Senate | Tossup

When the Bullet Train departed last August, freshman Democrat Sherrod Brown was likely on his way to winning a second term after deposing of a two-term Republican incumbent six years prior; that Republican, Mike DeWine, would go on to become Ohio’s present-day Attorney General after deposing of previous Democratic incumbent Richard Cordray, who later went on to become Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after a controversial recess appointment. Already, Cordray’s future is up in the air, but the same has increasingly been said about Brown, now facing what has become an increasingly bitter Senate battle against Republican State Treasurer Josh Mandel.

The battle has both candidates exceeding the $10 million mark: Brown has amassed $18.5 million thus far, almost all of it individual donors, and the same has also been said about Mandel’s nearly $14.5 million. The race is also a battle of two regional candidates from the Cleveland television market, as it pits the Lorain County-based Brown against Mandel, who hails from the more traditionally upper-middle-class suburbs of eastern Cuyahoga County. Thus far, polling has leaned into Brown’s court, but Mandel has a strong chance of pulling off one of the biggest upsets in this election cycle given the situation as it stands.

District 1 | Solid GOP

Steve Chabot has been a veteran of political experiences involving revolution, winning in the 1994 Republican Revolution, losing in the 2008 Obamawave, and regaining his seat in the 2010 Tea Party wave. But the act got old for the Elephant Stampede as a GOP-led redistricting process sent one of Cincinnati’s three solidly Republican Ohio collar counties, in this case Warren County, Chabot’s way, along with the affluent village of Indian Hill and a few other white-collar suburban areas along the northern Hamilton County border, while maintaining Cincinnati’s western neighborhoods and Chabot’s political base in the solidly conservative western Hamilton County suburbs. The result is a safe seat for the longtime, if not uninterrupted, Republican incumbent Chabot over Democratic challenger Jeff Sinnard.

District 2 | Solid GOP

Once upon a time, Democrats were lustful of the possibility of winning the historically Republican, white-collar east Cincinnati district that also covered much of the city’s affluent eastern suburbs. This was the case while completely ignoring two factors: that the Democratic trend was the result of the district’s historical base, once represented by present-day GOP Senator Rob Portman, being wedded to traditionally Democratic territory, and that Portman’s GOP successor Jean Schmidt was not an especially appealing incumbent. Now those worries have disappeared, as conservative physician, one-time Army Reserve combat surgeon and one-time Cincinnati mayoral candidate Brad Wenstrup deposed of Schmidt on the heels of a strong showing in the district’s suburban Cincinnati base in the GOP primary, and Wenstrup is now widely expected to win his first term next week over Democratic retired postal worker William Smith.

District 3 | Solid DEM

Some Republicans complained that the Ohio General Assembly did not do enough to maximize opportunities for their party. However, the lifeboat theory came into play here as this newly-created district centered in almost all of the ever-increasingly Democratic state capitol of Columbus was necessary to shore up vulnerable Republicans in the region. The winner of the high-profile Democratic primary, former State House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty, is strongly favored to become the new district’s first incumbent over Republican Reynoldsburg City Councilman Chris Long, whose city contains some of the few Republican voting blocs in this otherwise Democrat-heavy district.

District 4 | Solid GOP

Still a Republican-oriented district in Northwest Ohio, but now juxtaposed around the communities of Lima, Bucyrus, Tiffin, Norwalk and Elyria, conservative Republican incumbent Jim Jordan is widely expected to defeat Democrat Jim Slone.

District 5 | Solid GOP

Some Democrats believe that this district centered on the state’s northwest corner, including most of the Toledo suburbs as well as Findlay and Bowling Green, stands out as a dark horse district. Indeed, Democratic Lucas County School Board Member Angela Zimmann believes she has a chance against Republican incumbent Bob Latta in this historically Republican, rural-flavored district and has raised an impressive $418K thus far. But despite a rural character and the presence of auto industry workers that would have provided any garden variety Democrat fertile territory for campaigning, the D-Trip is not paying attention to this race and Latta is still the favorite.

District 6 | Tossup

This strippy, historically Democratic district still sits along the state’s rural southeastern edge, largely hugging the state’s border with West Virginia, still contains such small cities and towns as Marietta and Steubenville, and is still your typical Appalachian district – favorably Republican on presidential terms, but very sympathetic to blue-collar Democratic candidates. For freshman Republican Bill Johnson, the path to sophomore status became muddled after the Democratic incumbent he beat in 2010, Charlie Wilson, decided to run to get his old job back.

