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Co-founder of GraniteGrok, my concern is around Individual Liberty and Freedom and how the Government is taking that away. As an evangelical Christian and Conservative with small "L" libertarian leanings, my fight is with Progressives forcing a collectivized, secular humanistic future upon us. As a TEA Party activist, citizen journalist, and pundit!, my goal is to use the New Media to advance the radical notions of America's Founders back into our culture.

BCRC – Walt Havenstein Q&A: Q2-Would you veto Medicaid Expansion in 3 years?

Continuing on with the Question and Answer session… Question 2: Would you veto Medicaid Expansion in 3 years if it is implemented? Short Result: Yes Previous video: Intro Ceremonies, agenda for old / new business, importance of delegates, candidate pitches Keynote Speaker: Walt Havenstein, candidate NH GOP nomination for NH Governor Walt Havenstein Q&A: Question … Read more

CNHT Annual Picnic – Candidates for NH State Senate District 11: Gary Daniels, Dan Hynes, Maureen Mooney

Certainly, there are many more candidates than just those that have already spoken; there are plenty more to come.  Vying for either the NH State Senate directly as the NH GOP nominar (they do not have a primary) or will be striving to be that after September 9th (the day of the NH Primary).  Here are three – all in the same District (and obviously, in the same Primary):

  • Gary Daniels, NH State Senate District 11
  • Dan Hynes, NH State Senate District 11
  • Maureen Mooney, NH State Senate District 11

  

Gary Daniels                                                                Dan Hynes

Maureen Mooney

Previous Video: 

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BCRC – Walt Havenstein Q&A: Questions 3 & 5 – Platforms and Union money

More questions for Walt Havenstein, candidate for the NH GOP nomination for NH Governer, at the Belknap County Republicans meeting this past Wednesday night: Question 3 – Where do your views differ from the NH GOP or the national GOP? Question 5 – Have you taken money from Unions, and if so, which?    Question 3 – Views                                            … Read more

CNHT Annual Picnic – Candidates for NH State Senate: George Lambert, Kathy Lauer-Rago, Lydia Dube Harmon, Dennis Lamare

Still even MORE candidates for NH State Senate speak at the CNHT Annual picnic held last Saturday in Hillsborough, NH.  Lots of folks showed up as it IS considered to be Old Home Day for conservative activists in the State.  Here are three more folks that believe that they can make a difference:

  • Kathy Lauer-Rago, NH State Senate District 7
  • Lydia Dube Harmon, NH State Senate District 15
  • George Lambert, NH State Senate District 18
  • Dennis Lamare, NH State Senate District 21

  

Kathy Lauer-Rago                                              Lydia Dube Harmon

NH State Senate District 7                                  NH State Senate District 15

George Lambert                                                                    Dennis Lamare

NH State Senate District 18                                              NH State Senate District 21

Previous Video:  

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GrokTALK! for the week of 7/12/2014 – The Videos

Dang, I THOUGHT I might be able to get these up before Steve gets the audio up.  Yes, we had a late start as we couldn’t get into the building at our regular time, so our start time was 9:30am and then ran late on the other end.  BUT!  A good show with

The Pre-Show – we grouse a bit.

  • Segment 1 – former US Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) who is seeking the NH GOP nomination for US Senate
  • Segment 2 – Matt Murphy with Citizens for a Strong NH
  • Segment 3 – Jazz Shaw, the weekend Editor of Hot Air joins with the Groksters
  • Segment 4 – Groksters Assemble!  Normally Segment 1, we talk about issues of interest to us.

Pre-Show

Segments 1 – 4 after the jump:

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Data Point – Labor Dynamism

My Data Point post on Business Dynamism is here – showing that the rate at which new businesses / start ups has slowed right down.  There is also a labor companion to this: “It’s not enough for an economy to generate jobs. There should also be a good amount of turnover in the labor market. Workers … Read more

Data Point – Conceal Carry rates versus Crime / Murders

“murder and violent crime rate has fallen significantly while concealed carry in this country surged 130 percent.” 2007 – 2013: concealed carry permit holders up from 4.6 million to 11.1 million (141% rise). 2007 – 2013: the murder rate fell from “5.6 to 4.4 per 100,000.” (22% drop). 2007 – 2013: Overall violent crime down 22% Apparently, other … Read more

Notable Quote – John C Maxwell on Mistakes

A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes; smart enough to profit from them; and strong enough to correct them. – John C Maxwell Well, gee now…. (H/T: Joe)

CNHT Annual Picnic – Dr. Betsy McCaughey

Not only did Dr. Betsy McCaughey spend a few minutes with GraniteGrok in an exclusive interview (Steve has the audio here – eventually I’ll get the video up) but she was the Keynote Speaker at the CNHT Annual Meeting.  She is ALWAYS well prepared and know how to present her points: Previous Video: CNHT 2014 Annual … Read more

Data Point – Business Dynamism

“One analysis of the Not-So-Great Recovery argues that rebounds after recessions with financial crises tend to be weaker than otherwise. This is the theory posited by Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff in their book This Time is Different.  But that’s not quite right, according to Michael Bordo. In the paper “The Recovery of Housing and the End of the … Read more

BCRC – Intro ceremonies, old business, candidate speeches

As most already know, the July meeting of the Belknap County Republican Committee was held last night.  As always, the whole thing will be put up, first in “topical segments” and then I’ll put up the entire hour plus meeting (to provide full context, given the controversy from last night) – we may snip out … Read more

TEA Party member asks for apology for Walt Havenstein’s teabagger remark, Havenstein refuses

Update: this will be topmost for a while – newer posts after this one

Nice.  As Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit says – punch back twice as hard.  Here is the video:

Here is the background:  I am a co-founding member of the NH TEA Party Coalition and I believe in the TEA Party’s three (and ONLY three regardless of what the Left, the Democrats, or the Establishment wing of the Republican Party says) Principles:  Constitutional bounds for Government, Fiscal Frugality, and Free Markets. 

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Guest post by Jane Cormier: Rebuttal to NH State Rep Fred Rice concerning NH State Senator Nancy Stiles

Senator Stiles is Not What She Seems

After reading Rep. Fred Rice’s glowing support of Senator Nancy Stiles [here and after the jump  -Skip], I felt it important to put forth a challenge to his endorsement.  As a member of the 2013-2014 House of Representatives – Belknap District 8, I saw up close and personal, the disturbing voting record of REPUBLICAN Nancy Stiles.  Here are a few of her REPUBLICAN votes:

  • Support of NH Gas Tax (23% increase)
  • Support Medicaid Expansion (against the Republican Platform)
  • Support the “Buffer Zone” law (which the Supreme Court recently voted as UNCONSTITUTIONAL)
  • Supports Common Core in NH Schools
  • Supports an anti-gun legislation

If you look at Senator Stiles voting record, you will find many of her votes grow government.  There are those who believe Nancy Stiles is really more of a Democrat than a Republican.  I tend to agree.  The Republican taxpayers in Senate District 24 should consider Senator Stile’s deviation from the largest planks of the Republican Platform.  If you want a Democrat, you can vote for a Democrat.  But, Republicans should expect their public servants to vote with AT LEAST with the larger planks in the platform.  Stiles does not.  Her primary opponent, Steve Kenda, is a true conservative Republican who espouses low taxation and smaller government.  You can check out Steve Kenda @ Kenda4senate.com.

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CNHT Annual Picnic – 2014 Congressional (NH-CD1) Primary Candidates: Frank Guinta, Dan Innis, Brendan Kelly

Just as in the Senatorial race, more people are in the race than who showed up this past Saturday at the CNHT Annual Picnic – in the First District, only Everett Jabour (Barrington) did not make an appearance and speak to the activist crowds.  Here are the speeches by the others:

  

Frank Guinta                                                                 Dan Innis

Brendan Kelly

Previous Videos:   

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CNHT Annual Picnic – NH Executive Council District 5 Primary Candidates: Dave Wheeler, Steve Hattamer

What should be next up would be the Congressional Candidates in NH’s Second District – Marilinda Garcia and Gary Lambert.  Unfortunately, we had a malfunction with the camera, so no video of their speeches – my apologies (its time to put it on the list for a replacement – DANG, that list keeps getting longer).

The only primary on the Republican side in the NH Executive Council District 5 race.  Those that have signed up are former Exec. Councilor Dave Wheeler and his opponent, Steve Hattamer (they also were the only Exec. Council candidates that spoke):

  

Steve Hattamer                                                       Dave Wheeler

Previous Videos:   

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Observation on Liberal view of Patriotism from Jonah Goldberg

From the latter part of his post:

…It’s ironic. In 2009, conservatives (myself included) pounced when Barack Obama seemed to dismiss American exceptionalism as an empty platitude. “I believe in American exceptionalism,” Obama explained, “just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”

Which is to say, there is no such thing as American Exceptionalism.  One of my favorite phrases comes from an animated film – The Incredibles – a nuclear family that has to hide its superpowers from those that are envious (and thus believe them to be “unfair”):  “If everyone is special, then no one is special”.  And that was the point that Obama was and continues to make (and make true) – that America isn’t and shouldn’t be anything special.

By this standard, American exceptionalism isn’t exceptional, it’s a vague and meaningless form of national self-esteem, rather than a complex concept describing the uniqueness of the American founding and American character.

And that is what most Liberals wish to forget and for the rest of us as well – 

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Data Point – Obama’s “new normal” extending to mortgage delinquency rates

90Day Delinquent Percentage

So, what used to be 1% is now 2.5%.  Sure, it SOUNDS like just a bit more – but it has a large effect on all other new mortgage rates.  It also shows that the vaunted recovery touted by Obama is not as strong as years before (which was pretty much steady-state before the community activists starting knuckling banks via CRA).  But it gets worse:

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