Veritas Rex

What's happening to our country?

Last fall when the election of Barack Obama began to feel more and more imminent, some conservatives, looking for a ray of light, pointed out that sometimes things have to get really bad before they get better.  Look at Jimmy Carter, they said.  Four years of him brought along Ronald Reagan.

 

My friends were partly right.  Drastic circumstances do produce drastic solutions.  29 years after his election and transformation of American politics, it’s hard for us to think back now and remember just what a radical shift in politics the election of Ronald Reagan was.  It was historic.  A shift now just from one political party to another, but a shift within a political party.

 

What I feared my friends were missing, and my words are now proving all too prophetic, was that the liberals, having learned from the Conservative Revolutions of 1980 and 1994, would change the rules to make it impossible for a new resurgence of conservatism.  Then, just a few weeks into The Obama Administration, we learned that the White House was seeking to take over the census, and therefore, determine the make-up of Congressional districts for years to come.  The “Stimulus” Package, touted by President Obama as the plan to revive our economy, was not just a government spending plan, it was a political spending plan.

Our Rendezvous with Destiny

In a speech so famous it is reffered to by conservatives simply as "The Speech," Ronald Reagan said, "You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.  We'll preserve for our children, this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness."

That generation of Americans responded to their rendezvous with destiny.  But our generation now has our own.  Will we rise to meet the challenges of our time?

Given the issues now facing our country, I could not be more delighted to have had the opportunity to serve as an Associate Producer of the new film, Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny, which was released by Citizens United last month.  You can go to http://rendezvouswithdestinymovie.com/ to learn more and to watch a trailer of the film which is hosted by Newt & Callista Gingrich.

Right now, President Obama and the Congress are betting big on government.  They've put all the chips on the table and believe that government is the answer to our problem.  They are actually making a courageous political move.  They've not hedged their bets at all.  They're betting big on government.

But a generation ago Ronald Reagan told us that government is not the solution to our problems.  This film reminded me how much the Gipper still has to teach us today.

Give up the TV and "Focus on the Family"

My wife and I recently took a three week hiatus from television. This is surely the longest stint in my life without this modern "luxury."  I've previously gone for a period of days at a time while consumed in work or perhaps on a camping trip. But a three week stretch is different, especially when you are otherwise going about life "as normal." We were  not camping and I was not "under the gun," working on any major deadline with my professional obligations.

A few quick observations.

1. Were we less connected to the world without TV? My answer here is no. We continued to be as connected as ever. We had Facebook of course. We stayed up on the news through our favorite columnists who we read on the web, and listened to FOX News and CNBC on XM Radio while driving.  Oh, and Veritas Rex!

2. Without TV we had more energy. What can make a person more slothful than a few hours of TV at night? During our three week stretch I had more energy and was able to jump up at a moments notice for physical activity

3. Without TV we had more margin. In the evenings, when typically the TV would be on, we're not distracted by Jim and Pam or Bill O. Instead, we could give our full attention to each other, and romping around with our son Jackson.

What will happen to conservative fundraising in a down economy?

Just more than a month into the Barack Obama Administration we see where he is taking us: socialism. This is not change I can believe in. Our country faces a great challenge. A real crisis, but it’s not the one Barack Obama is talking about. The challenge is that at a time when liberals are on the march, conservatives are hesitant to give.

It could be the perfect storm that brings European Socialism to America. With a 50 percent drop in the market, are conservatives able to give the dollars necessary to stand up to the Left?

My challenge to conservatives is to give. And let me tell you, your gift now means so much to me because I know it comes at a time when investments are down. Your gift now shows a real commitment to our cause and country. 

Eight years ago liberals were downtrodden. They’d just lost the presidency by the slimmest of margins, and the Congress was still controlled by Republicans. But they didn’t give up. They came back with a vengeance. We must do the same.

The World As It Is

On January 22 I was invited to a ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley to present to a group of men at a program led by Senior Pastor of The Ranch Church, Rick Soto on the topic "The World As It Is."  For two and a half hours I waxed eloquent and answered questions about the world as it is and as it should be.  Here's my opening monologue.

"I want to talk today about the world as it is--about the world as it is now--and I will say that in many respects, the world is in a fragile state.  I do not think that this comes as a surprise to many of you, in fact, I think you all have a sense for just how shaky things are on so many fronts.  And what makes this situation even more precarious is the utter lack of true leadership in Washington. 

 

Certainly not in my lifetime has there been a greater lack of leadership in Washington than there is today.  A total lack of leadership on both sides of the isle.  And against this backdrop strides the cult of personality.  More on our President later in this talk, but I am sure that many of you, irrespective of politics, have an uneasy feeling about the aura around this man.

But how did we get here?  How did things get so bad in Washington?  And putting Washington aside for a moment, how did we become the people that we’ve become?

"HYPE: The Obama Effect" proves effective

As many of you know, I have been heavily involved over the past few months with Citizens United, an organization based in Washington, DC, has become the leading conservative documentary maker. Dave Bossie is their president.  Think Michael Moore and then think about the truth and you have an idea for their films.

Less than a week before the election, we have the highest number of undecided voters in recent history.  Highly respected pollster Frank Luntz has found that "HYPE" has an incredible influencing power on these voters.  Check out this YouTube click from FOX News.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC_XtTh_ddE 

This week we are distributing 1.25 million of this DVD in battleground states.  You see, it seems that voters are interested in knowing about Obama's associations with people like Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright, Louis Farrakhan.  Voters understand that the people are policy and who a candidate chooses to surround himself with says an awful lot.