Need further explanation? In the previous election, Wilson had the edge on fundraising terms as an incumbent, and naturally in this cycle that same advantage now belongs to Johnson. But while polling has leaned towards Johnson as a whole, Wilson’s own internals have given the Democrat the benefit of the doubt. And given what happened to the last Republican to hold this seat in Frank Cremeans, who won it in a similar 1994 wave and lost it after one term to the same incumbent he defeated in the previous cycle, don’t expect to be surprised if Bill Johnson suffers the same fate. In other words, this standard-issue “guns and religion” district will go for Mitt Romney, but may end up slipping out of Republican hands at the congressional level.

District 7 | Favor GOP

Given the slight Republican lean of this district, now centered on Canton and New Philadelphia along with western and southwestern exurbs in Northeast Ohio, many expected a close race to develop for freshman Republican Bob Gibbs. The D-Trip early on promoted the candidacy of Joyce Healy-Abrams, a businesswoman and the sister of Canton Mayor William Healy who hoped to give Gibbs a tough battle this year. But so far, Healy-Abrams’ campaign has failed to catch fire, and the race is still Gibbs’ to lose.

District 8 | Solid GOP

This is the safest district for the GOP in all of Ohio, and it has nothing to do with the fact that the incumbent is Speaker John Boehner. True, Boehner will only be facing a write-in candidate in James Condit Jr., but the district’s complexion of north suburban Cincinnati’s Butler County, the second city of Springfield northeast of Dayton, and a number of rural counties wrapped to the north and west of Dayton is deeply conservative territory to the point where the Donkey Brigade has all but written off the seat a total loss.

District 9 | Solid DEM

Let’s be honest: this is a notable race. But the only reason it is notable is because of two factors, one Democratic, one Republican. The Democratic factor is that this district pitted veteran Democratic incumbents Marcy Kaptur and Dennis Kucinich against one another, with the blue-collar, longer-tenured and Toledo-based Kaptur defeating the blue-collar, ultra-liberal and Cleveland-based Kucinich in the Democratic primary. The Republican factor in this very strippy district, bookended by Toledo in the west, the west side of Cleveland in the east, and Sandusky and Lorain in the middle, is that their nominee is former plumbing contractor Samuel Wurzelbacher, also known as Joe the Plumber, who gained national attention in the 2008 presidential election when he confronted a campaigning Barack Obama in his neighborhood regarding his proposed purchase of a plumbing company and his potential tax rate. Joe the Plumber’s individual donations are almost on par with Kaptur’s, but the district is clearly out of reach for the GOP; Kaptur is safe.

District 10 | Favor GOP

Clearly, the D-Trip would have gone gangbusters finding a candidate to run in this now-evenly split 49-49 district (Barack Obama has the edge) now centered in Dayton and Montgomery County and the city’s eastern suburbs in Greene County. It clearly would have become a top priority given that Democratic attorney Sharen Neuhardt has raised enough money to gain the consideration of the D-Trip, as the redistricting process would have pitted Republican incumbents Mike Turner and Steve Austria into a highly competitive battle for their party’s nomination. However, Austria decided to retire instead, while Turner has thus far managed to hold the advantage in this race. Some are suggesting a close race given the district’s competitiveness, but hardly anything recent of note has come about pollwise.

District 11 | Solid DEM

In this the most Democratic district in all of Ohio, based on Cleveland’s heavily African American east side, its favorably Democratic close-in eastern suburbs, and much of the Democrat-friendly city of Akron, incumbent Democrat Marcia Fudge is running unopposed.

District 12 | Solid GOP

For Republican incumbent Pat Tiberi, redistricting has proven to be the gift that keeps on giving, as the once-competitive district now covers Columbus’ northern suburbs (Dublin, New Albany, Delaware County) as well as the cities of Newark, Mansfield and Zanesville, and has morphed into a safe seat for the incumbent over Democratic attorney Jim Reese.

District 13 | Solid DEM

Incumbent Democrat Tim Ryan may not be as notable as a certain other Congressman Ryan, and certainly not as colorful as a certain predecessor of his, but with a district rooted in traditionally Democratic Youngstown, Warren and Akron, he is safe for reelection over Republican physician Marisha Agana.

District 14 | Solid GOP

Like the Dayton-centric 10th district further southwest, this district also split in 2008, only with John McCain still holding the edge as he did in the old incarnation of this district. But in this district that connects Cleveland’s affluent eastern and southeastern suburbs to the state’s extreme northeast corner in Ashtabula, there will be a new Congressman as the surprise retirement of moderate Republican incumbent Steve LaTourette initially threw this seat into chaos upon his announcement. Fortunately, Republicans were successful in finding a replacement as Geauga County Prosecutor Dave Joyce has quickly amassed over $767K in total funds. But those funds won’t necessarily be needed as Joyce is favored to defeat Democratic frequent candidate Dale Blanchard, whose campaign is virtually a lost cause.

