Don's Tuesday Column

THE WAY I SEE IT   by Don Polson  Red Bluff Daily News   11/11/2014

     Great veterans; fine election

It would be more-than-appropriate for all public meetings to ask veterans to stand so that those seated can see vets who gave some (and know that some gave all) who have secured this nation as a beacon of freedom and an example to the nations of the world. We can all thank any veteran that we know or see, and say a prayer of thanks for those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice. Whether sitting in a cockpit or in a cramped position maintaining that same aircraft; whether slogging through mud, dust, sweltering heat or bone-chilling cold as a Marine (Happy 239^th Birthday) or a soldier, or in supply, logistics, staff or intell; whether at battle stations or regular duty on a warship, carrier, tender or submarine; and those who have served in the Coast Guard protecting America’s shores and going into harms way to save souls in distress—all services are honored and honorable.

Regarding last Tuesday’s election, one could respond with a variation of “neener, neener, told you so”; it would far better serve our collective understanding to favor honest and insightful observations. Locally, it does not appear that our conservative-minded Supervisors will veer from their course of fiscal responsibility and common sense. The newest Supervisor, Ms. Carlson, will have ample opportunity to demonstrate similar judicious qualities before her next election.

California’s Republican Party, apparatus and fundraising wisely focused on winnable races. The slight wavelet in the Golden State secured several seats in Sacramento; Democrats won’t have supermajority status with which to indulge every wacky policy inclination and pay zero heed to minority Republicans. As I wrote last week, our side may be able to help forestall “the fanatical anti-business, anti-resource use, pro-public employee union, pro-tax and pro-regulatory path” of the leftist progressives that run that town.

According to electionprojection.com, while Democrat Aguilar added a blue seat to California’s House delegation (CA-31), Republican Ose has won in CA-7 (R pick up) and Republican Tacherra (CA-16) is ahead in his race. Then, there’s Arizona’s close race between Republican retired Air Force Col. Martha McSally and Democrat Barber (R ahead by 341 ballots; D shenanigans over provisional ballots in Pima Co. may steal it yet). Combined with 2 House races in Louisiana that go to runoffs (and Republican wins) in December, Republicans may gain +17 net; 249 would be their highest since 1929.

Now, those numbers don’t begin to tell the full story that I predicted last week, “a Republican landslide (and) the American electorate’s repudiation of Obama-ism.” Democrat excuses and rationalizations fall flat: Obama condescendingly dismissing the results because “two-thirds didn’t vote”; Democrats hypocritically complaining about “Koch brothers’ money”; disingenuous fairy tales about “voter suppression”; and whining about “Fox News” and talk radio. None of those refute the wholesale route of Democrats from Governors’ offices and state legislative bodies totaling up to twice as many now run by Republicans. That should hopefully diminish the hopes for Democrat gains going forward as their state farm teams and candidate benches are reduced to lesser-known players.

The titles of analytical pieces: “Midterms ‘A Nuclear Explosion,’ The Worst Wall-To-Wall Shellacking You Will Ever See” (C. Krauthammer), “The Democrats Waterloo” (V.D. Hansen) and “The Biggest Loser” (Matthew Continetti). That “Loser”? Hillary Clinton: “Hillary must convince Democrats that their savior is a grandmother who lives in a mansion on Massachusetts Avenue…She will have to run against an energetic and motivated Republican party.” “In many ways, she was the big loser on Tuesday because she embodies everything that’s wrong with Washington” (WI Gov. Scott Walker).

That’s just for a start. The electorate looks forward rather than backward; nobody under the age of 40 is going to have personally fond memories of Bill Clinton’s Presidency. Nothing about Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid or any other liberal dinosaurs inspires youthful optimism—the stables of liberal/progressive policy bromides are invariably reheated collectivist schemes from the past.

They’ve had their time to shine and the economy is the most pathetic recovery since the Great Depression; Obamacare is a rolling circus of deception, manipulation, failing promises and bloated expenses for the number of people actually served. Once the most offensive of elements are removed (or full repeal), it will wither as free market and state-based health care/insurance options are signed into place by a Republican president.

In helping to explain Obama’s political repulsiveness (my term, not his), Peter Berkowitz wrote, in “The Poverty of Obama’s Pragmatism,” that “Obama is, after all, an ideologue. He seeks radically to transform America both at home and in its role abroad. When Obama seeks to redistribute income and to lessen America’s footprint in world affairs” it’s following an ideological vision devoid of “an empirical analysis of what course of action will work best in the real world.”

Can you say “Divided Electorate”? Republicans see America going in wrong direction, the economy not good, climate change not important and a worse-off next generation. Dems take the opposite positions. I say, “We win, they lose” as Reagan once said of communism.