The process of electing our peers, i.e. human beings.

Why we criticize.

2008-01-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

A theme that has run through out my commentary on HotAir is that,
WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO STOP BEING SO SENSITIVE TO GIVING CRITICISM AND BEING CRITICIZED!

It is a universal right within free speech.

It is necessary for proper evolution as human beings.

It is a natural behavior of human association.

I had a knock down, drag out smack down with a HotAir commenter on this....
It starts here.. (scroll down to follow comment thread) In all there are about 6 of my comment posts on that page.

We must pushback complacency.

2008-01-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

Via HotAir commenter kcd on January 21, 2008 at 1:01 PM

“The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage
...more....

Also stored here for posterity.

Comedy gold comeback, from Mitt Romney.

2008-01-17T20:08:00.000-08:00

Via HotAir.
The best line was:
“Now Glenn, I appreciate it that you think that’s funny........”

More "Teddy Bear" quotes.

2008-01-17T09:14:00.002-08:00

"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole.
Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right.
Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."

"Roosevelt in the Kansas City Star", 149
May 7, 1918

♫♫ ♫..SAY IT LOUD, SAY IT CLEAR...♫ ♫♫ It's a Teddy Roosevelt day.

2008-01-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

"The most successful politician is he who says what the people are thinking most often in the loudest voice."

"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things. "

More.....

What we want in a candidate, (by Michelle Malkin)

2008-01-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Via NRO.
I’m still looking for Mr. Right. Remember: You’ll have me at “Suck. It. Up.”

Preach it sister. I couldn't agree more.

Why Mitt won.

2008-01-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

Byron York writes in NRO. It's the economy, stupid.
Breakdown of the winning votes via IHT

Also, early polls for SC with McCain leading, via Reuters.
Poppycock. I'm sticking with my prediction below.

..Update at 2:15 P.M. More stupid (or misinformed) polls from Political Wire:
(...an advance look at a new Strategic Vision in Florida poll that shows Sen. John McCain leading the Republican presidential race with 27%, followed by Mike Huckabee at 20%, Rudy Giuliani at 18%, Mitt Romney at 17% and Fred Thompson at 10%
The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4%. )

More poppycock.

Funny polled story.

2008-01-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

HotAir commentator Rode Werk on January 15, 2008 at 2:31 PM relates funny story:

"The best way to poll is respond that you are a 26 year old black woman, and then answer questions conservatively.

I am a homeowner, and I usually get polled at least five times a week since the campaining got started, but so far I have been polled five times already on Monday, things are getting hot and heavy in the northwest. 26 year old conservative black women will be setting the agenda!"

Funny!

Submit your poll experience anonymously.

2008-01-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

You may email, your telephone pollster experience anonymously to: anonymouspoll@gmail.com

Analysing the polls.

2008-01-15T06:31:00.000-08:00

Subject: Margin of error, undecided voters and independent voters.

On a 4 -5% margin of error there is a huge potential for unpredictable results in my calculation.

I believe that the New Hampshire polls were not spot on as some have concluded, because of the final vote showing that a lot out-of-Staters were allowed to come over and say, "Yea we're thinking about moving here" and then promptly were allowed to vote.

The pollsters would not have asked voters other than NH residents.

So that makes the polls off in the first place, because they didn't include the out-of-Staters, which is what helped determine the final vote tally.

Also, because of McCain's name recognition, a lot of independents switched their vote to McCain, when they felt that Obama had it in the bag.

So I believe the margin of error really was an important factor in calculating the outcome.

Which way do the margin of errors work?
I believe it's in the trend just prior to election day, not just the primaries' trend, but also the national trend, including candidates surge from debates, etc.

So here goes my prediction for this primary using the above process:
Romney has been gaining the last few days, so expect him to end up higher than the polls showed.

Expect McCain to get much less than he expected.

Expect Fred to surge higher than he expected.

Rudy will flatline.

Huckabee will be disappointed with his final tally (but he will spin like a top and blame it on the snow flurries).

-McGuyver