OK. I'll play that game... - Granite Grok

OK. I’ll play that game…

WMURPolitical Scoop – every Friday (mostly – he’s not as prolific as we are) Pindell puts up his Political Standing weekly and it generally has a Questions of the Week in it. Given that he mentioned us, I’ll play along with it:

  • What are we to make of the Union Leader linking to Granite Grok on its homepage?

Well, thanks for the mention and I have a great answer for you, although many MSMers might lift an eyebrow (given the natural ideological bent of the newsroom)…

Here’s the snap shot.  And here is the link to Grokster Steve post.

GraniteGrok In UL - Way to go Steve

For me, this is the money quote from the post: The states have an excellent opportunity to take back their responsibilities from Uncle Sam and give them back to local agencies, municipalities,  and the people who pay for all of it; who may then see what it is that really needs doing, and reapportion those funds accordingly, even if that means giving them back to the people who earned them.

 By devolving the power from a centralized, out of touch, greedy gathering elite hub of power back to the “various States”, Freedom can only increase.  Instead of far away, those that decide that they MUST make decisions that force us to change our lives are more accessible and assailable (I can reach Concord in an hour while it take most of a day to get to Washington; my House Reps live down the street or the next town over).  The more that power is localized locally, Freedom can only increase – hard to bring tar and feathers on a plane nowadays.

Perhaps, James, the UL realizes that recognizing Freedom, and the actions that enhance it, is a far better Virtue than the pedestrian “getting something done”.  Remember – protecting Freedom and Liberty was the original intent for having our Constitutional Republic via negative liberties (what govt SHOULDN’T and CAN’T do to Citizens) and NOT the anathema that is Progressive theory that Freedom must be sacrificed on the part of the many simply for “the common good”.  Try it sometime, they might link you too!

 

  • If the primary vote were held today, how many votes would Jeff Chidester get? (Hint: more than you might guess.)

I would agree AND I would say a LOT more than either the Establishment Republicans OR the Democrats would want to admit to.  For all of the whispers, yakking, and screaming (repeatedly) that the TEA Party movement is dead – it is clear that Rule #1 (or thereabouts) is to attack the person or group that you fear the most.  Alinsky them at all costs – else why would the NH Dems be mentioning the TEA Party at every turn, for we are the existential threat they fear.  They stand, not for Constitutional values but for Socialist ones (although they do try to hide it – but hide it less and less, lately).

Why else would the Establishment Republicans spend so much fighting US as well (as hard or even harder than the Dems at times) – even though most TEA Partiers actually defend the values in the Party Platform

All that said, there is a huge untapped and unmet need building from 2010 – just like Fox News said: we will serve the marketplace that the other news channels decided to ignore – the other 50%.  No, I am NOT saying that the TEA Party is 50% here in NH – not close.  But I bet it is much bigger than many political operatives and pundits (and polls) give it credit.

And people vote for leaders.  Within the Conservatarian / TEA Party / 9/12er / Libertarian ciricles, he is seen that.  In a primary, that can make a difference.

 

  • Kelly Ayotte: While Ayotte is not playing political games when she attacks Ted Cruz and tea party factions in the House, it does help her politically to distance herself from the base given that she is facing a tough re-election.

I’m not sure that this is an UP.  How does distancing herself from a resurging conservative base in the TEA Party movement help?  She was not seen as the TEA Party candidate in her primary – and she barely beat Ovide who was.  Even with the Establishment behind her, does she want to take that political risk?  After all, the grassroots have Loonng memories and Google only makes it easier to make memories come alive again.

Right now, she’s playing the short game – while Obama AND Ted Cruz are playing long ball two years out and beyond.  Important, yes, are this slimdown and the approaching debt limit crisis.  Obama is already using the tactic of a Community Organizer – trying to enlarge his “mob”, agitating them into a frenzy, publicizing his message that the Mother of ALL American Crises is about to hit (even as he locks out the Vets that actually fought the existential threat to America out of their own Memorial), create chaos…

and that only he can solve.  And that is nothing more than rejuvenating his OFA for the grand prize: the 2014 elections to be able to have the run of the political house in his last two terms.

Ted Cruz is also playing a longer game – and I believe that, like Obama, this is just a step in his process.  No, not creating himself into another Cult of Personality like Obama has (and continues to do); he is not looking to be that next Reagan that many still search for.  Rather, he knows the power of the phrase “you are not alone” – and is using the tools he has and the platform that he has to persuade others to stand up on their own – like the TEA Party did a few years ago.  There was no single leader – there were many all over the country.  Not every TEA Partier was a leader, but there were lots of people that had the motivation but lacking that leadership inside, were more than happy to follow like minded folks as “almost leaders” – not followers in the traditional meaning of the word but people more akin to a “wingman”.

Obama has his crowd and is revving up his base over these two events.  Cruz, almost single handedly in the Republican camp, is doing the same – and is doing it on one principle.  That would be that the base will flow to people to those that will fight for them, that will uphold their conservative values even when taking tremendous incoming from both sides of the aisle.  People are looking for courage and steadfastness in the face of a fight. In fact, who are WILLING to take the fight to their political enemies – BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE IS DOING SO except for Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Rand Paul (and to a lesser degree, Rubio who fell into the Amnesty hole set by Schumer) and the TEA Party folks in the House.

“Getting things done” is insufficient a reason to send someone to DC, “Getting the RIGHT things done according to Constitutional Values is” – and that is what Cruz is showing now.

And that is why Kelly is wrong.  Absolutely wrong.

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