Taking Turns?

The race for the GOP Presidential nomination is speeding up as of late, with Herman Cain rising in certain polls and tying with Mitt Romney in others.  Many people are virtually handing the nomination to Romney, based on the fact that Cain has no political experience and Romney is the most polished in the field right now.  He's been running for president for six years; he should be the most well prepared, right?

Wrong.  This race is far from over.  Assuming that someone will get the nomination at this point based on their lead in the polls means nothing.  Polls can change overnight, and we are still 65 days away from the first nominating contest.  A lot can and will change between now and then.  Based on that, no one, not even those candidates at the bottom of the polls, can truly be counted out (well, maybe a couple of them could ;).

Mitt Romney has been the frontrunner that people began crowning with the nomination back in May.  It has just been assumed that he would be the nominee.  One of the reasons for this is that many people in the GOP establishment feel this is his "turn" at the nomination.  That idea really is as far-fetched as it sounds.  When you look back at history, though, there is definitely a pattern to this that has been followed and gone unnoticed.  In the 1960 election, John F. Kennedy beat Richard Nixon.  Later, in 1968, it was Nixon's "turn" in which he won the presidency.  Gerald Ford beat Ronald Reagan in the 1976 primaries, then went on to lose to Jimmy Carter.  In 1980, Ronald Reagan won the nomination and beat George H. W. Bush, who then became his vice president.  In 1988, H. W. Bush became president but lost reelection in 1992 to Bill Clinton.  Again, in 2000, George W. Bush beat out John McCain for the Republican nomination.  In 2008, apparently, it was John McCain's turn. 

I know that was a lot of names.  I hope you were able to follow it and see what it all really means:  the GOP establishment has found a way to work themselves into the actual nominating process, in ways other than simply choosing the actual nominee.  The people should be the ones who choose the nominee, based on our own vetting and our actual votes.  The establishment does not get to set up a list of people who will eventually be Republican nominees and the order they will do it in.  The media is a huge part of the nominating process as well, and may shape it in some ways to fit the mold they want it to, but at this point I believe the establishment is just as much to blame if the recent poll numbers are not correct.  The establishment needs to get out of the nominating process until the convention next year.  The people should be responsible enough to do their own vetting of the candidates and choose for themselves who they feel is the best candidate.

Mitt Romney has clearly been chosen as the establishment's candidate.  Herman Cain has, in a sense, been chosen as the media's candidate; their intentions are still fairly unknown.  Both of these "endorsements" may prove to be beneficial to these candidates, especially to Mitt Romney if the establishment decides to go against the peoples' wishes and choose their own nominee.  While he has been running for president for nearly six years, it has been made clear that Mitt Romney is not the peoples' choice.  He has consistently stayed at about 25% in polls and has changed his opinion on so many important issues, many conservatives have been turned off by his flip-flopping.  I, for one, am not a fan of his and do not feel he is the best possible person to lead our country out of this crisis.  At this rate, however, neither my nor your opinion will make a difference.  The establishment is pushing hard for Mitt Romney to be our nominee.  If we wish to stop that from happening, people will have to sound their true opinions loud and clear and let them know that "We the People" will choose our own nominee, not them.  We do not take turns trying to defeat incumbent presidents.  What we need is someone who has never run for the presidency before to come in and show the establishment that their choice is not always the right now.  Just something to note, both of the current frontrunners have run for president or explored a run before (Mitt Romney ran in 2008 and Herman Cain formed an exploratory committee in 1996).

UPDATE: Grizzly Fest Alternate Link

The main Grizzly Fest site has crashed through the many, many people trying to access it to listen to this event!!  You can also listen through their page on BlogTalkRadio, found here.

Grizzly Fest Today!

Today from 2-5pm EST an event is taking place called Grizzly Fest.  It is an event based on Sarah Palin that was created by Sarah supporters who wish to continue her message and not give up the fight.  The goal of this conference is to continue the message Sarah put out during her October 5th announcement that she would not be running for president:  "We need to continue to actively and aggressively help those who will stop the 'fundamental transformation' of our nation, and instead seek the restoration of our greatness, our goodness and our constitutional republic based on the rule of law."  It will also feature several prominent names such as Tammy Bruce, Jedidiah Bila, and many more!  Please consider joining us!  The main website for this event is found here:  http://grizzlyfest.com/, or you can listen to the livestream below.

Listen to internet radio with Grizzly Fest on Blog Talk Radio

Happy Birthday to Lady Liberty

It's been called Lady Liberty, Mother of Exiles, Liberty Enlightening the World, The New Colossus, and Liberty's Lady.  Today, the Statue of Liberty celebrates its 125th birthday!