Interestingly, they also happen to be interested in knowing about the candidates' economic plans. "HYPE" takes an in-depth look at where they stand on taxes.  Can you believe that voters (like Joe the Plumber) are interested in this?

As we move into the final days of the election, it will be interesting to see how the numbers shift for both candidates.  Former Bush advisor Karl Rove points out that Republicans typically do not poll well on Friday and Saturday, citing that they tend to be more conservative and family oriented, meaning they're at the local Friday night football game and then at the soccer fields on Saturday.

McCain is certainly the underdog.  Obama has the lead and he's trying to run out the clock.  It's a good strategy.  If I were him, I would have extended that Hawaiian vacation a few more days.  Being out on the field only provides opportunities for mis-steps at this point.

Right now, Obama is playing prevent defense.  But for the first time since September, McCain has put together a good drive.  We'll see on Tuesday if for McCain, it is too little too late.

More McCain at the Convention is a winning strategy

As administrator I (Ryan McCann) am guilty of not posting Clarke's analysis up in a timely manner.  However, I thought it would still be interesting to see that the RNC followed very few of Clarke's recommendation.  I will be watching the campaign for President over the next few weeks with an eye towards what could have been, if the Republicans had followed Clarke's advice.  We'll just have to wait and see.

I'm writing strategy here, not advocating for any candidate. But heading into the Republican National Convention September 1-4 it's clear to see that even buck the system politicians like John McCain find it hard to break out of established routines.

Here's a winning strategy for John McCain at the RNC that plays to his strengths.

1. Accept the nomination on the very first day of the convention. Waiting until the last day to see the candidate is just silly. It was silly enough for the master orator Barack Obama. But it is equally silly for John McCain. The American people will be watching this week--especially early in the week as they switch back and forth from the RNC to hurricane coverage. Seeing John McCain early and often can only help.

2. After accepting the nomination on Monday night, follow-up on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights by alternating between interviews and town hall style discussions. The Rick Warren interview demonstrated how good John McCain is speaking not from a prepared text but on the fly and from the heart. On Tuesday night bring in Rick Warren for a follow-up interview. On Wednesday have McCain sit down with a group of a half dozen small business owners to talk about the economy. On Thursday night have him sit down with a group of moms to talk about the future of our country.

3. Have Palin on stage every night.

4. Featured speakers should include Joe Lieberman, Mitt Romney, Michael Steele, and Cindy McCain.

5. Unleash Fred Smith, founder of FedEx and long-time friend of McCain, as an attack dog on Barack Obama's economic plan and the disastrous effects it will have on the economy.

6. Have McCain end convention with his wife by his side. Make the moment a rallying cry to defend the country and begin a new era in American politics.

The Power of Palin

Much has been said about the selection of Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain's pick for Vice President. For what it's worth, let me go on record in saying that I think McCain made a brilliant political move here.

Palin helps McCain in three important areas. The first two play to what he needs to win and the third chips away at the aura around Barck Obama and his strategy for victory.

A Conversation between Left and Right Continues

This is the second installment of a conversation between left and right which began when Shaun Marshall (Left) emailed me (Right) earlier this year. His original email and post can be found in the archives of this site. More is to come.

Shaun: I cannot tell you how much your email touched me. It is so very good to hear from you. Your words are a great encouragement to me as I have, for the past months, walked in faith. God has increased my faith and led me to rely more and more on Him. Over the past year, I began to be engaged in a number of activities outside of my responsibilities at Young America's Foundation and the Reagan Ranch. And God had been working to shape and form me in new ways resulting from a wonderful relationship with a Christian mentor. Thanksgiving week of this past year, while on a walk in the early morning with my then two week old son Jackson, I asked myself: "what if I quit my job?" At that moment the Holy Spirit spoke into my heart: "I care for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. If I am calling you into a new season in your life, you've got to know that I will take care of you. So focus on whether I am calling you into a new season and know that if I am, you're going to be taken care of."

Social Conservatives Urge McCain to Select Pro Family Running Mate

I recently attended a meeting of influential social conservatives in Denver, CO to discuss the future of the evangelical conservative movement. One immediate action that resulted as a result of this meeting is the following letter to Senator John McCain. This letter was hand-delivered to the presumptive Republican Presidential candidate. Among the singers are David Barton of Wall Builders and Tim and Beverly LaHaye.

Dear Senator McCain:

We believe that a pro-life, pro-family Vice Presidential running mate is critical to confirm to our constituents that you will take affirmative steps to protect these values.  Your selection of a pro-life, pro-family running mate will be one of the first and most important opportunities to communicate your commitment to such values, since we believe that personnel is policy.

As citizens who love this country and as leaders who communicate collectively with millions of values voters, we met this week in Denver to discuss our shared moral values and the need to support your campaign.  As a sincere expression of what we believe is necessary for your success, we strongly agreed to respectfully urge you to select former Governor Mike Huckabee as your running mate.

We believe putting Gov. Huckabee on your ticket will immediately excite, mobilize, and activate a key grassroots constituency that is essential to your success and the advancement and defense of the values we share.  We have heard this message so clearly and consistently from our constituencies that we believe it is our duty to respectfully share it with you -- not as a demand or condition of our support -- but as an honest communication of what we believe to be the surest way to immediately activate millions of social conservative voters and activists nationwide in support of your candidacy.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,

Phil Burress, President, Citizens for Community Values

Mathew Staver,Founder and Chairman, Liberty Counsel

Gary Glenn, President, American Family Association of Michigan

David Barton, Wall Builders

Bill and Deborah Owens

Clark Vandeventer, Chief Executive Officer, World Changers Inc.