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I haven't even attended my local TP yet, but Obama has already pre-empted them with a speech that effectively moves the discussion away from the TP issues to his own, tax breaks (some) to the majority of taxpayers (50% don't pay any taxes at all), taking away tax breaks for the rich (resonates with most voters) and streamlining the tax code (won't happen but sounds good). Sorry TP organizers, but you only have yourself to blame for framing these rallies based on taxes in general instead of focusing them on 1. the criminal activity that spawned the economic crisis, 2....

Evidently McCain wants to go toe to toe with the dems over the "syphilis" package. The petition asks for your name, zip code and eddress. I hope they aren't just data mining.

There has been much talk of the 8 year BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome) from the left but I think it's time we admitted there are DS's on the right and we have to look no further than our own backyard here at FR to find the most glaring example, McCain Derangement Syndrome. McCain wasn't my preferred candidate. In fact, I'd have to go all the way back to Reagan to find my own preferred candidate victorious. But you never get everything you want in politics so many times you have to work with you got and make the best of...

I have been amused greatly by opinions on FR that believe Obama will eventually do himself in due to his lack of experience, blunders, mismanagement, marxist tendancies and other assorted goofs and failures as chief executive. I particularly enjoy the comments on how this will inevitably usher in a new Reagan like figure and era. I need only remind you of the Clinton years. During that time every goofy move of Bill and Hill was heralded as an extraordinary event while failures and scandal were routinely with held from the public. Mediocre economic results were fantastic achievements, the bombing of...

Tensions and anxiety are high right now and everybody wants to purge. But as the mods are constantly pointing out there are way too many vanities clogging the system. Here is an easy rule of thumb to use when thinking of posting a vanity. A good vanity is one that informs, educates, amuses or otherwise delights the reader. By its nature it is positive as it contributes to the participants overall FR experience. A bad vanity is a vent or whose purpose is to get something off the chest of the poster and is by its nature, selfish, because only...

With all this navel gazing going on I might as well throw my own 2 cents in. Right now conservatives are wailing and knashing their teeth trying to come up with reasons for our butt kicking. It's McCains fault, it's the RNC's fault, it was a bad strategy, the platform was wrong, the economic calapse did us in...blah, blah, blah. Guess what, they're all correct answers to a degree. But we're never going to have the perfect candidates, the perfect strategies, the perfect party or the perfect environment. Neither do the dems, but they won anyway. There is only one...

I’ve checked my email, and I have over a hundred new messages. And I can’t get to anything resorting to ‘Sean Malstrom’ due to real life situations. Luckily I changed my career gears long ago. But my old profession of political analysis is going to be absolutely destroyed. I still think McCain will win the election and do so by a larger margin than Bush did in 2004. When this happens, a hurricane of outrage will be unleashed at the political analysis business, mostly the pollsters. People will demand to know how they could be so off. In other words,...

Tensions and anxiety are high right now and everybody wants to purge. But as the mods are constantly pointing out there are way too many vanities clogging the system. Here is an easy rule of thumb to use when thinking of posting a vanity. A good vanity is one that informs, educates, amuses or otherwise delights the reader. By its nature it is positive as it contributes to the participants overall FR experience. A bad vanity is a vent or whose purpose is to get something off the chest of the poster and is by its nature, selfish, because only...

Utube, 5 mins but worth every second. Don't click if you don't like to hear the "N" word...

This is what Alec Baldwin had to say about the liberal hysteria over Sarah being asked to appear on SNL. "Saturday Night Live is a comedy show. It's not Meet the Press. It doesn't "ask the tough questions" or "set the agenda." It attempts, with varying degrees of success, to make people laugh. That's it. Whether they skewer and savage people in order to do so, they don't care. When you come on a show like that, you are prepared in advance to get worked over. Palin knew that. Palin came on to be a good sport. And she was....

For those wanting to know the inside story on how and why polling companys weight their samples, Rasmussen has done a pretty good job of explaining it. Here you can get an overall explanation of the methodology and rationale; The Value of Party Weighting for a Tracking Poll Next they explain why there may be large differences between polls; Why Polls Sometimes Show Different Results ,p> Rasmussen establishes the weighting for the polls by conducting a party affiliation poll of 15k every month. Here they show the results since 2004; Summary of Party Affiliation Here's the bug. Since 2004 their...

THE MSM : Have you had enough yet? The MSM has dropped any pretense at defending (much less attempting to correct) the claim they remotely desire fairness or balance in reporting this election. They’re pulling out all stops and executing a full court press to throw this election to Obama and the democrats. They have gone from simply spiking negative news on Neobama to supporting the most vile and insane gossip and lies about McCain and Palin, providing advice and logistics to that campaign and are now organizing preemptive air cover strikes against any legitimate criticism of Obama coming from...

Kind of cute with some good stuff. A portion of all sales goes to Operation Gratitude. Worth a look.

Every FReeper needs to watch this utube video by a veteran soldier in Iraq. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

FRSOCT = Free Republic Stream of Consciousness Thread The Palin VP pick does many things for the ticket NOW and for conservatism in the FUTURE. Let's put on our thinking caps, think outside the box, and list all the ways this wasn't just a home run, it was a grand slam!

AOL is always running one kind of poll or another. Throughout the primary process they have been running weekly polls on the candidates. They are self selecting so they are not scientific but I must say that overall they seem to fairly reflect what is going on. I don't know if this is because unlike say a CNN, Times or Pew poll, the AOL audience is more a representative cross section of America or voters or what. Generally their poll results seem to lean left but not overwhelmingly so. After the Heller decision their gun poll showed 60-70% supporting the...

Strict Constructionist Philosophy "Our freedom is curtailed no less by an act of arbitrary judicial power as it is by an act of an arbitrary executive, or legislative, or state power. For that reason, a judge's decisions must rest on more than his subjective conviction that he is right, or his eagerness to address a perceived social ill." -John McCain Remarks to The Federalist Society November 16, 2006 John McCain believes that one of the greatest threats to our liberty and the Constitutional framework that safeguards our freedoms are willful judges who usurp the role of the people and their...

National Security A Strong Military in a Dangerous World In a dangerous world, protecting America's national security requires a strong military. Today, America has the most capable, best-trained and best-led military force in the world. But much needs to be done to maintain our military leadership, retain our technological advantage, and ensure that America has a modern, agile military force able to meet the diverse security challenges of the 21st century. John McCain is committed to ensuring that the men and women of our military remain the best, most capable fighting force on Earth - and that our nation honors...

Climate Change John McCain will establish a market-based system to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mobilize innovative technologies, and strengthen the economy. He will work with our international partners to secure our energy future, to create opportunities for American industry, and to leave a better future for our children. John McCain's Principles for Climate Policy • Climate Policy Should Be Built On Scientifically-Sound, Mandatory Emission Reduction Targets And Timetables. • Climate Policy Should Utilize A Market-Based Cap And Trade System. • Climate Policy Must Include Mechanisms To Minimize Costs And Work Effectively With Other Markets. • Climate Policy Must Spur...

Education Excellence, Choice, and Competition in American Education John McCain believes American education must be worthy of the promise we make to our children and ourselves. He understands that we are a nation committed to equal opportunity, and there is no equal opportunity without equal access to excellent education. Public education should be defined as one in which our public support for a child's education follows that child into the school the parent chooses. The school is charged with the responsibility of educating the child, and must have the resources and management authority to deliver on that responsibility. They must...