Let's take a look at some polls, shall we?

Usually politicans love poles. But, no, no...not the kinda poles that David Letterman's wife was stripped from, but opinion polls. The latest Rasmussen daily tracking poll shows that President Barack Obama for the first time has a negative approval index — more Americans disapprove of his job performance than approve.

In an exclusive Newsmax.com interview, pollster Scott Rasmussen - founder and CEO of Rasmussen Reports and co-founder of the sports network ESPN. He has been an independent public opinion pollster for over a decade, and most major news organizations cite his reports - has some interesting things to point out. Here are some highlights of that interview:

~ 31 percent of Americans strongly approve of the way Barack Obama is handling his job, 33 percent strongly disapprove

~ On the cap-and-trade legislation [to reduce carbon emissions], 42 percent believe it's going to hurt the economy. Only 19 percent believe it's going to help.

~ The takeover of General Motors is strongly opposed.

~ More Americans strongly oppose Obama's healthcare plan than strongly support it.

~ Only 35 percent think this system is in good or excellent shape. But people like the coverage they get by themselves. Among the insured, 70 percent say their own coverage is good or excellent. Among all Americans, only 8 percent say their coverage is poor

Wait...wha? I though Obama has said THIS is the biggest issue we have. Looks like most disagree, Mr. Obama. Where is the positive outcome from the stimulus package that was supposed to stop the biggest unemployment numbers since 1983? The emperor has no clothes, people. Wipe the liberal film from your eyes. Peel those scales back like Saul did on the road to Demascus. Amen, brother.

Now, what's worse is the media isn't reporting on this. But, when Mr. Bush was in office, geez, every day we had new poll numbers out. Why? We should expect it. The sad part is, the GOP should take notice. It's up to the Republicans to let everyone know. Wait...this just in: THEY AREN'T DOING SH*T WITH THIS INFO!!!!

Gallup – Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal, 39% to 18%.

In fact, Gallup also cites that “more members of all three major partisan groups indicate that their views have shifted to the right rather than to the left,” in addition to reporting last month that “40% of Americans call themselves conservative,” the highest level since 2004. Someone needs to send a memo to the Republican party that says: *AHEM*

"Dear GOP,

WAKE UUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!!!!!!!!! Have you seen the poll numbes? Lick that fat finger and stick it in the air and see which direction the wind is blowing...to the right....exactly! NOT to the Republican party, though. Hmmm. Why? Because more and more Americans are losing the Honeymoon feelings with Obama and beginning to take a look at his uber-liberal policies. They are turning more and more conservative while YOU [GOP] are deciding that you need to be more like the left to get votes. No, no, no. You need to create a divide. You need to take a few issues and draw a line in the sand with them. Say, "Here's how we are different. Here's how this won't work. And HERE's how we can make it work with conservative, true conservative principles.".

You see, you can't just cry foul on policy, you need to say HERE. HERE is how we can fix it.

Sincerely,

Main Stream AMERICA!"

Michael Jackson. Enough Already.

"I thought this was a politcal blog, Mr. Right One. Why are you talking about Michael Jackson?"

Because...just because. Anyone hear that Congress had a moment of silence for this guy.

ya rly

I will fight the urge to make the common argument of "don't they have enough to do", but really. Seriously. This falls into the Common Sense thing. Why? Would they have a moment of silence for Rush Limbaugh? He's done more for politics and the great debate than Michael has. Put aside his politics and think about it. A moment of silence for a pedophile. If you try to make the argument that he isn't, save it. You just traded your common sense to an eskimo for ice. The guy was a freak and best. A pedophile at worst. Bernie Madoff gets 150 years (evil guy...should definitely get the book thrown at him) and Michael gets a moment of silence and a letter from our president. We are in the middle of passing the biggest tax bill in history, cap and trade, that will cause everything we see and purchase to go up and we are saying a little prayer for this weirdo.

Soldiers are dying every week, fighting for us and this country, and they only get mentioned when EITHER side can use them in their talking points.

These are our priorities, folks. Here they are.

This guy ows an est. $500 million dollars in debt, surely much of that to all of the families we know...and the ones we don't know..of he paid off after molesting their sons. The family has already started to fight over his assets. His mom has gotten custody of the kids, because where the kids go, so goes the money.

I just don't get it. Sorry, but I had to write this down.

Principle #4

NOTE: I will post another blog next week to explain why only four principles can tie into every aspect of conservatism.

When I was a kid, my Momma always said, “Say what ya mean and mean what ya say”. That is so true. Now, times change and people change. I have changed my stance on politics from an unknowing Democrat to a Republican voting, educated Conservative. I understand that sometimes things change, but facts do not. If you educate yourself in facts and not partisan rhetoric from a mainstream media that are determined to undermine anything not liberal, then the majority of the time you can make a clear decision and create a stance.

What about our Constitution? Our Constitution was to set the framework for a government unlike what they had just fought to be freed from. One that was for the people and by the people. One that was limited. It was not a document that framed what gov’t could do, but rather what it could not do. It was very basic. It had seven articles that outlined a free and limited government.

Article One: Legislative power

This is where bills – to become laws - are created. The idea was that if you had a House of Representatives and a Senate, each having multiple, elected members from each state could come together as a microcosm of the United States and best represent its constituents’ will. Great idea in theory. But it allowed for career politicians who allowed corruption to bleed in.

Article Two: Executive power

This set the conditions of the Presidency of the United States. This is the first level of check. The President is who signs these bills into laws. Another people elected position.

Article Three: Judicial power

The Judicial branch, which interprets and applies the law in the name of the sovereign or state, is the third step in checks and balances. The court is not where laws are created, but interpreted. This is another branch that has had a breakdown and we have since lost that check. When the court system can write law by officiating on personal belief rather than Constitutional interpretation, we lose that check.

Now there are 4 more articles…

Article Four: States' powers and limits
Article Five: Amendments
Article Six: Federal power
Article Seven: Ratification

…but I don’t have the space to get into those. My point being is that gov’t is meant to be limited. The Constitution means what it says and should be interpreted as it means and not what a Supreme Justice or a Congressman or a President or some rogue Governor who wants to bypass the will of the people for his own will.

I love Thomas Jefferson’s ideas on government. He said:

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

And "Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have”.

and let’s sum it up with “A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.”

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Amen.

Fourth and last Conservative Principle:

Constitution. Leave it alone.

Principle #3

Let's start with a few terms that get thrown around all willy nilly like.

Capitalism - is an economic system in which trade and industry are privately controlled for profit rather than by the state. Through capitalism, the land, capital are owned, operated, and traded for the purpose of generating profits, without force or fraud, by private individuals either singly or jointly, and investments, distribution, income, production, pricing and supply of goods, commodities and services are determined by voluntary private decision in a market economy.

Socialism - refers to any one of various economic theories of economic organization advocating state or cooperative ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equal opportunities/means for all individuals with a more egalitarian method of compensation based on the full product of the laborer.

Marxism - "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need (or needs)" is a slogan popularized by Karl Marx in his 1875 Critique of the Gotha Program. The phrase summarizes the principles that, under a communist system, every person should contribute to society to the best of his ability and consume from society in proportion to his needs, regardless of how much he has contributed. In the Marxist view, such an arrangement will be made possible by the abundance of goods and services that a developed communist society will produce; the idea is that there will be enough to satisfy everyone's needs.

Instead of giving this long diatribe on Conservative Principle #3, Capitalism/Free Enterprise, I thought a simple nursery rhyme would suffice. If you want a more detailed explanation, Commonsense Ben has a nice article on Socialism. I just think this is funnier. Consevatives will laugh, and it's simple enough for a liberal to understand. So it's a win-win.

THE LITTLE RED HEN

Once upon a time, on a farm in Virginia, there was a little red hen
who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered quite a few
grains of wheat.

She called all of her Socialist neighbors together and said, 'If we
plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. 'Who will help me plant
it?'
'Not I,' said the cow.
'Not I,' said the duck.
'Not I,' said the pig.
'Not I,' said the goose.

'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she
did.

The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain.

'Who will help me reap my wheat?' asked the little red hen.
'Not I,' said the duck.
'Out of my classification,' said the pig.
'I'd lose my seniority,' said the cow.
'I'd lose my unemployment compensation,' said the goose.
'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she
did.

At last it came time to bake the bread.

'Who will help me bake the bread?' asked the little red hen.
'That would be overtime for me,' said the cow.
'I'd lose my welfare benefits,' said the duck.
'I'm a dropout and never learned how,' said the pig.
'If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination,' said the
goose.
'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen.


She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to
see.

They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red
hen said,

'No, I shall eat all five loaves myself.'
'Excess profits!' cried the cow.
'Capitalist leech!' screamed the duck.
'I demand equal rights!' yelled the goose.
The pig just grunted in disdain.

And they all painted 'Unfair!' picket signs and marched around and
around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

Then the farmer came. He said to the little red hen, 'You must not
be so greedy.'

'But I earned the bread,' said the little red hen.

'Exactly,' said the farmer. 'That is what makes our free
enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as
much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the
productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those
who are lazy and idle.'

And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen,
which smiled and clucked, 'I am grateful, for now I truly understand
the 'Socialist System.'

But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again
baked bread because she joined the 'party' and got her bread free.

And all the Socialists smiled. 'Fairness' had been established.

Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one
really cared...so long as there was free bread that 'the rich' were
paying for.

I believe it was Mr. Ronald Reagan that said "The problem with Socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money".

Right now we run a hybrid of Socialism-Lite and Capitalism-Lite. We went from FDR's "New Deal" to BHO's "Raw Deal". And I guess our elected officials never heard the Tony Robins definition of insanity.

Principle #3

Capitalism/Free Enterprise never fails.

Principle #2

OK. I was going to go another route here, but with the latest news article I just read I have to skip ahead. I read this article, about Obama ordering the FBI to read Miranda rights to suspected terrorists at U.S. military detention facilities in Afghanistan.

Couple of things; If you Google "Obama Miranda Rights" you only get FoxNews as a link. The other links are obviously right leaning rags. But FoxNews is the only main stream media outlet reporting it, according to a Google search. Also, in 2003 in a 60 Minutes interview Obama said that the suspected terrorists did not deserve Miranda rights like regular citizens.

Here is a snippet of the Fox News article:

"A senior Republican on the House Intelligence Committee is accusing the Obama administration of quietly ordering the FBI to start reading Miranda rights to suspected terrorists at U.S. military detention facilities in Afghanistan.

The move is reportedly creating chaos in the field among the CIA, FBI and military personnel, according to Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich. The soldiers, especially, he says, are frustrated that giving high value detainees Miranda rights -- the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney -- is impeding their ability to pursue intelligence on the battlefield, according to a story first reported by the Weekly Standard.

"What I found was lots of confusion and very frustrated people on the front lines who are trying to, well, make Afghanistan successful for the United States and its allies," said Rogers, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee."

I think the idea of telling a suspected terrorist they have ANY rights is just stupid, not to mention dangerous. But telling them they have the right to remain silent? Like my buddy Ben says, common sense people. Common sense. When did we lose it? This goes for both parties, not just Republicans right now.

Our country goes on a whirlwind apologizing tour so that those who hate us will love us more. This ties into Conservative Principle #4, but it’s not our country’s job to make people like us. It’s not our government’s role to make sure our enemies think were swell. We are in the midst of a war that we were thrown into with fundamentalist/extremist Islam and we are out trying to make nice-nice. We think if we treat the detainees better, that they’ll like us. BS. Use some common sense. They were hating us before Gitmo and they’ll be hating us after. After the Apologypalooza Obama had, Bin Laden put out 2 tapes hating on Obama and calling for the Muslim world to attack more. While Apology Watch '09 was going on, North Korea is trying to test fire nukes. While we are talking about reducing our nuclear weapons, our enemies are increasing theirs. While we are trying to close detention centers filled with suspected terrorists, give them rights as if they were American citizens, and moving them INSIDE our borders, our enemy is stocking up on ammo and threats. Common sense, people. They aren’t going to like us because we do these things. They see it as weak and an opportunity to capitalize.

Let me ask you this. Did any of those things we did, that I just mentioned, make us one bit safer? Use your common sense when you answer that one.

Have you ever thought that you were the last sane person on Earth?

Conservative Principle #2

Common Sense.

When did common sense become the enemy of American politics?

OK. Here is the proverbial first step on the journey of reinventing the Republican party.

Why? Why would I want to change the party? Because the party changed, that’s why. Some where down the line, Republicans abandoned the core principals that made them different from Democrats. Those core principals are outlined in the Conservative ideology. So, the party changed, so know we must change the party back.

Why? Why did the party change? I think it boils down to two key factors. 1.) At some point Republicans became Politically Correct and 2.) a liberal mainstream media bias. Now, those two points are tied together tighter than David Caradine’s hands a can of sardines. In order to get better press, the Republicans quit “telling it like it is”. They traded in their testicles for a pass in the media. Look at McCain. He was the media’s darling after the 2000 election because he went liberal. Then, during the ’08 clusterbag he tried to be conservative again. True conservative’s didn’t buy it, but the media dropped him faster than the value of my house. The problem? There has to be consistency. There has to be a black and white. There has to be a right and a wrong. There can’t be this idea of moral liquidity. That idea is what has lead to the wussification of America.

This leads me to my first principle of conservatism:

There is a right and a wrong. If the people have no vision, they all perish. It takes guts to stand up and say something is wrong when you know the media will lambast you and call you a racist/bigot/homophobe, etc. I mean, you can (and talk radio does) create a montage of all the major news outlets and the repetivness of their talking points. It’s hilarious.

Principle number two coming soon.