Ahh, It Looks So Nice... That Pretty Blue Train Zipping Right Past the Palm Trees - But You Just Paid $3.2 Billion For This Waste of a Project...
Whenever we think of California, we think of the line form that song
'They took Paradise and put up a parking lot'... For all of the beautiful weather and landscape, people have managed to run that state into the ground - and they're all set to do it again.. This time, with the mirage that building high speed rail will save them. Ignorance truly is bliss, but it's expensive - VERY expensive.....
Yep, yesterday, the California legislature - which has a budget deficit in the $40 Billion range - authorized the first leg of their high speed rail project from San Francisco to Los Angeles and Las Vegas eventually. They OK'd the sale of $4.5 billion in bonds (aka debt) of which $2.6 will go towards the building of the first leg of the line between the metropolises of Madera and Bakersfield. The remaining $1.9 Billion will be used to improve regional rail lines (aka, more realistic rail usage) across the state. The rush was on for Cali, because they now became eligible for an additional $3.2 billion in Federal funds, thanks mostly to other fiscally responsible states, like Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin, turning down federal money. California doesn't think that way...
No, the Golden State is a bastion of Democratic, Keynesian economic thought, where the government is the engine that stokes the fire - the straw that stirs the drink. While we are all for public works projects, the smart use of them is the key, and High Speed Rail is a huge miss... It's used a lot in Europe and Japan - where reliable vehicles are as rare as unannoying American tourists. They use mass transit more, because they do not live in their cars, and are more centric in where they live and work. Getting between cities by car is tough...
California doesn't have that problem. There are plenty of highways to travel by, and rail is slower than flying and takes much longer - even high speed rail. If you're expecting to hop on a train at the Golden Gate Bridge, get right on and end up on Sunset Boulevard, think again. The main Los Angeles are station is in Victorville - and hour away. Getting high speed rail to travel through downtown LA is impossible... So, you have to drive outside of town, get on the train, then travel, end up at the other station, get off - then either take a cab or rent a car into town. That is unless you happen to have business in Victorville.
And in that hassle is the main beef with High Speed Rail: it's not functional or useful enough to merit the expense - and it's your money they're wasting. The money they will waste on what will eventually be a $68 Billion project - $3.2 billion - could be used to repair every single unsafe bridge and road in South Carolina. Unfortunately, it's not a project that you can name after your local Congressman. Think about all the airports, new roads and bridges to nowhere that are a waste of your tax money. But, it makes for a great photo op, and it gives the mirage that your are changing things. Too bad it's for the worse......
High Speed Rail is that theory on Steroids... Yes, people will be hired to build this - just like the Pyramids and the Eiffel Tower. Actually, slaves made the Pyramids, but we digress... Our question is how many people worked at the Pyramids afterwards? More importantly, how many people used or paid to use them after? We rest our case... California just blew $3.2 billion of your money - and it's just the start. That's how liberals do it - spending your way out of the hole, and it'll all be fine. But when the governemnt cash dries up, who's there to support it? Not the private sector, and there won't be enough riders to maintain it. It's shiny and new now, but we can see 15-20 years down the road when it's a relic - a $68 Billion relic.
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This one is from our buddy Matt D., who contributed the original FB pic from a wet floor sign! If you choose to eat only healthy foods and veggies, you have our blessing. However, we like meat.... A lot. And nothing answers this billboard's question more correctly than the nine word answer here. Bacon - YUMMMMMM... Dog meat? Ehh, not so much.
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We're not big fans of bashing corporations, but sometimes they flat-out deserve it... To be completely honest, we own a life insurance policy through an AIG subsidiary, and have for 11 years - well before they decided to insure nearly every credit default swap deal in the world in 2008. During the great bailout that year, AIG received about $180 billion in assistance. They were the one who those that spoke of 'Too Big to Fail' were talking about... They may be too big to fail, but they're apparently small enough to sue the government.
According to a Fox News article, AIG is suing the IRS for $30 million, or about 2 days interest on the wad of cash they got in 2008. Why? It seems that AIG discovered they overpaid on their taxes - in 1991 - and with interest, they would like restitution. Yeah, there are statutes of limitations on these things, and AIG found out that theirs in the case were about to run out. Yes, their balls are made of brass...
Our opinion on taxes - especially if you're a major conglomerate - is that you have certified public accountants working on your taxes, and you're supposed to be the financial wizards here. If you eff up you taxes, that's your problem. If you wait 21 years to complain about it, that's even worse. If you were a major player responsible as anyone for the largest financial collapse EVER, in the amount approximately 6000 TIMES worse than the amount you're complaining about, pack your shit up and go home...
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With Only 80,000 New Jobs Created,The Traffic Jam For Improved Employment Is Still Bumper to Bumper As Far As We Can See...
Alright, the new job numbers for June are in.... and although they weren't as bad as we warned they could be, they were still pretty disappointing. Some estimates were that we could have added upwards of 170,000 jobs, to which we ask 'WTF were you thinking?'... As usual, it ended up in the middle. Of course, the possibility that those numbers will be adjusted down are distinct. It happens a lot.
First, a point of personal privilege... I commented on this on a Facebook page yesterday, relative to a couple points I made from my post before it came out. I think some guy who is a retired IBM'er spent about an hour to comment on how forecasters plan well ahead, not month to month relative numbers. Here is my response: Uhh, I commented while at work, so the time to fully comment on all I know about how decisions like this are made is impossible, and quite arrogant. I don't have the time to explain all I know, and it's kind of talking down to others to comment that way. In short, you didn't tell me anything I didn't already know - go back to the golf course and enjoy your retirement!
Yes, the economy is still sputtering along, and nowhere near the rate of creation needed to spur recovery and affect unemployment in a positive way.. We're stuck still at 8.2%, which is bad news for Barack Obama - he's still .1% up from April... Some say that number will fall despite the lack of jobs , due to the dropping of millions from unemployment payrolls who have exhausted their benefits. We're not sure about that. People not drawing benefits are still included in the numbers - as long as they are still seeking work. If they give up, then they don't count - but few actually give up...
Still, the environment to discourage people is there... The road to employment is a lot like highway traffic - everyone is moving along on the available lanes. If the lanes available (jobs in demand) is enough for the cars driving on it (worker supply), then traffic moves along smoothly. However, close one or two of the lanes (layoffs), and a massive traffic jam ensues. Some get stuck in the wrong lane (underemployment), some get cut off (too much competition) - and some just get off the road altogether. This is a terrible time for high school, college students and recent grads. The gigs they usually get are being taken by adults who have to do something to make money. Survival of the neediest...
If 80,000 jobs a month continue to be the norm - about 40,000 less than is needed just to keep up with population growth - the traffic jam will only get worse. That closed lane needs to be freed up. Tax policy needs to be simplified, and set on a long term path so businesses can actually make long-term plans. The final decision on Obamacare might assist in that as well, but we don't think American Business has a real grasp on the actual costs involved, so we have our doubts. DC hasn't shown a willingness to do that, so we don't see any improvement in the job market at least until 2013 - or later. Washington is the construction crew that has the lane closed, and Tony is sitting in the truck, munching on a donut right now - all while the cones blocking the lane are firmly in place...
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Here at SC6, we like to show you the dumber side of politics, by showing you the little ridiculous things that no one else seems to notice... We heard this on POTUS Radio today, and we HAD to find a clip. Today, Barack Obama was in Maumee, Ohio - it's pronounced MAW-mee, like a guy with a thick Boston accent mentioning his mother.
This won't take long at all, so don't worry that the video clip is 27 minutes long. Obama gets introduced to his 'Betting on America' stop, and while most attendees give the usual 'whoo-hoo' , someone is doing the Xena Warrior Princess 'Ay-ya-da-da-da-da !!!' thing.... Check it out. You won't need to listen for more than a minute.
Unreal.. She started at about 40 seconds, and finally gave out at 2 minutes.... Even Lucy Lawless can only do it for ten seconds! Our guess was the President was silently hoping someone would choke that nutjob.. Obama's followers have always been considered rabid - but this one might actually need a shot for it!
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Betting on America ??? Why do we see Obama dressed like James Bond in Monte Carlo, with Michelle in one of her rented Badgley Mishcka dresses at his side, mouthing 'Always Bet on Red - Red, White and Blue , that is'... Like we said - it's Summertime. They're still trying out slogans. Hey, at least it's better than 'Forward'....