District 15 | Solid GOP

After defeating a freshman Democratic incumbent in 2010, prospects for first-term Republican Steve Stivers quickly improved after redistricting mushroomed his swing district into one connecting Columbus’ western and southern suburbs and exurbs (including Upper Arlington and Hilliard) to a wide swath of rural and small-town territory including Wilmington, Circleville, Lancaster and the college town of Athens. It’s only a slight GOP lean, but Stivers has the advantage over Democratic Athens Law Director Pat Lang (and yes, that actually is an elected position).

District 16 | Tossup

The most pivotal race for Congress in perhaps the most pivotal state in the Union will take place in this bipartisan, bi-incumbent showdown between the district’s actual, Republican incumbent Jim Renacci and redistricted Democratic incumbent Betty Sutton. And the battle for this suburban Cleveland and Akron district that narrowly voted for John McCain four years prior is certainly not easy, given its territory in such communities as Cuyahoga County’s Westlake, Parma and Strongsville, Medina County’s Medina and Wadsworth, Wayne County’s Wooster, and several outskirts of Akron including Copley and Green.

The race has gone back and forth, with prognosticators going all over the place – some favoring Renacci, others favoring Sutton. Fundraising has also been very tight, with Renacci and Sutton each past the $2 million mark in total receipts and past the $1 million mark in individual donors. But the ultimate judge of this race may as well be the presidential outcome. If Barack Obama wins the district, Betty Sutton will be coming back. If Mitt Romney ekes out a win here, the freshman Jim Renacci will get a second term.

President | Tossup

As aforementioned earlier in this post, Ohio is clearly The Heart Of It All. And nothing may be more pivotal in this state than how the Electoral College turns out as far as Ohio is concerned. Between the Republican-rich suburbs of Cincinnati, the Obama Republican suburbs around Columbus, spectrum-splattered suburbs of various sorts around Cleveland, the heavily Democratic cores of the aforementioned cities, Dayton’s Democratic bent and its Republican Montgomery County remainder, a large base of “guns and religion” voters along the border with West Virginia, rural Republican bulwarks in Northwest Ohio (with Toledo as an urban Democratic outlier) and a generally hyper-competitive outlook all throughout, not to mention the occasional Romney lead in a sea of otherwise very slight Obama leans, Ohio is all but certain to decide – as it has many times before – the fate of the nation. True, they may not be the ones that put Barack Obama or Mitt Romney over the top, but it is nearly impossible to imagine either candidate winning the White House without Ohio’s eighteen electoral votes.

Current Score

President: Romney 177, Obama 143, Tossup 129. (58 to go)

Senate: 45 Republicans (including Rob Portman), 38 Democrats, 2 Independents caucusing with the Democrats, 11 Tossups. (4 to go)

House: Elephant Stampede 213, Donkey Brigade 145, Splitsville 23. (54 to go)

Governors: 4 Republicans, 3 Democrats and 3 Tossups, plus 26 existing Republicans (including John Kasich), 11 existing Democrats and 1 existing Independent. (2 to go)

Next stop: Delaware.

My reasons for doing this are twofold. First, I would’ve wanted to delay this unjust bill from being signed into law for as long as possible. Second, it would’ve been interesting to have seen whether or not they would have enough sympathy to extend the two minute time limit for a man who stutters. Around the eleven minute mark, after getting out nothing but, “Mr. Mayor, I came here today to vehemently oppose this bill,” I would’ve said, without stuttering, “This inhumane practice of shark finning needs to stop! Oh, by the way, I don’t really stutter. Thank you.” Or maybe I would’ve gone with something a bit more historical. “Your Highness, mark my words! If you continue to tax our tea, my fellow patriots will throw that tea into the river!” A little shameless self- promotion wouldn’t have hurt anyone either: “I will appearing at the Comedy Cellar on November 22. Get your tickets now.” That’s not true, but fuck ‘em. I have the mic. That reminds me…a few weeks ago, I decided to start a blog. I’m still working on that, but if it was already completed, the term limits hearing would’ve been a great place to promote it. Unfortunately, I have neither a comedy show or a blog to promote. The best I could’ve done was to say, “You can find me on Myspace. My user name is Jessica Alba’s Sex Slave.” I have a great deal of my writing on that “blog,” not realizing when I signed up for it that no one on Myspace knows how to read. Either way, after successfully pulling off this stuttering thing, I would’ve become a media sensation. Reporters would’ve flocked to Jessica Alba to get her reaction, and she would’ve said, “He’s cute! I think I’m going to leave my husband!” And since my writings are often of a political nature, reporters would ask me questions on foreign policy, making me no different than Joe The Plumber, with a few important exceptions:

1) I’m not retarded;

2) Joe The Plumber will never date Jessica Alba;

3) I’m not a plant of the McCain campaign, and I am not related to a member of the Keating Five;

4) I don’t have a publicist, and I’m not a dumb redneck who wants to record a country western album

5) Within the next six months, everyone will forget who Joe The Plumber was, while historians will write books about me for at least the next five-hundred years; and

6) I’m not bald

Okay, so maybe Joe The Plumber and I aren’t that similar after all. Regardless, this whole situation reminds me of the quotation from author Flora Whittemore, who said, “The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live,” the important difference being that, in terms of the public hearing at City Hall, I didn’t even know that that “door” existed until it was too late. The only doors I’ll be walking through are secret doors, which lead into secret bars, and I’ll be walking through them without Jessica Alba, and without the media hanging on my every word.

It’s just not the same.

November 7, 2008

I’m watchin’ the Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher -vs- ultra-lib Marcy Kaptur debate. Live streaming now!

Representative Kaptur of Toledo has represented the 9th district in Congress since 1983 .

Time to go, Marcy.

-R.J. Lower

My agenda and my values are on the table for all to see.  I’m a constitutional conservative.  When it comes to government, what I want to conserve is not any particular political party.  What I want to conserve–what I want to be faithful to–is the Constitution.  Not only that:  I want to interpret that Constitution as our Founders did.  In other words, I understand its purpose to be to limit the power of the federal government in order to guarantee the liberties of we the people.

Ours is not a nation-state.  It is a nation of states.  And this idea is not out of date.  It’s more important than ever.  The presidency of Barack Obama proves it.

I say all of this as a preamble to the rest of this post.  Now that the final presidential debate is done, I’m trying to understand exactly why someone would vote for another term for Mr. Obama.  I can only think of two reasons, but of course, I’m not objective.  I see and understand all politicians not as they present themselves, but as they compare to what I understand to be the vision of the Constitution.  I’m not afraid to be critical of any of them, no matter what their party.

As I search my poor brain I have to confess that I can find only two reasons why someone would vote for Obama.  Others that have crossed my mind seem either to be hyperbolic or related to these two.

If you’re an Obama supporter, I heartily welcome your criticism and your comments.  Please feel free to offer them by replying to this blog post (below).  Perhaps I’m blind.  Maybe I’m too limited in my understanding.  I may never agree with you, but I will at least try to consider your criticism.  And let me be clear, please:  it is my assumption, unless I have evidence to the contrary, that all of my debate partners are sincere.  I don’t know how anyone can approach political dialogue unless we grant such an assumption.

If you’re voting for Barack Obama, I assume you believe him to be the best candidate.  It also seems to me that you must agree with one or both of the following positions.

1.  Perhaps you are voting for Obama because you believe that the United States is more of a problem for the world than a solution.  Note the way I have phrased that.  No country is perfect.  Every patriot should be a critical patriot.  In other words, we simply must be honest enough to search out and to identify the mistakes our country has made in the arenas of politics, military, and society.  There are things about the US that I find objectionable, and my issues run the gamut.  The question at hand, however, is whether we have brought more to the world that is positive than negative.  I believe we have.  From our Constitution, to our pluralistic religious society that respects people of all faiths and none, to the fact that Europe might not be free today if not for our efforts–I believe that, in spite of our moral failings, we have done more for the world that is good than bad.

If you disagree, then perhaps you are happy that Mr. Obama has dropped us down a rung or two with regard to our defense and our international standing.  Perhaps you want to be more like Europe.  If so, I remind you that Europe has had more money to spend on socialist-type programs because we’ve had them underneath our nuclear umbrella.  As Mr. Obama scales back that umbrella of protection, Europe will either be more vulnerable or they’ll be forced to spend more on defense.  Even worse, more nations in Europe may feel the necessity of obtaining nuclear warheads.  Object if you wish, but  you should at least realize that there are consequences to the fact that America is taking a back seat or playing “second fiddle” on the world stage.  There are others who are happy to assume the position we seem to be vacating.

2.  Or, if international issues aren’t your interest, perhaps you’ll vote for Mr. Obama because you believe that the way to make our nation stronger and more fair is to take money from some for the purpose of giving it to others.  I’m not talking about reasonable federal taxation.  I’m talking about the forced redistribution of wealth.  Remember Joe “the plumber” and his encounter with candidate Obama in 2008?  Obama said that when we spread the wealth around “it’s good for everybody.”

