Bikini Politics

The Gipper

Meet Gipper!  We only feed him red meat. Of course.

Message from Youth: The Buck Stops HERE?!!!?!?

There's a great post over at NDN blog today, summarizing what I've been saying here and on American Maggie-- young people are disproportionately affected by the bad economy, and dramatically strongly support the President, yet the President doesn't address their agenda.

But the President isn't the only one who has missed the memo from youth. In speaking with a senior Republican a few weeks ago, he said that he thought the largest issue facing youth was probably something in the area of technology or the war.  

The NDN article highlights the important connection between the economy and education-- the issue facing young people is one of permanent derailment.  When we cannot finance or otherwise afford our education today, it impacts our ability to earn for the next fifty years.  Incidentally, this impacts our ability to finance the debt on all these fancy spending programs the President has in mind.

The most important issue to young people is the economy. 

The first side to get the message, wins. 

Truthiness and Climate Change

The lead post on RealClearPolitics right now asks whether the climate change scandal involving leaked emails, and scientists admitting they can't prove climate "change" is man-made is the "tipping point" in the climate change debate.

It seems like there will be no tipping point in this debate. Decades of science haven't changed the hagiography of the first church of Man Is Killing Polar Bears. It's all about "truthiness" rather than truth.

Climate change isn't the only reason to conserve energy--conserving energy saves money, and we can all afford to be more responsible spenders. Green technology pushes science forward, another thing we can't afford not to do. But let's not pretend we're doing it for the polar bears or that the climate of Nova Scotia will soon resemble the climate of Miami. We're doing it for ourselves, and there's nothing wrong with that.

See the whole article at: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/11/27/cap_and_trade_is_dead__99322.html

Can He Represent You? Take Our Quiz! Find Out Now!

I thought ten-question quizzes purporting to predict the outcome of your life were exclusively the province of flourescent-font-using fashion magazines.  No really though.  Since when did national politics happen in the mode of Cosmo magazine? The RNC's "conservative purity test" seems like nothing more than the Cosmo "Is it really really love, for real?" tests that middle school girls fill out to see whether Brad Pitt really loves them after all.

The Republican party should be about ideas, about a debate and an exchange, not a ten point yes/no litany. We are Republicans, we have great ideas, and as disciples of the free market doctrine we all should understand that an open market of ideas will give us the best results.

Picking candidates takes more than ten questions, and articulating a Republican vision takes more than ten "yes" answers. So let's leave the ten point quizzes to Cosmo magazine, and remember who we are--a national party, with national ideas.

Creeping Socialism Watch Vol. #743985Baffillion

With this latest regulatory grab instituting control over compensation decisionmaking at not only government-owned industries but those merely subject to regulation, the administration seeks to impose more and more control over independent business judgment of risk, individually-negotiated compensation agreements, and who knows what next.  There is a reason competition works, and it's partly because individuals take calculated risks in the marketplace.  When the government steps in to "correct" these risks, the result is not competition.  It's a dramatically less efficient marketplace..... Besides, we don't really have enough money to fund a regulator to sit over the shoulder of every bank teller.  This is getting ridiculous. See a fuller description latest here.

Obamanomics: An Obamination

I am beginning to sound like a one-note fiddle, I know.  But I can't pretend that the thought of an economy strangled by debt for the next decades doesn't scare me.  I know it sounds pretty to guarantee new fully-funded entitlements, but the President and Democrats in Congress don't seem to realize we haven't yet funded the old ones in any sustainable way.  Each new false promise throws more and more debt upon the young and the children of the young, guaranteeing that they will be crippled with debt even as they try to compete in an increasingly crowded global marketplace.  Even decades ago, Reagan knew this wasn't possible: crushing taxes will strangle the very innovations and investments we need to make to compete and survive.

And if you don't buy my story, check this guy's-- James Pethokoukis has a great column today that all y'all should read!  

Happy Birthday Maggie!

In honor of Margaret Thatcher, let's all take a moment and follow her lead to oppose government over-intervention in the economy.  And after we've all called our congressional representatives, let's go stare down socialism.  You know, for fun.

Popularity and Promises

More and more I get the feeling the President is running for Global Prom King.  The trip to Copenhagen was just the latest in his global prom king campaign, which began with the trip to Berlin and hasn't stopped since. The problem with this style of leadership is that while it tastes great, it is less filling.  When the people are told every thirty minutes that the President is leading us to a "watershed" "critical" "pivotal" moment... we may begin to expect a pivot. Yet, in so many ways, the promises of the President quickly turn themselves on their head.  See, for example, this mordant column: Barack W. Bush.

I have my own issues with the policies of the President.  But even those on his side must find it frustrating when they find themselves forced to ask, as Krauthammer does today, "Does anything he says remain operative beyond the fading of the audience applause?"

Leading Hope Indicators: Starbucks Edition

Starbucks has recently put up an ad for its new instant coffee product, featuring a parody of a person standing up and getting mad at a healthcare town hall. Obviously, Starbucks is making fun of conservatives and people who don't want bureaucrats making their healthcare decisions.

Now let me tell you why this could be a good thing.

This means that an image of an American protesting to his government, engaging in public debate, is a sufficiently recognizable image that it can be parodied with success to a broad-based audience.  The health care town halls captured the attention of enough of the public that we now recognize an iteration of this image, without overt reference.  Although people might engage in pissing contests about how many people went to a rally, or whose polling data trumps whose, we can't deny that advertising is the language of our popular culture-- and policy debate is now a part of it.

Blind Love: Young People and Obama

Shameless plug alert: Over at the great new website for conservative women, AmericanMaggie.com, I've written an article about young people and Obama.  Check it out!

And now that my shameless plug is over, I'd like to recommend that you all add American Maggie to your regular reading, it's a great outlet for a voice that too often doesn't get heard: conservative commentary from women.