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It's not easy being Eric Fehrnstrom, one of Mitt Romney's campaign spokesmen. You remember Eric - 'Mr. Etch a Sketch'????? Yes, THAT guy. He made the big mistake of any spokesperson.... he was honest. The Etch a Sketch comment was completely true - all campaigns adjust to the center to attract middle of the road voters. It was a bit refreshing, but the problem was he spoke too soon.....
No, you don't talk about the general election until the primaries are done offically, even if it seems all but over. Well, he is at it again this week - but for the very opposite reason. With the Obamacare decision in, the comparisons between it and Romneycare in Massatooshits are inevitable. Romney is in a tough spot, and his team is having a really hard time answering the really big question - what is the difference between the two?
Truth is, there isn't much - and he needs to acknowledge it. If I were on Team Romney, I would go with this tack: Yes, Obama copied Romneycare. Yes, it is a tax, and so was mine. However, I know as much about implementing this as much as anyone, and I can see in hindsight that my plan for Healthcare is not implementable nationally... Changes need to be made to cut costs. Simple as that.......
They're not going that route, and Fehrnstrom's leading the charge. While everyone now acknowledges that the fines are a Tax, Fehrstrom was all over the place, saying that Romneycare is NOT a tax. It's pretty easy - anything you have to pay to the governemnt is a TAX... Being honest and ending this part of the argument would be the smart thing to do, but Fehrnstrom seems to be spooked from 'Etch a Sketch'-gate.
It's easy... There are times to be completely honest, and there are times when you hold off being completely truthful. Fehrnstrom's getting it all backwards, but since Romney is saying the same bullshit, it's a gameplan. Whose plan it is, we don't know, but it's a bad idea. They find it out in September, when the assaults on TV about all this come out every 30 seconds ....
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How Many Times Do We Have to F**king Explain This??? Rodents Can't Play Guitar Because They Don't Have Opposable Thumbs !!!!!
What do you do when your business hinges on kids wanting to go there against their parents will, even at the expense of making them eat inedible pizza? Common sense would dictate - we don't know - that maybe you make better pizza.. Not to the wizards at Chuck E. Cheese. Their theory is that the only problem is the wrapper that holds that crap is not palatable enough.. That is, as long as the kids think it's cool to be there, who cares what the food tastes like? And the easiest way to fix that is to update Chuck E. Cheese himself!
Yep, Chuck E. isn't hip enough.. So, they've decided to Disney-ise him: make him look more like one of the Chipmunks, slap on a surf-dick shirt, and have him straddle a Gibson Les Paul Jr.. With three fingers, we can only assume all he'll be able to play is Black Sabbath. Still, we suppose it IS an upgrade....
Seriously, look at this pathetic piece of shit..... His tongue's hanging out, he's got a 'C' cap on, like you're expecting him to yell 'Franks and Beans!! Franks and Beans!!' like Warren from There's Something About Mary .... Tell us that you can't picture Adam Sandler voicing this thing?? Worst of all, he appears intoxicated. We saw this look once before: we were nine, and at my Cousin Donna's wedding, her dad (who was divorced) brought his best friend as a guest to the reception... Two hours later, he was blown out - and he decked his buddy near the dance floor....
Of course, it's more likely that Chuck E. would get decked - by anyone in the place. Luckily for us, we have never even set foot in a Chuck E. Cheese... That's perhaps the best thing about not having kids - you get to avoid places like this, but we've heard it's torture for adults!
Will it all work for Chuck E. Cheese Inc.? We doubt it. It didn't work for Mr. Peanut when he dropped the cane and the monicle (what were they thinking?), and we'd expect the same. The only way they could become cool is if they changed the mascot and renamed it Chuck D. Cheese - then again, even Public Enemy is over the hill....
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Thank God, We Won't Be Spending $600 a Night to Have Our Vacation Ruined With Secret Service Blocking Off Everything !!
Call it an Election Year Optic decision.... As we know, the Obama's like to take vacations. Whereas the Bushes always went back to Crawford or Kennebunkport, the Obamas - aka, The First Family without a home - usually went globetrotting or to Hawaii, where at least they know people. During Summer, Martha's Vineyard seemed to be their home away from home. Not this year....
Actually, there are a couple reasons why. Mainly, the Blue Heron House, where they spent the past three Summers, was recently sold - and the new owners have no intention of playing host to the First Family at a joint they paid millions and millions for... But also, summering on Martha's Vineyard is not exactly a way to look 'everyman' to voters. Even Mitt Romney is staying away from two of his four houses until Election Day....