Redistribution of wealth is a good thing–but not the way government does it.  The really important question is how wealth is distributed.  I strongly opposed the practice of politicians picking and choosing the distribution of wealth.  It should be distributed through the free exercise of economic liberty.  In other words, by the free market in which you and I get to decide how it’s distributed, or spent.

Joe the plumber wanted to buy a company that made just over $250,000 per year.  Sounds like alot, huh?  What you need to understand is that the dollar amount mentioned by Joe was the company’s income, not his profit.  What do you think would happen to most (or all) of that money?  It would not go to Joe.  It would go to his employees, his suppliers, his insurer, and multiple other providers and services he desperately needs in order to make his company viable.

Let’s imagine that, to bring in an income of $250,000 a year ($20,833) a month, Joe needs five plumbers on his staff (a typical small company).  Let’s also imagine that he wants really good plumbers because he hopes to build a company that is solid and made for the long haul.  He hires the best workers because he doesn’t want people to be disappointed in his employees and the work they perform.  He pays them $20 an hour.  In a forty-hour week that’s $800 per week, per employee.  So his salary costs are now $4,000 per week–$280,000 per year.  Plus, if he wants to take good care of his employees and to give them reasonable health insurance, his costs are even higher.  Let’s say he finds a bargain and pools his employees into an insurance fund for just $400 a month each (a remarkable bargain if he can actually find it).  With five employees, now he will spend another $24,000 a year.

As a business owner myself, I can tell you that the proposed numbers above are very reasonable (in fact, they are probably low–but that will help me make my argument even better).  If Joe bought a business that takes in $250,000 a year and has only five employees besides himself, and if he wants to pay them reasonably and give them reasonable benefits, look at the facts:  the company will spend more on salary and benefits than it takes in.  The math I’ve proposed, which is reasonable, gives Joe a salary and benefit cost of $304,000.  That means he’s losing $54,000 a year before he even starts … and before he pays himself any salary at all.  He would do this in the hope of building something that would give him an income later, and for the long term.  He would be taking a tremendous risk.  He’d be building a business.  He would be helping not only himself, but others as well.

See my point?  We can argue all sorts of numbers, but if businesses don’t find it possible to succeed, why bother?  Every dollar that government takes from someone else costs something beyond the actual dollar amount in question.  It’s nuts to imagine that the only way to assist the poor is by taking from Joe and his employees in order to give to someone else. 

So, if you’re voting for Barack Obama, which of these reasons is most attractive?  Which inspires you?  Are there others?  I’m all ears, as they say.

For the sake of argument I’ll recap here a few of the reasons I’ve been hearing that just don’t seem to make much sense to me.  When I say “they don’t make sense,” it’s not because they are bad aspirations.  It’s because Barack Obama has had four years to show us what drives him and his agenda, and the reasons below aren’t being addressed in a way that should cause voter confidence.

1.  Some say they are going to vote for Obama because he’s helping Americans of African descent.  I suppose if this is your reason for voting Democrat, you might have a point if by “helping” you mean giving African Americans a sense of pride because the president shares their ethnic heritage.  If you mean economic help, then you need to vote for Mitt Romney.  At least he has a record of creating jobs as an experienced businessman.  As for Obama’s employment record for blacks in America, unemployment is over 14%.  Clearly, Obama’s policies aren’t creating jobs for the black community.  You can chant the silly mantra that the fault lies with the previous administration, but four years is enough time to begin to make a difference.  There is no light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to unemployment for African Americans, at least not yet.  Changes in policy can make a difference under a new administration that wants to inspire growth rather than tax it at a higher rate.

2.  Perhaps you plan to vote for Obama because of his stance toward immigration and the way he seems to support the Latino community in America.  Think again.  Obama has put the breaks on sending some people back to Mexico who are here illegally, but he hasn’t done anything of substance to advance the nation toward responsible, comprehensive immigration reform.  All he has done is to enact a few executive orders to win Latino votes.  If you or a loved one has been affected by such an order, you may wish to reward Obama with your vote.  But don’t accuse Americans of being anti-immigrant.  We’re not.  We are a nation of immigrants … but we’re also a nation of laws.  We will support generous immigration levels, but we want immigration programs to be operated fairly and within the bounds of the law.

Obama has reached out to the Mexican government, so perhaps you’re impressed by that.  But he has been duped by Felipe Calderon, the Mexican president who came to the US to lecture us about our immigration policy.  Our policy is more humane than his own.  Fixing the immigration problem on our southern border will require putting pressure on the corrupt Mexican government for reform.  Rather than doing that, the inempt Obama allowed Calderon to put America’s problems in the spotlight rather than the problem of extreme Mexican corruption.  Our immigration problem on the southern border starts in Mexico.  That’s also where the cure will start if any of our politicians get serious about it.

In terms of Hispanic support of Obama, the real concern should be about how many Mexicans have been murdered by drug lords armed by the failed Obama Justice Department policy known as “Fast and Furious.”  Thousands of weapons were unloaded on the unsuspecting people of Mexico at the expense of the US taxpayer.  If I were of Hispanic or Latino heritage, I’d be among those who are angry as heck.   I certainly would not give my vote to a president whose justice officials have used innocent Mexicans as political pawns to advance an ideology.

And as far as unemployment is concerned, among Latinos living in the US, the unemployment rate is still over 10%.  There’s another proof that the Obama administration isn’t doing much to help that segment of our population.

3.  Lots of folks say that they want to support Obama because he’s helping the poor.  I’m not sure how, other than the increase in government handouts.  There is a place for safety nets in our society, but Obama isn’t solving the problem that’s sapping our economic strength.  His policies are making the middle class poor and sending the poor into destitution.  As I pointed out in a post last week, grocery costs are rapidly increasing.  Simple things like coffee, peanut butter, and potatoes are rising quicker than the average inflation rate.  It is becoming more and more difficult to feed our familes, and for now there is no end in sight.  The government is creating more money–meaning that the money in circulation is worth less.  The laws of economics will force the value of the dollars in circulation to go down even further.  In our society that means the poor are going to be hurt even worse by the long-term effects of Obama’s policies.  Even Romney will find it hard to turn this trend around, but for heaven’s sake, why support a president who has demonstrated that handouts are the only way he knows to help the poor?

Obama knows how to “feed a person for a day,” but he has no clue how to “feed a person for a lifetime.”  As his bureaucrats increase the temporary government help to record numbers of Americans, our debt is rising too quickly to be counted easily.  The debt clock isn’t just ticking.  It’s spinning.  As government aid is increased and abused through fraud we can ignore the debt, but it won’t ignore us for much longer.  At some point our debt will be so high that our credit rating will be dropped again.  US credit is now three notches below the high rating it once held (it was downgraded again by a major credit agency last month).  You didn’t hear much about it in the pro-Obama press, did you?

Just like a person’s credit card that reaches its limit, the world will eventually refuse our dollars because they are going to be worthless.  At that point the poor will be hit harder than anyone else.  The potential for disaster is alarming.  To understand this you only have to look at the elderly eating from garbage cans in the hard-hit, debt-ridden nations of the European Union.  Do we really think that it can’t happen here?

In terms of true improvement to their lives, Obama has done nothing for those who are poor except to increase the depth of their poverty and to make it harder for the economy to lift the poor out of misery.  Granted, he has met some of their immediate needs, but he has done nothing to establish a long-term solution.  In fact, for the long haul, he and the Democrats in Congress have so damaged our economy that recovery may take a decade.

4.  Some people say they’ll vote for Obama because the Democrats truly care for the middle class.  He speaks a good game, but the same factors putting the poor into absolute destitution are chipping away at middle-class economic stability.  There is no economic recovery because the Obama regime is pro-tax, not pro-recovery.  Business owners don’t trust that the government has their backs.  They trust only that any corporation or business owner might be next for criticism and increased taxation.  Investment seldom occurs in an environment of uncertainty.  Obama and his minions have done nothing to sponsor an attitude of trust among the businesses that make our economy hum. 

I can go on all day, especially in light of the false manner in which Obama presented himself last night.  I’m no longer angry … instead, I find myself laughing outloud at the television when Obama begins his laundry list of ways he has strengthened America and its international image.  But mine is nervous laughter.  There is nothing funny about what’s happening to our country.

Vote for Obama if you want America weaker, less influential, and supposedly “put in her place.”  Vote for Obama if you think America’s immigration policies are better than those of Mexico.  Return him to the Oval Office if you believe we can spend on the government credit card without disastrous consequences.

For many, Obama is their man because “he’ll make sure I get mine.”  When it comes to the very real possibility of economic collapse in the US, there is no “mine” and there is no “yours.”  There is only ours and we don’t have forever to begin making the necessary corrections to save what belongs to us all.

No, no, no Joe.. more… SMUG….. perfect…

Good old Joe the plumber. His name isn’t Joe, and he isn’t actually a plumber. But still, after Palin-mania died a wicked death, he was the last best hope for the McCain campaign in the waning days of the 2008 election.. because taxes.. or something.

Joe didn’t just turn out to be a very fake, ego-maniacal opportunistic “everyman,” he also turned out to be a virulent racist, homophobe, and a tad nuts. As Wonkette reminds us, he’s sorta/kinda running for US Congress, although he skips out on debates, does more hunting than campaigning, and in scant polling doesn’t seem to be taken very seriously, despite the energetic support of the Tea Party and NRA (Must have  been his public declaration that the Holocaust was caused in part by WWII-era gun control in Europe).

The Wonkette feature also points out that the Hardcover copy of his 2009 book, titled: “Derpa Derpa American Dream they Took our Jerbs!”, or something like that, is on sale at Amazon for 1 cent (even signed by Joe!).

I wasn’t so much interested in the ways and means of how to acquire the Plumber’s book as I was in the “ Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed” section, the top ones which I have included here, unaltered, with their Amazon descriptions:

Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies [Paperback]

Michelle Malkin (Author)

Also, incidentally, available for 1 cent at Amazon

Book Description

Barack Obama’s approval ratings are at an all-time low. A recent Gallup poll found that half of the Americans polled said Obama did not deserve a second term. Weary of the corruption that gushes from the White House faster than a Gulf Coast oil spill, voters are ready to put a cap on smear campaigns, pay-to-play schemes, recess appointments, and Chicago politics.
In the updated paperback edition of her #1 New York Times bestselling book Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies, Michelle Malkin says, “I told you so,” citing a new host of examples of Obama’s broken promises and brass knuckled Chicago way.Culture of Corruption proves once again this isn’t just any politics. It’s “boodle”-clogged, dissent-squelching, redistributive Chicago politics. The 2010 elections promise to be an anti-corruption referendum for the history books. “After all,” Malkin says “You can’t reform corruptocrats, but you can vote them out.” New revelations in the updated Culture of Corruption:
How Obama has declared war on independent government whistleblowers—with unannounced firings, smear campaigns, and forced silence—when their findings expose his political allies.
How First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity is less about reducing our youths’ waistlines and more about swelling SEIU coffers with nearly 400,000 new food service workers.
How, despite the exposure of ACORN’s illegal practices and subsequent defunding, ACORN still remains—and why the Obama White House remains tight-lipped on the future of ACORN.
How Obama is using recess appointments to install politicos when both Democrats and Republicans have torpedoed the nominations.
How the White House is manipulating key races across the country, including endorsing such candidates as Alexi Giannoulias—a mob-linked, scandal-tainted banker from Obama’s hometown.Powerful, damning, and comprehensive, the paperback edition of Culture of Corruption reveals the ever-growing mountain of sleaze and self-dealing that the Obama administration would rather you not know.

Uranium Ore

Customers who bought this item also bought Canned Unicorn Meat. 2 degrees of separation from Joe’s book..

Product Description

Radioactive sample of uranium ore. Useful for testing Geiger Counters. License exempt. Uranium ore sample sizes vary. Shipped in labeled metal container as shown. Shipping Information: We are always in compliance with Section 13 from part 40 of the NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules and regulations and Postal Service regulations specified in 49 CFR 173.421 for activity limits of low level radioactive materials. Item will be shipped in accordance with Postal Service activity limits specified in Publication 52. Radioactive minerals are for educational and scientific use only.

How to Avoid Huge Ships [Paperback]

John W. Trimmer (Author)

This one is available from $500 new and $250 used, FYI

Sadly, no description, but a helpful review:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reads like a whodunnit! December 21, 2010

By Citizenfitz

Format:Paperback

I bought How to Avoid Huge Ships as a companion to Captain Trimmer’s other excellent titles: How to Avoid a Train, and How to Avoid the Empire State Building. These books are fast paced, well written and the hard won knowledge found in them is as inspirational as it is informational. After reading them I haven’t been hit by anything bigger than a diesel bus. Thanks captain!

Wheelmate Laptop Steering Wheel Desk

by Go Office

I kinda want one of these..

Product Description

Introducing the AutoExec WM-01 Wheelmate Steering Wheel Desk Tray – Gray – , featured in our Other Vehicle Parts department. This product generally ships within 2 business day(s) from Pinellas Park, Florida, and weighs 2 pound(s). Attaches to your steering wheel for easy access to a writing and drink storage surface. The Go Office Wheel Mate Steering Wheel Desk is flat for writing and perfect for lunch or a snack. This Go Office Wheel Mate Steering Wheel Desk stores neatly in your car when used with the larger Auto Exec Laptop Car Desk. For safety reasons, never use this product while driving. Easily convert your car into your personal automobile office with the Wheel Mate car desk by MobileOffice.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Intelligent Design [Paperback]

Christopher Carlisle (Author), W. Thomas Smith Jr. (Author)

I think I’ve become so cynical, irony has little effect on me anymore. But if it did, my brain would have just exploded.

