Politics? Really???

First ...

I’ll go ahead and admit that I am a Republican. Big surprise there, right? But before you go and beatify me for being a loyal and devoted follower of Saint Reagan, or vilify me for being the walking conservative version of Lucifer himself, understand that what I am about to say is not intended to be a pitch for party politics at all. Far from it. See, I’ve been known to vote for a Democrat before … and on more than one occasion. Ann Richards got my vote in 1990 when she was far and away the most viable choice since the clueless Republicans of the era had no better sense than to nominate Clayton Williams to run for governor. “Claytie”, as he was so affectionately and derisively referred to, blew in off the West Texas prairie like a sandstorm and promptly started opening his mouth and lending his considerable voice to such proclamations as “saving the state millions by turning the lights off in the governor’s mansion” and making extremely tasteless and crude jokes about the crime of rape, of all things. Much to the chagrin of his handlers, Claytie just couldn’t seem to shut up when it mattered, or for that matter, when it mattered not. Richards defeated Williams with just 49% of the vote while Claytie climbed back up on the mesa where, last we heard, he was still trying to explain to his wife Modesta how he had managed to spend so much of their personal fortune not only running for governor, but losing the race as well. Regardless, in the Claytie vs. the Lady matchup, Democrat Richards managed to erase a 20-point deficit and beat a well-financed Republican millionaire that the Texas Republican establishment hadn’t the good sense to send packing when it had the chance in the Republican primary. Jack Rains, then Texas Secretary of State, attorney Tom Luce, and Railroad Commissioner Kent Hance were all experienced political hands and the Republicans instead chose a loose-lipped, shoot-from-the-hip rancher and oilman to carry their banner in 1990. If all of this is sounding vaguely familiar, then you are witnessing the same breed of self-destructing Republicans on the national level today staring down the barrel of a strikingly similar predicament. About the only thing different in this set of circumstances today is the fact that the Republican Party in 2012 will not be sending up an inexperienced politician to face the well-oiled, Swiss-watch precision-timed machine that is the Barack Obama re-election committee. Experience within the Republican establishment abounds, and therein lies much of the problem. Experienced retreads who do nothing to answer questions about how they would solve America’s fiscal woes, about how they would go about dealing with Iran or North Korea, or about solutions to illegal immigration and border security are not what mainstream Republican Party voters are looking for. We are looking for the next Ronald Reagan, not the next Clayton Williams. Herman Cain has taken the 9-9-9 Adultery Train to Albuquerque. Mitt Romney? He’s flipped-flopped more than Mary Lou Retton, saying basically what voters want to hear when they want to hear it, not to mention the fact that he pushed through the original Socialist Health Care Plan while governor of Massachusetts. Ron Paul? Well, Ron makes sense about half the time, but the other half he’s basically Andy Rooney light. Rick Perry? Please. His current ad pandering to the Christian constituency in Iowa just makes my blood boil. Wasn’t it just a few months ago that the Houston Chronicle raked Perry over the coals for playing the religion card when it suited him, but being very stingy when it came to placing his tithes in the collection plate? There’s not a one in the bunch that is likely to be able to defeat President Obama next November. Want proof? Go to the website www.270towin.com. Based on polling, if the election were held today, President Obama would gather 359 electoral votes to 179 for the presumed Republican nominee. Let’s assume that a Mitt Romney could somehow swing Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Utah (because of his Mormon faith), and Massachusetts into his favor – and that’s a BIG assumption. President Obama would still have 281 electoral votes, while Romney would still trail with 257. And that’s assuming Romney could hold on to the states that are already shaded in red. It’s pretty much a given that none of the rest of the Republican dwarfs would fare even that well. When the choices that we have are so bland or unacceptable that the party loyalists see not a single candidate that they can unite behind to try and take back the White House, then it makes for a very dismal election year outlook for a party that seemingly had a stranglehold on power and politics just a few short years ago. Sadly, it appears that anything short of a major scandal that shakes the current administration will leave us with another 4 years of Democratic leadership. Surely, this is not the best that we can do ….

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1. Cake balls seem to be a fairly new confectionary delicacy ... wondering where these tasty morsels have been all my life?

2. Wish I could be the producer of the television program "Hoarders" for about a month. Two burly assistants to haul out the homeowner and 1 box of matches would pretty much take care of 99% of the hoarder issues.

3. Poinsettias are some of the most beautiful plants in God's living kingdom.

4. A trip to the Heritage Market/Mennonite Bakery in Kemp, Texas can cure most any case of the blues that I may have.

5. After the past several months, these nice rains the past couple weeks have sure been a blessing.

6. Beets and Brussells sprouts - two vile vegetables that will NOT enter into my digestive system. Under any circumstance.

7. Really aggravates me watching high school sports on television and hearing these suck-up announcers extol the virtue of the UIL. A more authoritarian and self-serving organization exists not, in my estimation.

8. "It's a Wonderful Life", "A Christmas Story", and "Miracle on 34th Street" are my 3 favorite Christmas movies of all time, with an Honorable Mention going to "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation".

9. Would it really bother anyone too much if the US Postal Service charged 50 cents for a stamp and stopped delivering mail on Saturdays? Somehow, I think we'd all survive if those two things happened.

10. Dogs > Cats. Always. No question.

TOUCHDOWN!