This comes as good news for regulars and residents of the island. It's all of four or five miles long, so when the Obamas came to town - along with the Secret Service blocking off everything and anything near them - it was like you were paying for being imprisoned for three weeks. While merchants were happy with the extra attention - namely reporters and gawkers coming on the ferry - most people were not happy with having them there every Summer. The point of being in the Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard is to relax and see nobody. Now they have that again...
So, the big question is where will they go now? Our guess was just mentioned.... We can't picture a better way to spend an election summer than a three week, non-stop fundraiser at P. Diddy's joint in the Hamptons!! Hey Michelle...... pass the Ciroc and the Courvoisier !!!!
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Search All You Want, But The Numbers Aren't Looking Good For June...
It's the 4th of July.... and for most of us , that means cookouts, fireworks - and some hot assed weather! However, for the economic wonkish of us, we're looking forward to Friday... Why - because it's the weekend? Nope. Because it's two days closer to my birthday on Monday? Uhh, no... It's because Friday is the day we get the most important statistic related to November's presidential election - the unemployment numbers for June 2012! We knew you'd be excited..
No, the monthly tracking of whether the rate went up or down a tenth of a point, or stayed the same is of little consequence.. or is it? We've gone over the relationship between unemployment and electability a few times, so we'll skip it. However, we have a sneaking suspicion that this one will be more epic than the last few... For the first time in 21 months, we could have NEGATIVE job growth. We're not talking about people stopped looking for jobs, or not enough new jobs to keep up with population... We're talking about LESS jobs overall.
What makes us wonder this? A couple statistics. First, the trending down of created jobs for the past few months, down to a pretty low 69,000 last month - half of what the Labor Dept. predicted. If it's going the wrong way, it may very well continue that path, and other numbers back that up as well...
For starters, the new filers for unemployment are on the rise again. It is essentially the precursor to higher overall unemployment rates. Where they were averaging 340-350,000 per week, they have risen to 380-390,000 again. Add 40,000 new unemployed per week, and there's a good chance that 69,000 will drop. Also, generally June is not a good month unemployment-wise. In the past 20 years unemployment has dropped only 4 times, while it has risen 10 times and remained the same 6 times. In other words, there's an 80% chance that it will be the same or worse. Even when you take the actual created jobs, the June jobs created over the same time from May, 8 of the 20 years were worse.
But wait - there's more! June is the first month of Summer, when all students are doen with school - and looking for work during vacation. Many of them will not find work. Student unemployment is nearing 50%, mainly because of the weak economy, and the downflow of underemployment creeping into the jobs students usually get. When people look for work but can't find any, the labor pool rises - and unemployment goes up. Worst of all, the global slowdown has caused manufacturing production to drop for the first time in years - mainly from a decreased foreign demand.
Yes, all the signs are there, and those of us who care about WHY these things are occuring can't wait for Friday's numbers.. Seeing the unemployment rate tick up to 8.3% wouldn't surprise us. That is all most will look at, and get depressed or happy. However, it's the numbers inside that 8.whatever that really matter. If the actual number of employed drops, that will be catastrophic for Barack Obama. He has constantly talked up the 4 million jobs created over 26 months, but the problem is that they were created over the first 20 of those months. The ride is over, and we might well be dipping into another sputter economically - then the spin begins all over again.
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The Job is the Same, But It's a Different Game For Us, As We Take On Our Newest Job in Laurinburg .....
Perhaps our biggest reason for missing posts the last few days was this... After an extended break and waiting months to start job training - which eventually fell apart - we got a call from a headhunter in St. Louis about a job. Yes, we are returning to Service Advisorship, but it's in a slightly different industry - Farm Equipment. Yes, we got a job with Southeast Fram Equipment in Laurinburg, NC. Southeast owns six dealerships on the NC/SC border, of which Laurinburg is the flagship store....
It is going to be a challenge in many ways, first and foremost of which is financial... It's an 1hr 15 minute drive each way, so based on the gas used and depreciation on the car from mileage, it makes more sense to stay in a motel for now. So, there goes about $650 per month. It'd be nice to get an apartment, but it would cost more than that when you include utilities - and a security deposit. Add the current half of the mortgage, and our car payment, and we will not be clear much if any cash at first. However, I get to renegotiate after 90 days, and the car will be paid off in the Spring. In short, it's going to be a tight winter...
