilary's down south country diddy to "drop" in the coming days.

Mr Thompson Has Himself a Blog

   So if you haven't seen it yet Fred Thompson has launched his blog on his imwithfred.com website (located here).  It's a decent little thing with a small blogroll with some of the top names in the Center to Right blogosphere though that's about it right now.  His welcome message talks about the time he's spent sharing his opinions online and how now it's time those opinions are going to go on the road.  Seems like he's beginning to build up steam now for his announcement to become a candidate for President which will hopefully occur soon (seems there some itchiness among the Right about Fred and they're either unimpressed with what's come so far or they're turned off because he hasn't already declared).  I suggest you check out his YouTube page as well.  There's a lot there defining his stance on the issues and certainly enough to appease though who say they don't know where he stands (something that absolutely boggles my mind considering everything I've already seen, heard and read from him).

   And if you get a chance here's the latest video involving his stance on the issues interviewed by Peter Robinson who can probably deliver better questions then Jay Leno:

*Blogging at work is not the optimal place to blog, fyi.*

Immigration Bill Dead....For Now.

    If you hadn't heard by now the Senate failed to bring the Immigration Bill that has been hogging the airwaves the past few days (that is till lil Miss Sunshine, Paris Hilton, cried for her mommy) to an actual vote.  That is, they voted against bringing it to an actual vote.  Anyways the how isn't as important as the why; and the why being a conservative base moved by anger and resentment at their elected officials for not only ignoring the fundamental issue of national security but also labeling those who disagreed with the bill bigots.  They got on the phones and they sent the emails that let the Senators know that right now ENFORCING our current immigration laws must occur BEFORE we go about dealing with those already here (numbering 12 to 20 million).

    But now that the bill is dead (and hopefully the President doesn't do anything more stupid then he already has in pushing the damn thing, like pushing it again) it's time to turn to what is already currently on the books and to those who obeyed the law, namely LEGAL immigrants.  Our current system for a legal path to citizenship is horrendously flawed with green card holders waiting upwards of decades for a chance to become citizens as well as trying to bring in families members they have not seen for years.  We're going to have to reform this system as it stands and welcome the numerous amounts of well-educated and hard working people who have a desire to dwell within our borders.  These are the people who should be rewarded (and citizenship is a reward) for their adherence to our laws and have legally immigrated here.  Too much of the talk I've heard from Senators on the Left and Right these past few days have sought to reward law breakers.  Many who are good people and are certainly hard workers (living in Southern California you not only meet these people but get to know them as friends) but have still broken our laws and, at the very least, should not be rewarded with forgiven taxes and the other benefits that were bandied about the Senate.

    My main beef though is not with those people who have come here and stayed because they've seen the prosperity that this lands can afford to it's dwellers; it's with those who endanger all who live here.  Members of international gangs, murders even terrorists.  The number of news reports I've read of  illegal immigrants who have multiple criminal infractions that have not been deported due to our lax enforcement of national laws, only to culminate in the shooting death of a police officer or the tragic car accident death of parents due to a drunk driver are far more then should have to wake our government up to the major problem we already have.  But yet even after passing more laws to prevent these things we fail to enforce, and that's what should be the highest priority for Congress if they truly wish to reform our system.  Enforce our laws, keep the borders secure and safe and after the American people are satisfied with the results of those efforts then can we look to passing legislation that allows many of the migrant workers (blue collar, white collar, no collar, whatever) to come into our country and not fear ICE or be in "the shadows" as so many liberal pundits like to proclaim these people are doing right now.

I don't blame people for coming here and I certainly can't blame the illegals who saw a wide open door and decided that it would be more beneficial here then it would be in their own country.  I can never blame anyone for seeking a better life.  But there are laws, there are rules that must be followed.  The rules are for the protection of all, for if we remain wide open and elements of destruction that are certainly there make their way here and succeed in their plans to bring about our downfall, where will the people go?  That is what we must seek to protect, the very reason why Lady Liberty stands will here torch high, to light the way.

A Political Ad At It's Freakin Best...

Found this nice Google video via Classical Values (one hell of a site btw, with writing and thoughts that puts me to shame) and it's a barn burner.  And you know what, it probably gets a lot more people's attention then the same ol same ol political ad would.  Note that it's already been flagged by some YouTube users.  And Barbara Streisand says WE don't have a sense of humor!  Or at least shut up if we can't process a joke.

I never knew lil Kim Jong-il had game like that.  Nice hang time for a little fellow too.