I have zero tolerance for people who abuse dogs let alone kill them in such a horrific way. And here I was taught that asians were civilized?
A visual effects artist who worked on several Dreamworks films like "Shrek" faces more than 4 years in prison -- after he was accused of beating his neighbor's puppy to death ... with a hammer.
According to law enforcement, Young Song -- who also worked on films like "Kung Fu Panda," "Shark Tale," and "Madagascar 2" -- allegedly entered his neighbor's backyard last week ... and shot their 16-month-old German shepherd with a pellet gun, before beating it to death with a hammer.
According to the puppy's owner the act was caught on surveillance video.
Song pled "not guilty" today to one felony count of cruelty to an animal, and one count of misdemeanor petty theft of a dog ... after he allegedly dragged the mutilated corpse from his neighbor's yard.
Song was arrested yesterday and bail was set at $40,000. He is still in custody. His next court date is May 26. Song's lawyer Nicholas Okorocha had no comment.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Are House Prices Going Up?
I have the unfortunate experience of dealing with realtors on a somewhat regular basis. Now I have nothing against the profession, but I do have something against ignorance. I have talked to numerous realtors nearly every month for the last 8 or so years, from before the bubble, during and now during the collapse. The landscape has changed vastly, but their message remains the same "things are about to turn around" "houses are starting to pick back up" If I had a dollar for everytime I've heard a realtor say this I could buy an ounce of gold.
At the very best nearly every realtor I have met is so woefully ignorant of economics that they don't even understand what drives their business. I don't expect them to be market gurus, but at least understand the reality of your business.
At worse realtors are just rampant liars who try to prop up home prices with their words, after all you make a much bigger commision on a $250,000 house than a $100,000 house.
Everytime I hear the words "things are about to turn around" I ask the simple question.... Why?
Why would it turn around? Everything happens for a reason, prices went to the moon for a reason (government intervention in the markets, reckless Fed monetary policy, MBS and CDS, regulators in bed with corporations, greedy banks etc etc.) and now they are returning to earth for a reason.
So why would house prices go up? Do people have better job security today? No. Do people make more money today? No. Are people in less debt today? No. Is unemployment low? No. Is the cost of living going down? Hell no.
The list goes on forever, there is NO reason why house prices would go up in value (relative to other commodities) So don't be fooled into thinking that they will. Here is a list of 29 facts about the housing market which further cements my point.
SOURCE
However, to give us all some numbers to think about, the following are 29 absolutely crazy statistics about the housing crisis that show just how nightmarish the U.S. housing market is right now....
#1 During the first three months of this year, less new homes were sold in the U.S. than in any three month period ever recorded.
#2 Home prices just keep falling month after month. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city index has fallen for seven months in a row.
#3 U.S. home prices have now declined 32% from the peak of the housing bubble.
#4 In Phoenix, Arizona home prices are now down 56% from the peak of the housing bubble.
#5 Home prices in Las Vegas, Nevada are now down 58% from the peak of the housing bubble.
#6 Nearly 70 percent of all Las Vegas mortgages are now underwater.
#7 Due to the housing crisis, there are now more than 167,000 vacant homes in the state of Nevada.
#8 It is estimated that 25% of all mortgages in Miami-Dade County are "in serious distress and headed for either foreclosure or short sale".
#9 According to a recent census report, 13% of all homes in the United States are sitting empty.
#10 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18 percent of all homes in the state of Florida are sitting vacant. That number is 63 percent larger than it was just ten years ago.
#11 In the city of Detroit alone, there are more than 33,000 abandoned homes.
#12 The average home in the city of Merced, California has declined in value by 63 percent over the past four years.
#13 U.S. home values have fallen an astounding 6.3 trillion dollars since the housing crisis first began.
#14 California had more foreclosure filings that any other U.S. state during 2010. The 546,669 total foreclosure filings during the year means that over 4 percent of all the housing units in the state of California received a foreclosure filing at some point during 2010.
#15 Total home mortgage debt in the United States is now about 5 times larger than it was just 20 years ago.
#16 Approximately 26 percent of all renters in the United States spend more than half their pre-tax income on rent.
#17 It is estimated that 49 percent of all American renters are paying out more in rent than they can afford.
#18 In 1996, 89 percent of Americans believed that it was better to own a home than to rent one. Today that number has fallen to 63 percent.
#19 72 percent of the major metropolitan areas in the United States had more foreclosures in 2010 than they did in 2009.