But, there are definite advantages as well. There is room for advancement, and I have some sweet benefits, like health insurance from Day One, a 100% match on my 401k to 6%, and a sizeable term life policy as well. More importantly, farm equipment is a slower paced environment. All my bosses are nice, and customers aren't nearly as high strung as in the car business. They're not demanding, and understand that fixing equipment takes a little time. Also, I get to learn the parts side of business as well, which I never had experienced, so I'll be strengthening my skills as well..
Of course, challenge number one is learning the farming business. They work totally different from cars, and there are dozens of types of machinery used - tractors, mowers, sprayers, and dozens of add-ons that go with it... There's a ton to learn, and it's going to take awhile. But, overall it appears to be a good opportunity, although spending the week in Laurinburg pales compared to being at home. The good part is I'll be done at 500pm each day - and bored - which should lead to plenty of available time to post. We'll see...
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"The instrument by which [government] must act are either the AUTHORITY of the laws or FORCE. If the first be destroyed, the last must be substituted; and where this becomes the ordinary instrument of government there is an end to liberty!"
- Alexander Hamilton, 1794.
Happy 4th of July!! While we are late with our usual Sunday Founders Quote, it's appropriate that we do it on Independence Day.... It was on this day, that our founders - True Patriots, not just people with signs complaining about Obama - realized that the only way to become independent was to take it by force. We too prefer to do things legally, and respect the courts. But, sometimes you need to take other avenues as well..
Monique Alexander is something we'd like to have - legally, by force or any other means necessary.. Shoot off a Roman candle or two for her today!
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This is easily the latest we've ever posted for our Sunday lineup.. We apologize for the delay. We lost power for most of the day, and was a bit under the weather earlier that day as well, after stepping on a fire ant mound while putting up signs for the Four Horsemen event the day before. Now, onto the toons....
Obviously, all eyes and pens were on the Supreme Court last week.. First, they ruled on Arizona's Immigration laws, which were for the most part wiped out. This toon assumes that all illegals might best keep a copy handy incase they do get pulled over anyway..
That however, was small potatoes compared to Thursday's megabomb on Obamacare. While we are a tad less worried personally, now that we have health insurance again, we wonder how lower middle class people who can't really pull off the $500-600 a month for it will deal... For this group, their idea was to drive to Canada, where nationalized health care has been around for a while. Of course, they don't waste trillions of dollars on pork and useless programs like we do, so paying for the big things is easier...
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And to Conclude Our Week of Crappy Posts, We Offer Our Conspiracy Theory on Anderson Cooper and Tom Cruise...
Having a few minutes to think about Tom Cruise's impending divorce from Katie Holmes, suddenlt followed by Anderson Cooper's announcement that he is gay, we can only draw one conclusion - Coop's making a play for the Top Gun!
Do we have any proof of this? No. Is Tom Cruise even gay? We don't think so, although the whole couch jumping thing on Oprah made us wonder what the hell was going on with him.... Still, he's never gone the Hollywood 'I'll go gay in my next movie so I have a chance at an Oscar' route. That makes us wonder aloud if he's pulling a Cary Grant or Rock Hudson, and dozens of others in the old days of Hollywood. We doubt it, but it is funny.
Instead of TomKat , will we soon see it replaced by 'AnderTom Cruiper?' Hey, you never know....
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Not that we've ever paid attention to it or not, but the big news today was Anderson Cooper came out of the closet to Andrew Sullivan.. Whoop dee doo - unless you're one of the millions of haus frau's who were hoping he'd jump through the TV screen and ask you to dump your fat, inattentive husband and marry him..
We used this picture in a post once before, and we knew right at that time that Cooper could be gay. He meets all the requirements for it here: black boots, perfectly faded jeans, come hither eyes, and the perfect fitting tee that shows just enough bicep to show he hits the gym ( nautilus, not free weights). Yes, he's a lithe, fit, well kept man - which is a dead giveaway - and exactly like us, minus the fitness. Now we know why everyone wonders if we're gay also..
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'Seriously... You're Dumping Me? But I'm Tom Cruise!'