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28th, 1886.  A gift from the French symbolizing our newfound independence.  We had recently ended a civil war when this idea originated.  The French agreed to pay for the Statue that would be placed in New York Harbor on Ellis Island.  A sign of hope for people coming from war-torn lands.  People were coming here for a new life were first greeted by Liberty's Lady, standing strong and proud and helping to remind the world that we are a free nation indeed.

From the base of the pedestal foundation to the tip of the torch, the Statue of Liberty stands at three hundred five feet, six inches.  Her face is more than eight feet tall.  At her feet lies broken chains and shackles, a symbol that we are no longer tied down by another country; we are a nation free from chains.  "The broken shackles of oppression and tyranny."  Anything is possible in America.  On her head is a crown with seven rays, one for each continent.  The tablet in her left is inscribed with "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI" (July 4, 1776).  In 1986 the torch she holds was carefully covered in delicate 24k gold.  There are thousands of stories about emigrants coming here to America and seeing Lady Liberty for the first time.  They pride in it even before they are officially citizens.  Today, in honor of its 125th birthday, the Statue's torch received new HD cameras so those who make it up to the top can have a close-up view of the people on the ground.

The Statue of Liberty is a sign of American pride in this country.  The flag and the Statue are two things every true American's heart should swell at the sight of.  Today, we remember the Statue of Liberty and what it represents.  When a person comes to American for the first time, their eyes are greeted with the sight of Lady Liberty!  A symbol of hope for all those seeking American citizenship.  The Statue of Liberty embodies patriotism and teaches an unspoken lesson that all should read.  Patriotism is given off through the message that the Statue of Liberty represents and everyone can learn from it.  Patriotism is the heartbeat of this nation's success.  It is everything we are.  We were founded on the basis of hard work, faith in God, and a dream, and the underlying theme in that was patriotism. 

The Statue of Liberty turns 125 today.  All Americans should stop and think today about what America would be without it.  Yes, to some people it may be only a statue; but to many it is so much more than that.  Written on the Statue is this phrase:  "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door."  This is what people from all over the world come to America for; to rid themselves of the worries of their former homes and to create a new life in the greatest nation on earth.

That is what the Statue of Liberty is.

What happened to baby Lisa?

On October 4th, Deborah Bradley claims she put her baby to bed around 6:30pm the same way she does every evening.  However, this story is proving to be false as the search for her missing daughter intensifies and the pieces to her story are just not adding up.

Mom Deborah Bradley's story has changed numerous times as to what she believes happens to her baby girl.  She says that around 6:30pm she put Lisa Irwin to bed, then checked on her a few hours later.  The story then changed to about an hour after putting her to bed.  When Lisa's father, Jeremy Irwin, came home from work at 4:30am that morning, he found his daughter gone.  In an interview with Megyn Kelly a few weeks ago, the baby's mother admitted that she had been drinking the night Lisa disappeared.  With a friend, she drank at least four glasses of wine and "may have" blacked out as a result.  This coming after Deborah Bradley miserably failed the polygraph test performed by police soon after Lisa was reported missing.  Lisa's parents believe someone broke into their home and abducted their baby. 

Lisa's parents have done numerous interviews, and while police are still searching for her, they have questioned Lisa's parents.  Experts in dealing with children have also questioned Lisa's two young brothers.  An additional interview with the two young boys was scheduled, and then this morning was cancelled.  Video footage of a man possibly carrying a baby while emerging from the woods near the Irwin family's home was found as well.  This man was spotted three times that night, twice appearing to be carrying a baby that matches Lisa's description.

This beautiful baby will turn one year old on November 11th.  Hopes are high that she will be found alive before that.  However, as the days that Lisa has been missing increase, it is sadly looking like that is less likely to happen.  This is yet another example of parents not properly caring for their children.  While responsible for three young children, Lisa's mother should not have been drinking at all, much less been getting drunk.  The example of the American family has been so damaged by those who oppose it, it barely even exists anymore.  Parents should be responsibly caring for their children, not drinking to the point that they black out.  The traditional American family needs to be strengthened or this country will continue to go downhill.  When people continue to be irresponsible in caring for their children, this sort of thing will happen more often and the entire nation will suffer the consequences of it.

This is a step away from what I normally write about.  I feel that it is important, though, to realize the things that are going on aside from politics as well.  These are real-world happenings that are damaging our society.  If we do not work together to stop them, nothing will change and very soon, the American family will be a symbol of the past.  We must stop that from happening.

First TV Ad in Iowa for Rick Perry

Below is Governor Rick Perry's first television ad to air in Iowa.