#20 Two years ago, the average U.S. homeowner that was being foreclosed upon had not made a mortgage payment in 11 months. Today, the average U.S. homeowner that is being foreclosed upon has not made a mortgage payment in 17 months.
#21 In September 2008, 33 percent of Americans knew someone who had been foreclosed upon or who was facing the threat of foreclosure. Today that number has risen to 48 percent.
#22 During the month of January, it was estimated that there were 1.8 million distressed homes in the United States that had yet to be listed for sale. Many analysts believe that this "shadow inventory" will extend the housing crisis for several more years.
#23 In February, U.S. housing starts experienced their largest decline in 27 years.
#24 Now home sales in the United States are now down 80% from the peak in July 2005.
#25 Bank repossessions and short sales now make up approximately 30 percent of all home sales in the United States.
#26 As of the end of 2010, new home sales in the United States had declined for five straight years, and they are expected to be lower once again in 2011.
#27 31 percent of the homeowners that responded to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey indicated that they are "underwater" on their mortgages.
#28 Deutsche Bank is projecting that 48 percent of all U.S. mortgages could have negative equity by the end of 2011.
#29 According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, at least 8 million Americans are currently at least one month behind on their mortgage payments.
At the very best nearly every realtor I have met is so woefully ignorant of economics that they don't even understand what drives their business. I don't expect them to be market gurus, but at least understand the reality of your business.
At worse realtors are just rampant liars who try to prop up home prices with their words, after all you make a much bigger commision on a $250,000 house than a $100,000 house.
Everytime I hear the words "things are about to turn around" I ask the simple question.... Why?
Why would it turn around? Everything happens for a reason, prices went to the moon for a reason (government intervention in the markets, reckless Fed monetary policy, MBS and CDS, regulators in bed with corporations, greedy banks etc etc.) and now they are returning to earth for a reason.
So why would house prices go up? Do people have better job security today? No. Do people make more money today? No. Are people in less debt today? No. Is unemployment low? No. Is the cost of living going down? Hell no.
The list goes on forever, there is NO reason why house prices would go up in value (relative to other commodities) So don't be fooled into thinking that they will. Here is a list of 29 facts about the housing market which further cements my point.
SOURCE
However, to give us all some numbers to think about, the following are 29 absolutely crazy statistics about the housing crisis that show just how nightmarish the U.S. housing market is right now....
#1 During the first three months of this year, less new homes were sold in the U.S. than in any three month period ever recorded.
#2 Home prices just keep falling month after month. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city index has fallen for seven months in a row.
#3 U.S. home prices have now declined 32% from the peak of the housing bubble.
#4 In Phoenix, Arizona home prices are now down 56% from the peak of the housing bubble.
#5 Home prices in Las Vegas, Nevada are now down 58% from the peak of the housing bubble.
#6 Nearly 70 percent of all Las Vegas mortgages are now underwater.
#7 Due to the housing crisis, there are now more than 167,000 vacant homes in the state of Nevada.
#8 It is estimated that 25% of all mortgages in Miami-Dade County are "in serious distress and headed for either foreclosure or short sale".
#9 According to a recent census report, 13% of all homes in the United States are sitting empty.
#10 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18 percent of all homes in the state of Florida are sitting vacant. That number is 63 percent larger than it was just ten years ago.
#11 In the city of Detroit alone, there are more than 33,000 abandoned homes.
#12 The average home in the city of Merced, California has declined in value by 63 percent over the past four years.
#13 U.S. home values have fallen an astounding 6.3 trillion dollars since the housing crisis first began.
#14 California had more foreclosure filings that any other U.S. state during 2010. The 546,669 total foreclosure filings during the year means that over 4 percent of all the housing units in the state of California received a foreclosure filing at some point during 2010.
#15 Total home mortgage debt in the United States is now about 5 times larger than it was just 20 years ago.
#16 Approximately 26 percent of all renters in the United States spend more than half their pre-tax income on rent.
#17 It is estimated that 49 percent of all American renters are paying out more in rent than they can afford.
#18 In 1996, 89 percent of Americans believed that it was better to own a home than to rent one. Today that number has fallen to 63 percent.
#19 72 percent of the major metropolitan areas in the United States had more foreclosures in 2010 than they did in 2009.
#20 Two years ago, the average U.S. homeowner that was being foreclosed upon had not made a mortgage payment in 11 months. Today, the average U.S. homeowner that is being foreclosed upon has not made a mortgage payment in 17 months.