Now we know one thing..... It wasn't Nicole Kidman after all. In the 'Gee, we NEVER saw this coming' department, Katie Holmes has filed for divorce from Tom Cruise - and the prenup question sare already starting. We think thye've been married five years, which could be a big problem for Cruise in California. But honestly, we really don't care...
What happened between the two? Was Cruise too possessive? Did Holmes finally realize there is a lot of difference with a man 16 years older than you? Who knows.... Our theory is that they couldn't be with each other after having seen the crappy movies each the last time out: Cruise in 'Rock of Ages' and Holmes in 'Jack and Jill'...... This has been the biggest case of a couple getting together and making shit movies since Affleck and J. Lo got together and made 'Gigli'. Yes, the only reason we posted this was so we could make that wisecrack. Have a nice weekend!
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Even Lady Liberty Can't Stand To Look After Yesterday's Mess From the Supreme Court and Congress' Contempt of AG Eric Holder....
There are some days where even we can't tolerate watching politics... Yesterday was definitely one of them. Maybe we were still worn out from the runoff. Or from being on the radio Tuesday and Wednesday, then finishing our floors. Whatever it was, we weren't looking forward too much to yesterday - and it was just as bad as we thought it would be.
There are some days when the Executive branch makes you want to puke. Other days the Judicial branch brings out a ruling that might make you shake your head. Of course, you can always count on the legislative branch to make you ill nearly every day they're in session. Yesterday was one of those rare days when all three branches were in full dysfunction - all at the same time.
Yes, we did watch the TV coverage of the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare.. it looked good at first: it was a 5-4 vote,and Chief Justice Roberts was giving the majority opinion.. Nope. Thanks to Fox News, we had a two minute period where we thought it was knocked down - but that was only because they ruled it was unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause. But, SCOTUS blog got it right first, and noted that the government argued what they said it wasn't when they passed it - that Obamacare is a tax, and they have the power to do so... The Court agreed. Maybe Joe Wilson was right after all about Barack Obama, though there are other places to state so...
Like we say, we don't judge court rulings much. We are not attorneys here. All we do is react to it. The reaction from others was pretty quick. The stock market dropped 70 points in the first 30 minutes.... Mitt Romney joined right in, and said it would be the first thing he'd get rid of. Like we said in our post from Wednesday, this could actually be a good thing for Romney. The economy is almost guaranteed to go nowhere, and if that happens, Romney's chances for election get better... I've read where a lot of Republicans aren't enthused about promoting Romney. Well they better, because if they think just getting a majority in the House and Senate will overturn Obamacare, they are in for a surprise... If Barack Obama is in office in January, all he has to do is veto any bill or budget eliminating the program. Then Congress needs to have a supermajority to overrule it. Good luck with that!
Of course, even we worry when one party runs all three offices, Republican or Democrat. The last four years gave us Obamacare and The Stimulus, the eight before that gave us Iraq and Compassionate Conservatism... Clearly, all the power in one party's hands makes for bad policy. Getting your way often leads to overdoing it....
After about 45 minutes, we heard enough of the Court ruling... Yet, we knew we still had the hearing in the House for the Contempt of Congress charge against Attorney General Eric Holder... Holder has been about as worried over this as Roger Clemens was a couple years ago. Honestly, we totally skipped the vote, and watched a series of funny movies for the next six hours. If we're going to watch comedies, we'd rather watch the ones that make us laugh.. The one interesting thing we saw was that 17 Democrats did agree - and the rest walked out, which tells us they didn't want to have their names attached to supporting Holder. Maybe it is the only way left to apply pressure to get the info needed from Holder to resolve this properly, but we hate partisan ugliness like this...
So, what are our thoughts about all of this? Well, we see a section of lower middle class people - those who make $30-40k a year, like a lot of people in Florence - will be paying fines for not having health insurance that their employers don't offer. Obama won, but Justice Roberts put it squarely in his lap that Obamacare IS a tax, and that was the only way it would be legal.. That's a huge political liability for Obama, and the GOP will be more than happy to slap that label on him...