Book Description

Release Date: December 5, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1592575552 | ISBN-13: 978-1592575558

An objective overview of the biggest controversy in American education.Intelligent Design is one of the hottest issues facing parents and educators to day, but it can be hard to separate the facts from the heated rhetoric. This expert and objective guide gets to the bottom of the questions: What is Intelligent Design? Should it replace or complement traditional science? What’s all the fuss about?
• Explains the terms, the controversy, and the involvement of the American courts
• Indispensable guide for concerned educators and parents
• Written by an expert in the field

(Blogger’s note here.. I love this last bullet point. It’s written by an “expert” in a completely made up, bogus “field.” Well then, I am an expert in Porklefuckknobbing. That’s not a real thing, but I dare you to prove I’m not an expert in it. I’m writing a book.)

The Bush Boom: How a Misunderestimated President Fixed a Broken Economy [Paperback]

Jerry Bowyer (Author)

This one is available for 2 cents, quite literally double the price of Joe and Michelle Malkin’s books.

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2003

Jerry Bowyer confronts the critics and offers clear and convincing evidence that the Bush Administration fixed a broken economy, boosting the fastest economic turnaround since President Ronald Regan.

Rejuvenique RJV10KIT Facial Toning Mask Kit

by Rejuvenique

…………………

Product Features Face mask’s 26 gold-plated contacts tone skin with light energy pulsation Battery-operated (9-volt battery included) Knob adjusts pulsation intensity to suit individual preference Mask adjusts to fit any face size, both male and female Instruction video tape and contact toning gel included

Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story [Paperback]

Jerry Sandusky (Author)

There was a “leather bound” edition, but it’s sold out.   =(

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2001

Touched is the story of Jerry Sandusky’s life in his own words. From his childhood to his professional career, this book goes behind the scenes to explore the successes and challenges that Jerry Sandusky has faced in life, both on and off the football field. After graduating from Penn State in 1966, Sandusky went on to coach collegiate football for 34 years. Thirty-two of those years were with Penn State, as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach under Joe Paterno, until his retirement in 1999. The book also explores Sandusky’s involvement in children’s charities, including the founding of his charity, “Second Mile.”

Accoutrements Horse Head Mask

by Accoutrements

AIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

We’ve discovered yet another universal truth – a person wearing a Horse Head Mask looks downright disturbing. But don’t take our word for it, wear this latex mask with realistic fur mane to your next social function and watch as people scramble to avoid you. Fits most adult heads. Bagged with illustrated tag.

Also, wolf piss: http://www.amazon.com/Deerbusters-Wolf-Urine-Lure-32-oz/dp/B0006IGZSM/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_15

We are closest to God when we exhibit compassion. We are furthest when we withhold it.

I don’t write because I have something to say, but rather something which must be said has me to write it.

You can’t walk a mile in another man’s shoes if he doesn’t own any. In such cases, give him yours.

The only thing more limitless than excuses are opportunities.

My wife says my poetry is too “dark”; I had no idea she was such a racist.

The surest way to dissolve a friendship is to interject politics into the relationship.

Extremism is little more than fear and insecurity on steroids.

I’m not an advocate of the redistribution of wealth. But neither am I an advocate of ignoring the suffering of others. There is nothing more tragic than to be so blessed with riches and yet be so poor in spirit.

“On October 12, 2008, three days before the final presidential debate, Obama met residents in Wurzelbacher’s Ohio neighborhood.[8] Wurzelbacher, who had been playing football with his son in his front yard at the time, asked Obama about his tax plan.[9] Wurzelbacher suggested that Obama’s tax plan would be at odds with “the American dream.”[10] Wurzelbacher said, “I’m getting ready to buy a company that makes 250 to 280 thousand dollars a year. Your new tax plan’s going to tax me more, isn’t it?”[11]

Obama responded with an explanation of how his tax plan would affect a small business in this bracket. Obama said, “If you’re a small business, which you would qualify, first of all, you would get a 50 percent tax credit so you’d get a cut in taxes for your health care costs. So you would actually get a tax cut on that part. If your revenue is above 250, then from 250 down, your taxes are going to stay the same. It is true that, say for 250 up — from 250 to 300 or so, so for that additional amount, you’d go from 36 to 39 percent, which is what it was under Bill Clinton.”[12]
Obama also said, “It’s not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they’ve got a chance at success, too… My attitude is that if the economy’s good for folks from the bottom up, it’s gonna be good for everybody. If you’ve got a plumbing business, you’re gonna be better off [...] if you’ve got a whole bunch of customers who can afford to hire you, and right now everybody’s so pinched that business is bad for everybody and I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”