High Five to Texas

I'm spending a few days in Austin, Texas and while I was in the Capitol earlier this week, I came across this sign in a hallway:

I debated Alan Grayson...well, sort of...

Earlier this month, I debated the once-and-future Congressman (sigh...) Alan Grayson on Fox 35 Orlando regarding whether ObamaCare was at fault for announced layoffs at Orlando Regional Healthcare Systems. 

Well, OK, I didn't really debate him in person. But we were both invited to comment on the story and I believe my analysis up very well against Grayson's predictable talking points:

This is a must read: "Conservative Outreach to Hispanics: A Primer"

A prominent topic of the conservative movement's endless election postmortem discussions has been the issue of the Hispanic vote. Not surprisingly, a lot of people have a lot of opinions on the subject, and it can be difficult to tell at first glance which ideas are worth pursuing.

Below, I've embedded a paper titled, "Conservative Outreach to Hispanics: A Primer," which was written by Samuel A. Rosado and Brittney Morrett, with contributions from Michelle Lancaster and Ben Domenech.

Marco Rubio: We still need answers on Benghazi

Senator Marco Rubio has a new op-ed posted on CNN.com this morning regarding the many unanswered questions about the terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012:

Is the lottery a tax on the poor?

Earlier today, I saw an article posted by a friend on Facebook, asking whether lottery programs were a form of regressive taxation, in other words, whether they have a disproportionate effect on the poor.

Missing the point about the fiscal cliff

Taking a nice stroll off the fiscal cliff

Since the election, the news has turned to the ongoing negotiations regarding the so-called "fiscal cliff," and the potential compromises that the Republican-controlled House and the Democrat-controlled Senate may make.

There are many questions being debated on the editorial pages and talk radio programs and cable television news shows:

Will the Bush tax cuts be allowed to expire?

Will the Democrats' rhetoric demonizing all those "millionaires and billionaires" actually be persuasive in getting Republicans to sign on to tax increases?

Communism vs. Capitalism

From Babalú Blog, the difference between communism and capitalism in one image:

Another shameless power grab coming from MA Dems?

It's been an interesting time for me in Massachusetts this year, seeing the differences (the many, many, many differences) between that state and Florida. 

Both states have a legislature dominated by one party, but with wide variation in how much autonomous power the controlling party really has. When the Republicans who control the Florida House and Senate push their luck too far, the Florida press corps howl in protest and voters in even heavily-Republican districts tend to reject anything really outlandish (case in point: the failure of many of the constitutional amendments, which originated in the Legislature, on the ballot this year).

In contrast, in Massachusetts, when the Democrats try something nutty, it's met with shrugs  and mostly ignored as simply business as usual. At best, media outlets like the Boston Herald may cover a story here and there, but it rarely seems to slow down the Democrats' appetite for abusing government power.

Feeling Thankful

I haven't posted anything since the election because I needed some time to clear my head, figure out what my next steps would be, and frankly, because I just needed a break after a long and all-too-often frustrating election season. 

But don't worry, I'll be back after Thanksgiving. I just wanted to put up a quick note thanking all of you who visit my little corner of the internet. It's been a fun and interesting ride, and I appreciate all of you who have joined me on it. 

Still Proud.

Sigh...anyone who has spent five minutes reading this blog knows that many of tonight's results are not what I wanted, and some of them are not just disappointing, but shocking.

Ignore the exit polls. Here's why.

The polls are starting to close in the early states, and until the official vote tallies are reported by the supervisors of elections, the networks will include information from exit polls in their reporting.

Remember, polls in FL do NOT close at 7 pm. GOP-leaning Panhandle is in Central Time Zone & open until 8 pm ET. #AndExitPollsAreBS
— Sarah Rumpf (@rumpfshaker) November 6, 2012

You should completely ignore any results coming from exit polls. Here is why:

Inspirational Election Day Video from Romney

This video, posted today by the Romney campaign, is very well done:

Positive signs for GOP in OH, FL, CO voter turnout

I'm getting a variety of reports on voter turnout around the country, and there are some positive indicators for Romney...