Yes, we've seen some politically ugly days in Washington: The Clinton impeachment. Watergate. LBJ's daughters.. But rarely did we see a single day where DC was in full-blown dysfunction from all three branches at the same time ... It made us long to be one of those regular citizens - the ones who go through life oblivious to politics, and the goings-on in our capital : where the only thing on their minds are taking the kids to school, making dinner, and catching SportsCenter for the latest score. Of course, that's not us.. We love this stuff, but we enjoy it more when people come together, like tomorrow at the inaugural Four Horsemen Invitational, where yelling and ugliness are not tolerated. It's all about the love... and the beer and barbeque! Maybe THAT'S what DC needs.
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I found this one on my sister's Facebook page, which is from a recent Obama visit to Zumbrota, Minnesota - close to where her boyfriend lives... We're not positive what's going on here, but our guess is either of two things: either this girl is threatening to stand like a flamingo until Obama admits it's the private sector that power the economy - in which case, she's STILL standing that way - or, this is this is the smallest, blondest Iraqi girl, and she's preparing to throw her shoe at him!
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We're Suggesting That the Unconstitutionality of Obama's Main First Term Achievement Might Actually HELP Him? Maybe....
OK, now that the 7th District race is over, it's time to get back to stirring up stuff in things other than the GOP.... We went back onto Bill Pickle's radio show this morning - mainly to accept the heckling for handicapping the race so badly - when we eventually went onto other national issues. We have two big things coming up tomorrow: the possible censure of Attorney General Eric Holder, and infinitely more important, the ruling by the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of Obamacare..
While the general consensus is that if Obamacare is knocked down, it will be viewed as a huge repudiation of the President, which would play a major part in him not being re-elected. That could be true, but there is a possibility that it would do the exact opposite - that Obama could actually win from losing this case.. How is that even fathomable? We'll explain it, but you always have to keep in mind, this is DC we're talking about here - anything is possible.
OK, here is our conspiracy theory... With most things, the problem with Obamacare isn't the principle - it's the money. We'd all like to have health insurance, but how the hell do we pay for it? Ever since it was passed, US companies have been trying to prepare for this, and it has absolutely killed the growth of the US economy.
Back in 2010 and 2011, they weren't as concerned, because the law was 2-3 years away. If you needed to hire more employees, you hired them, and the unemployment rate dropped. 2013 is right around the corner now, and along with Taxmageddon, it's staring businesses square in the face. How daunting is it? American corporations made a profit of $826 billion in 2011, an all-time record. Sounds great, right? It is... They're becoming more efficient .
However, with the unsure estimates of just how much Obamacare will cost ($175-200 Billion), business is scared. Think about it... Obamacare could cut their profits by 20-25% - and not all of them are making money. Many could go under. This is why they aren't taking anyone on right now - they're standing pat with what they've got...
Now, enter the Supreme Court knocking down Obamacare... Yes, many will lose their Health Care, but this huge shroud of uncertainty has now been taken off of Corporate America - the people who ACTUALLY create jobs. How many more job can $200 billion in the private market create? At 40,000 a year, that translates into about 5 million jobs. We'd take half that. More people are working, making more money and being less dependent on the government. Budget deficits drop without raising taxes, and the whole thing accelerates up because Americans with jobs buy stuff... Sounds great!
Yes, with millions of people working, the unemployment rate drops, and if you ever seen our post correlating unemployment and re-electability , you'll see that as long as voters think the economy is going in the right direction, they'll stand pat with the incumbent. It may sound scary, but by proving to Barack Obama that his economic theory is completely wrong and unconstitutional, we could actually assist him in being re-elected. Funnier things have happened....
No, Obamacare is not the only reason Republicans and Independents will have to not vote for Barack Obama in November, but 2012 is all about the economy.... If tomorrow somehow relieves the pressure on American Business, voters won't give a flip - they'll re-elect Obama. Will he deserve the credit for it? Absolutely not, but when has that ever stopped a politician from taking credit for good news that he actually retarded? We rest our case. Yes, this post is political blasphemy, but it's more based on economic reality. Life is full of unintended consequences - Happy Accidents - and tomorrow could very well be an example of Obama stepping in shit. If it puts millions back to work, we'll live with it. We won't like it, but we'll live - after all, we've made it this far!
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Tom Rice Has Plenty to Smile About After His 12 Point Win Over the Former Lt. Governor, Will Face Tinubu in November Election....