#21 In September 2008, 33 percent of Americans knew someone who had been foreclosed upon or who was facing the threat of foreclosure. Today that number has risen to 48 percent.
#22 During the month of January, it was estimated that there were 1.8 million distressed homes in the United States that had yet to be listed for sale. Many analysts believe that this "shadow inventory" will extend the housing crisis for several more years.
#23 In February, U.S. housing starts experienced their largest decline in 27 years.
#24 Now home sales in the United States are now down 80% from the peak in July 2005.
#25 Bank repossessions and short sales now make up approximately 30 percent of all home sales in the United States.
#26 As of the end of 2010, new home sales in the United States had declined for five straight years, and they are expected to be lower once again in 2011.
#27 31 percent of the homeowners that responded to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey indicated that they are "underwater" on their mortgages.
#28 Deutsche Bank is projecting that 48 percent of all U.S. mortgages could have negative equity by the end of 2011.
#29 According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, at least 8 million Americans are currently at least one month behind on their mortgage payments.
2011 On Track To Be Second Deadliest Year For US Troops In Afghanistan
Since the war started nearly a DECADE ago 2011 is gearing up to send more men home in body bags than any year other than 2010. So far 117 have died in as many days, meaning at this rate somewhere around 350-400 will have been killed in total for the year.
In the 28 months that the peace activist Obama has been at the helm 933 US men have been killed in Afghanistan alone. In the 8 years that King Bush II waged this unconsitutional war a mere 630 were killed. I never watch any mainstream news but I am pretty damn sure they aren't constantly parading the death toll around, not when their golden boy is the one sending them to their deaths.
So when will Obama stop our men from being killed and the trillions of dollars from going to the hands of the military industrial complex? The thought is so humorous I can hardly put it to words.
America, the only one who will stop these wars, stop the Biblical amounts of your money being wasted is Dr. Ron Paul. So wake up.
In the 28 months that the peace activist Obama has been at the helm 933 US men have been killed in Afghanistan alone. In the 8 years that King Bush II waged this unconsitutional war a mere 630 were killed. I never watch any mainstream news but I am pretty damn sure they aren't constantly parading the death toll around, not when their golden boy is the one sending them to their deaths.
So when will Obama stop our men from being killed and the trillions of dollars from going to the hands of the military industrial complex? The thought is so humorous I can hardly put it to words.
America, the only one who will stop these wars, stop the Biblical amounts of your money being wasted is Dr. Ron Paul. So wake up.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Hey UN, What Happened To The 50 Million Global Warming Refugees?
In 2005, the United Nations Environment Programme predicted that climate change would create 50 million climate refugees by 2010. These people, it was said, would flee a range of disasters including sea level rise, increases in the numbers and severity of hurricanes, and disruption to food production.
The UNEP even provided a handy map. The map shows us the places most at risk including the very sensitive low lying islands of the Pacific and Caribbean.
It so happens that just a few of these islands and other places most at risk have since had censuses, so it should be possible for us now to get some idea of the devastating impact climate change is having on their populations. Let’s have a look at the evidence:
Bahamas:
Similarly, many of the fastest growing cities in the United States also appear within or close to the areas identified by the UNEP as at risk of having climate refugees.
More censuses are due to come in this year, and we await the results for Bangladesh and the Maldives - said to be places most at risk - with interest.
However, a very cursory look at the first available evidence seems to show that the places identified by the UNEP as most at risk of having climate refugees are not only not losing people, they are actually among the fastest growing regions in the world.
(Footnote: As requested, credit goes to the cartographer of the UNEP map, Emmanuelle Bournay.)
UPDATE: What’s it all about then? Find the response from the UNEP here and a theory as to why they were so keen about the 50 million refugees claim.
UPDATE: Some other published reactions to the story.
UPDATE: A little background about the claim.
The UNEP even provided a handy map. The map shows us the places most at risk including the very sensitive low lying islands of the Pacific and Caribbean.
It so happens that just a few of these islands and other places most at risk have since had censuses, so it should be possible for us now to get some idea of the devastating impact climate change is having on their populations. Let’s have a look at the evidence:
Bahamas:
Nassau, The Bahamas – The 2010 national statistics recorded that the population growth increased to 353,658 persons in The Bahamas. The population change figure increased by 50,047 persons during the last 10 years.St Lucia:
The island-nation of Saint Lucia recorded an overall household population increase of 5 percent from May 2001 to May 2010 based on estimates derived from a complete enumeration of the population of Saint Lucia during the conduct of the recently completed 2010 Population and Housing Census.Seychelles:
Population 2002, 81755Solomon Islands:
Population 2010, 88311
The latest Solomon Islands population has surpassed half a million – that’s according to the latest census results.Meanwhile, far from being places where people are fleeing, no fewer than the top six of the very fastest growing cities in China, Shenzzen, Dongguan, Foshan, Zhuhai, Puning and Jinjiang, are absolutely smack bang within the shaded areas identified as being likely sources of climate refugees.
It’s been a decade since the last census report, and in that time the population has leaped 100-thousand.
Similarly, many of the fastest growing cities in the United States also appear within or close to the areas identified by the UNEP as at risk of having climate refugees.
More censuses are due to come in this year, and we await the results for Bangladesh and the Maldives - said to be places most at risk - with interest.
However, a very cursory look at the first available evidence seems to show that the places identified by the UNEP as most at risk of having climate refugees are not only not losing people, they are actually among the fastest growing regions in the world.
(Footnote: As requested, credit goes to the cartographer of the UNEP map, Emmanuelle Bournay.)
UPDATE: What’s it all about then? Find the response from the UNEP here and a theory as to why they were so keen about the 50 million refugees claim.
UPDATE: Some other published reactions to the story.
UPDATE: A little background about the claim.
Kikes Mock The Crucifiction Of Jesus
Please send this video to every Christian Zionist that you know, to anyone who thinks that the terror state of kikestan is "our only ally in the mideast"
Revelation 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Revelation 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
John 8 38I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
40But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
41Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
46Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
47He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Revelation 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Revelation 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
John 8 38I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
40But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
41Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
43Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
46Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
47He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Holocaust Stories POURING Out
"oy vey the goyim are catching on to our usurious central banking thefts and endless mid east wars, quick Murray release as many holocaust stories as we have to divert their attention, er, I mean stop anti semitism."
Seriously though this is over 300 hundred stories in 1 week........
http://news.google.com/news/search?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&q=holocaust&as_qdr=w&as_drrb=q&cf=all
Gerald Celente: By Their Deeds You Will Know Them
15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (lawlessness)
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (lawlessness)
What Does It Profit Me?
What does it profit me to think what I think and write what I write?
Today my views are far, far out of the mainstream. I am constantly trying to keep my ear to the ground in order to have an understanding of how the world works. So I sift through an amazing amount of information and at some point you know enough things to be factual that you can discard things which aren't. After a time it becomes much easier to sort out the BS.
I'm sure most if not all of my regular readers have at one time or another been called a "racist, bigot or homophobe" it happens to me repeatedly. It certainly doesn't discourage me, it's disheartening to see how dumb people really are, but the comment itself doesn't hurt me.
But I do find myself at times feeling quite out of place, which isn't a bad thing, since I am not created for this world and am in fact instructed to "come out of her (babylon) my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues" So feeling out of place doesn't really bother me either.
But I want those who are quick to the draw with their "racist, bigot, nazi, homophone, hater" attacks, to consider, what do I have to gain by running this site?
I'm not in it for the money, sure ideally I'd love to do it as a full time job but the odds of that are slim to none. I make enough money to cover the domain registration and that's it. So I don't profit, nor do I know anyone who says what I say that profits either, yet I know plenty of people on the flip side making millions if not billions, the ADL, SPLC receive millions of dollars in donations and those jews soak it up. They aren't in it for the reasons I am.
I'm not in it for the fame, I blog anonymously, no fame in that. Yet I could write a book on Racism and do a book tour.
I don't think what I do because it's popular with my family and friends, don't get me wrong my friends aren't race mixing or doing anything on that level, but they certainly aren't on the same page as me spiritually. Being Christian Identity isn't something that wins you popularity contests. I really want you to consider this, I have never personally met another person who believes the CI message.
How would you feel if you were a Baptist surrounded by Muslims and knew there were other Baptist out there but you didn't know any. It can be trying at times. When those around you, those you care about don't think like you do.
So let me sum up, what I think and write earns me no money, no fame, no power, it's unpopular with the world and largely my own family and friends, so what does it profit me? Well frankly it doesn't. At least not in any tangible way, but it's the right thing to do. I will always say and write what is the Truth, I can't do it any other way.
So consider this before you spout off your rhetoric, I am saying and typing these things knowing I have nothing to gain, why would I say any of it if I didn't honestly think it was true and feel convicted?
Today my views are far, far out of the mainstream. I am constantly trying to keep my ear to the ground in order to have an understanding of how the world works. So I sift through an amazing amount of information and at some point you know enough things to be factual that you can discard things which aren't. After a time it becomes much easier to sort out the BS.
I'm sure most if not all of my regular readers have at one time or another been called a "racist, bigot or homophobe" it happens to me repeatedly. It certainly doesn't discourage me, it's disheartening to see how dumb people really are, but the comment itself doesn't hurt me.
But I do find myself at times feeling quite out of place, which isn't a bad thing, since I am not created for this world and am in fact instructed to "come out of her (babylon) my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues" So feeling out of place doesn't really bother me either.
But I want those who are quick to the draw with their "racist, bigot, nazi, homophone, hater" attacks, to consider, what do I have to gain by running this site?
I'm not in it for the money, sure ideally I'd love to do it as a full time job but the odds of that are slim to none. I make enough money to cover the domain registration and that's it. So I don't profit, nor do I know anyone who says what I say that profits either, yet I know plenty of people on the flip side making millions if not billions, the ADL, SPLC receive millions of dollars in donations and those jews soak it up. They aren't in it for the reasons I am.
I'm not in it for the fame, I blog anonymously, no fame in that. Yet I could write a book on Racism and do a book tour.
I don't think what I do because it's popular with my family and friends, don't get me wrong my friends aren't race mixing or doing anything on that level, but they certainly aren't on the same page as me spiritually. Being Christian Identity isn't something that wins you popularity contests. I really want you to consider this, I have never personally met another person who believes the CI message.
How would you feel if you were a Baptist surrounded by Muslims and knew there were other Baptist out there but you didn't know any. It can be trying at times. When those around you, those you care about don't think like you do.
So let me sum up, what I think and write earns me no money, no fame, no power, it's unpopular with the world and largely my own family and friends, so what does it profit me? Well frankly it doesn't. At least not in any tangible way, but it's the right thing to do. I will always say and write what is the Truth, I can't do it any other way.
So consider this before you spout off your rhetoric, I am saying and typing these things knowing I have nothing to gain, why would I say any of it if I didn't honestly think it was true and feel convicted?
Nigger Beats Up Autistic White Man On A Bus
You think we are all the same? After over 400 years of being around civilized White culture you would think that some of it would've rubbed off. Sadly it hasn't and time after time you have incidents like this showing that you can take the savage out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the savage.
My Thoughts On Ron Pauls 2012 Run
First off, I'm excited about the prospect. I figured he would although I certainly wouldn't blame him if he didn't. In the shape this countries in I wouldn't want to be the last one in charge when the music stops. Nor when I'm 75 would I want to be still fighting the same fight you have been waging for a lifetime. (hopefully things are better when I'm 75)
After his last campaign I told myself that I was through with politics, that at least one if not two scenarios are true
1) the votes are rigged and it doesn't matter
2) the American people are so dumb that they will never elect anyone who doesn't pander to their brain dead state. (out of a country of 180 million voters he only got 1 million)
One of these had to be true, and either one makes accomplishing the goal of becoming elected impossible.
Some things have changed since 08, not a ton in the grand scheme of things, certainly I hold no hope for the "tea party" I lost faith in them literally after attending my first one.
However things are different, people are certainly more likely to listen to Paul now since all of his predictions have unfortunately come true.
Some of the talk shoe hosts who crucified him the first time around (Beck, Hannity etc) have attempted to at least maintain a cordial relationship with him not blacklisting him like in 08. In my opinion this is because they didn't figure he would run in 2012, and Ron Paul is popular so they will sell their souls for ratings. So this time around, if they blacklist him and trash talk him it will make them look like hypocrites (they could still pull this off since their listners are morons)
Ron Paul predicted these wars would never end under Obama, and they have continued, he predicted that the economy was going off the rails, and 3 years later we are still in a depression. He predicted that Obama would be Bush's 3rd term and over 2 years in Obama has been walking closely in the footprints of Bush (obviously, they have the same masters)
So seeing that Pauls predictions have come to fruition, the people are starting to see the effects of double digit inflation that Ron Paul has been predicting for years, and they see that there is never "change" in DC does he stand a chance this time?
I sure as hell hope so, we desperately need him, we honestly do, sure a Presidents powers are limited, but he could certainly veto every unconstitutional thing that came across his desk, every unbalanced budget, tax hikes etc.
So will I stay true to my word and abstain from the political process this time? It remains to be seen. I know that I will continue to blog about him, tell everyone I know about him, pass out flyers on peoples cars and mailboxes, put up signs etc. To me this is not just "oh I want my guy in the White House" but rather I want to wake people up to reality and Dr. Paul is a great primer. He was instrumental to me in my journey to learn the Truth and I hear similar stories all the time.
Our fight is much bigger than Ron Paul, than one lone honest politician in the den of criminals, our fight is for the Truth, and in Truth and honesty is freedom. As I said a few blog posts ago, I'm young and I want a light at the end of this tunnel, I do not want to live under a government which dictates everything I do and steals half my money in the process.
So whatever I can do to help now, for hopefully a better future I will do. Passionately as always.
After his last campaign I told myself that I was through with politics, that at least one if not two scenarios are true
1) the votes are rigged and it doesn't matter
2) the American people are so dumb that they will never elect anyone who doesn't pander to their brain dead state. (out of a country of 180 million voters he only got 1 million)
One of these had to be true, and either one makes accomplishing the goal of becoming elected impossible.
Some things have changed since 08, not a ton in the grand scheme of things, certainly I hold no hope for the "tea party" I lost faith in them literally after attending my first one.
However things are different, people are certainly more likely to listen to Paul now since all of his predictions have unfortunately come true.
Some of the talk shoe hosts who crucified him the first time around (Beck, Hannity etc) have attempted to at least maintain a cordial relationship with him not blacklisting him like in 08. In my opinion this is because they didn't figure he would run in 2012, and Ron Paul is popular so they will sell their souls for ratings. So this time around, if they blacklist him and trash talk him it will make them look like hypocrites (they could still pull this off since their listners are morons)
Ron Paul predicted these wars would never end under Obama, and they have continued, he predicted that the economy was going off the rails, and 3 years later we are still in a depression. He predicted that Obama would be Bush's 3rd term and over 2 years in Obama has been walking closely in the footprints of Bush (obviously, they have the same masters)
So seeing that Pauls predictions have come to fruition, the people are starting to see the effects of double digit inflation that Ron Paul has been predicting for years, and they see that there is never "change" in DC does he stand a chance this time?
I sure as hell hope so, we desperately need him, we honestly do, sure a Presidents powers are limited, but he could certainly veto every unconstitutional thing that came across his desk, every unbalanced budget, tax hikes etc.
So will I stay true to my word and abstain from the political process this time? It remains to be seen. I know that I will continue to blog about him, tell everyone I know about him, pass out flyers on peoples cars and mailboxes, put up signs etc. To me this is not just "oh I want my guy in the White House" but rather I want to wake people up to reality and Dr. Paul is a great primer. He was instrumental to me in my journey to learn the Truth and I hear similar stories all the time.
Our fight is much bigger than Ron Paul, than one lone honest politician in the den of criminals, our fight is for the Truth, and in Truth and honesty is freedom. As I said a few blog posts ago, I'm young and I want a light at the end of this tunnel, I do not want to live under a government which dictates everything I do and steals half my money in the process.
So whatever I can do to help now, for hopefully a better future I will do. Passionately as always.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Judge Says It's OK For Police To Discriminate Against Smart People
It's Police State 101, you don't want the boots on the ground to be smart enough to question orders. You want them to just carry out your wishes regardless of if they are moral or Constitutional.
SOURCE
A Federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by a man who was barred from the New London police force because he scored too high on an intelligence test.
In a ruling made public on Tuesday, Judge Peter C. Dorsey of the United States District Court in New Haven agreed that the plaintiff, Robert Jordan, was denied an opportunity to interview for a police job because of his high test scores. But he said that that did not mean Mr. Jordan was a victim of discrimination.
Judge Dorsey ruled that Mr. Jordan was not denied equal protection because the city of New London applied the same standard to everyone: anyone who scored too high was rejected.
Mr. Jordan, 48, who has a bachelor's degree in literature and is an officer with the State Department of Corrections, said he was considering an appeal. ''I was eliminated on the basis of my intellectual makeup,'' he said. ''It's the same as discrimination on the basis of gender or religion or race.''
SOURCE
A Federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by a man who was barred from the New London police force because he scored too high on an intelligence test.
In a ruling made public on Tuesday, Judge Peter C. Dorsey of the United States District Court in New Haven agreed that the plaintiff, