Don Lee for Minnesota House

This coming Tuesday, we will all have an opportunity to participate in party politics.  I encourage everyone, in every party, to go to caucus.  Get involved.  Choose your favored candidates and support them. It is important.  It matters.  Get information about local caucuses here.

This is a presidential election year. The most important thing our president does is to articulate the vision of who and what we are as a people. Ronald Reagan did this well.  Love him or hate him, he left little to the imagination about where he stood, what was important, and where we, as a nation, should be going.

President Obama also has done this well but the difference between Obama’s and Reagan’s visions could not be more stark.

Reagan spoke of a shining city on a hill, of an industrious people who were capable of great things if only the government would get out of the way.  He spoke of war and peace as though they were distinct.  His famous comment: “We win, they lose” speaks volumes.  Reagan spoke of individual responsibility, and individual initiative. Reagan reminded us that we, the people, have a government, not the other way around.  To Reagan, “On your own” means you are a responsible, proud, adult citizen.

Obama speaks of a nation that needs to apologize for its history, of a people who are suffering and helpless.  He speaks of government, not the people, as the source of charity and progress.  He speaks of the people as wards who must be kept firmly under control, lest they fail.  War is a “man caused disaster”.  No winners.  No losers.  Individual responsibility is paying your taxes. Showing individual initiative proves your taxes are not high enough.  He is constantly reminding us that “on your own” qualifies you as victim, with a right to taxpayer help.

This election is about this contrast.  Will we be proudly “on our own”, or will we give up our freedom and join the victims demanding help?

Some candidates detect the mood of the people, and reflect it.  They appear to lead, but in fact they are only seeking power.  They upset no one.  They maximize their words, but minimize their meaning.  They foster trust by promising no bold action.  These are the “safe” candidates.

Other candidates rock the boat. They are articulate and bold. They offend people, but no one doubts where they stand. They paint a clear vision of what must be, without the filtering of focus groups and the counsel of the timid.

We are at a crossroads.  President Obama has articulated a vision, and we need an opponent from the GOP who can say clearly and convincingly why his vision is wrongheaded.  We cannot afford another presidential election where the contrasts between these wildly different visions are airbrushed away in an attempt to “win the middle”.  We either have a free country based on individual rights and personal responsibility or we don’t.  We either have a government, or the government has us.

We cannot have some people drive on the left side of the road, and some on the right.  For some things we have to make a choice.  Someone has to be right, and someone wrong.

Republicans need an accomplished, bold, articulate, and passionate candidate who is willing to lead.  We need someone who understands why, and can speak clearly about, why Mr. Obama’s vision is fatally flawed. The election must be a judgement on our direction, not a choice for the least undesirable candidate.

I believe that the candidate with the experience, track record, skills, vision and passion that we need is Newt Gingrich.

I will be voting for, and encouraging others to vote for Newt Gingrich this coming Tuesday.

I hope to see you there.

There is an old joke about marketing that says that a really good marketer can sell you a trip to Hell and make you look forward to the trip.

Similarly, I have been impressed by the skill of President Obama in making atrocious ideas sounds really good.

The latest is his State of the Union address, of which he has sent out a “preview”. (read about it here)

Obama sums up “the central mission we have as a country, and my central focus as president … and that’s rebuilding an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded—and an America where everybody gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everybody plays by the same set of rules,” he said.

This all sounds pretty good, but like most scams and Ponzi schemes, you have to watch out for the “catch”.  The “catch” in this case is very simple. It’s a trade, not a gift. The trade is that Mr. Obama wants only to be given the power to decide what “fair” is, and who is “responsible”, what a “fair shot” is, and what a “fair share” is.

That’s all.

If you trust Mr. Obama and his administration and the enormous bureaucracy that the US government has become, and those who will hold all these offices in the future, then you have nothing to worry about.  The decisions will be made wisely, and we will all be better off.

If you are a student of history, you are more likely to be skeptical of this trade. You would understand that such power is an irresistable temptation. You would know that the abuse of such power is as certain as death and taxes. You would understand that such abuse would lead to a corrupt and vicious government. Students of history can name the times and places where this has been tried, especially in the last 100 years, and describe the disastrous results.

A key phrase from the preview should be particularly familiar:

AMERICAN VALUES: The president will call for “a return to American Values of fairness for all and responsibility from all.”

They would recognize a different version, and would recognize the author:

From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!

The author is Karl Marx. (see here)

This upcoming election year is sure to contain a lot of commentary about Islam, Islamophobia, Middle East politics, the Arab Spring, and a host of other subjects that relate to the Muslim world, and especially the Middle East.

Unfortunately, much of that commentary is based on what can be charitably called ignorance.  In most conversations about politics, it is possible to go to the source, possibly use an internet search engine and research “the facts”.  In this case, “the facts” are probably in arabic, so that makes the research difficult.

There exists an organization called MEMRI – the Middle East Media Research Institute.  They translate the news from that part of the world from the native languages to English, and post it for us to read.

Check it out:  http://www.memri.org/

In 2012, when you hear things about the Middle East.  Go read the MEMRI web site, and see what the news media in that part of the world are saying to their own people.  You may be shocked and surprised, but you will be far better informed in this vital election year of decision.