Problems already in Pennsylvania [UPDATED WITH VIDEO]

Even at this early hour, I am already getting reports of problems in Pennsylvania. Sigh...

Keep Calm and Stay In Line

Election day is finally (finally!) here, and the next few hours will determine our nation's future, at least for the next few years. 

It's going to be an intense day, and it's easy to lose focus in the middle of all the chaos and excitement. Here are some things to keep in mind...

Make sure you're at your correct precinct. States have different types of provisional ballot rules, and certain restrictions have been lifted for areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, but it is much easier to be at the right place and not have to fill out the extra forms and come back to validate your ballot later.

Romney campaign link to look up your polling place (links for all states available).

For Massachusetts voters, Red Sox fans, and anyone in a blue state

In all the election coverage I've read in the past month or so, one of the posts that stuck out as making a particularly good argument was written by Cat del Valle Castellanos at CNN.

In the post, Castellanos responds to a recent CNN piece about undecided young female voters, and says that she had made a choice, and that she was voting for Mitt Romney.

Rejecting any suggestion that she was merely adopting the politics of her Republican strategist father, Castellanos goes on to articulate several well-reasoned arguments for her support for Romney, including this passage:

Orange County (FL) GOP increases early voting numbers; Democrats fall short

Just got a press release with the final numbers from early voting in Orange County and there are some very positive signs for Florida Republicans. 

LIBRE Initiative launches new Spanish TV ad in Orlando

The LIBRE Initiative, a conservative organization focused on Hispanic outreach, launched a television ad for Spanish television stations in the Orlando market during this last week before the election, with a simple yet powerful message:

Just who do you think you are?

John Hawkins at Right Wing News occasionally sends out email polls to a group of conservative bloggers, and his latest one was a simple two questions about the presidential race. We were asked (1) who do we thought would win the election, and (2) for whom we were voting. 

I didn't think much of it when I sent in my response (Romney for both questions, duh), but when John emailed out the results last night, I saw red.

Florida is Romney Country

Mitt Romney just finished speaking at his last event in Florida before the election in front of an overflowing crowd at a hangar at the Sanford Airport (just north of Orlando, for those of you not familiar with the area):

WTF, NYC?

Absolutely unacceptable. 

As the New York Post reported this morning, the New York Marathon was cancelled days ago, but the generators, food, water, and other supplies still sit unused and inaccessible to those impacted by Hurricane Sandy:

Latest Romney TV Ad: "Bigger, Better America" [VIDEO]

Using footage from a rally in West Chester, Ohio two days ago, the Romney campaign has released a new television ad. From the campaign's press release:

Today, Romney for President released a new television advertisement, “Bigger, Better America.” The differences between Mitt Romney and President Obama are clear. He says it has to be this way. Mitt Romney says it can’t stay this way. President Obama is hoping Americans settle, but Americans don’t settle. We build. We aspire.

Oh Heck Yeah.

This brought a smile to my face:

A reminder about the Orange County Tax Collector's race

If you are voting in Orange County, Florida, one of the races on your ballot is for Orange County Tax Collector. I strongly encourage you to support Jim Huckeba.

Stupid is as stupid does: Union politics slowing hurricane repairs in New Jersey

This is unbelievably, mindbogglingly stupid:

#BusybodyBloomberg meddles in FL elections while NYC drowns

Rep. and Mrs. Webster

Congressman Dan Webster is one of the nicest people you might ever hope to meet, anywhere. In the cutthroat world of politics, he really stands out. I haven't confirmed it, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't even step on ants on the sidewalk.

I cannot for the life of me figure out why he always seems to attract the most unhinged and crazy attacks during his campaigns.

Obama suggests "Secretary of Business," Romney suggests he get a clue [VIDEO]

A few days ago, Obama mentioned in an interview that if he wins a second term (heaven forbid! ugh...), he'd like to create a "Secretary of Business."

The Romney campaign responded this morning with a message that is spot on:

What we can learn from Sen. Menendez's Dominican hookers (Yes, really.)

In case you missed all the excitement last night, the Drudge Report spent several hours teasing a story that eventually showed up at The Daily Caller, about how Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) apparently availed himself of the services of two prostitutes when he visited the Dominican Republic earlier this year.