Like we said, if we were great at predicting races, we'd be working for Rasmussen or Real Clear Politics.... In a race that many thought would be tight, Horry County Council Chairman Tom Rice pulled off a comfy 12 point win over Andre Bauer in tonight's 7th District Runoff. And the win was pretty convincing districtwide. We were planning on doing a post from the Florence HQ for Bauer, to put you inside of a campaign team as the numbers came in. We didn't make it that far, and the Bauer camp went to Myrtle beach anyway....
Yep, it was a pretty short night... We decided to first stop around the corner to the Florence County Elections Office to see if any results were in. The poll workers were lined up nicely, escorted by Kenney Boone's finest to make sure nothing funny happened. We went inside and we knew the night was almost already over. Thirteen of the sixty precincts had reported, and Rice was up by 11 points. When I saw that, I told Renee Woodberry - who was calling in results to Stephanie Rawlinson, that it they won. I also knew it was over when I saw Sunny Philips there. Sunny NEVER loses...Bauer slowly closed the gap, but in the end, Rice won Florence County by 4 points - and Darlington County went with them. For him to win, Bauer needed to win the Pee Dee by at least 15-20 points. Game Over...
In hindsight, it's a lot easier to tell why someone won or lost. Like most races, it was partly what the winner did, and what the loser did or didn't do... We'll go over some of them here quickly, because right now, it doesn't really matter, does it?
Voters Wanted the Adult in the Room
This morning, Bill Pickle asked me on his radio show what the differences were between Rice and Bauer. My answer was temperament. Voters would choose what type of congressman they wanted personalitywise, becuase they two are pretty similar. I referred to Tom Rice as the adult in the room, meaning he was levelheaded, unemotional - maybe even boring. I was about to give the good points about Bauer, when one of Andre's supporters called in, and went apeshit, spewing the talking points from Bauer's TV ad. Then the time for the segment ended.. Rather than letting me make a solid argument for him, he solidified what many worry about Andre - that he lacks maturity. I disagree with that, but what the voters think is what it is...
Homefield Advantage
While he eeked out small wins in the Pee Dee, the Grand Strand went for Rice in a pretty big way.. Voters prefer to vote for the candidate they can identify with. Rice was born, raised and spent his entire career there. I've been in South Carolina for 15 years,and I'm still and will always be considered a Yankee.. Andre could never convince voters he was a Grand Strander, especially having been in the area for a generally short time.
Bauer's Ads Sucked
I saw my first positive ad for Bauer - this morning! And the ad wasn't event from his own campaign... Basically, he did the ad blitz backwards. The ads he ran for the first 13 days were negative and pretty deceptive. We hate going negative, but if you are going to do it, do it late, so your opponent doesn't have 12 days to counterpunch - especially a generally low-key guy like Rice. My guess is that they finally got some poll numbers that told them that the negative ads were backfiring, and they tried to make up for it on the last day. Too late. Yes, Andre Bauer has nigh negatives, but there are plenty of attributes that he had that made him a better candidate than Rice, but he forgot to show them..
The Political Mona Lisa Vito Syndrome
Like Marisa Tomei's character in My Cousin Vinny, politicians have biological clocks that tick LIKE THIS, and some insiders that used to support Bauer didn't this time around, because they felt he was running out of the need for an office, not love of an area. We didn't get that feeling, but again, it's what voters think. It's tough to overcome that carpetbagger tag in a new district like this, and Andre didn't close the deal. The big question is if Andre Bauer has run his last campaign? Maybe. It's difficult to see that star falling until it's already down, but in hindsight, Andre's cache has been on the decline for two years now. It happens to most of us. Besides, the private sector isn't so bad...
So, the voters have given their decision, and they are going with the levelheaded accountant, rather than the hardcharging political pro... Rice now takes on Gloria Bromell-Tinubu, who thumped Preston 'Mulligan' Brittain by a 3-1 margin. If we have any advice for Rice, it's to bone up on his debating and delivery skills. Tinubu has been around the block, so even though Rice has the numbers (28,000 Republicans voted today, as opposed to 13,000 Democrats at last count), he needs to be solid, more confident and polished when the debates come around in the Fall...
Congrats to Tom Rice and his team for a good campaign, and now it's time for all of the infighting and stupidity that was all too prevalent in the primary and runoff to end. Nothing is guaranteed for us yet. Less than 20 percent voted, and Tinubu will have plenty of street money working for her on Election Day. With Romney and Obama on the ballot, there should be much higher turnout - at least there better be...
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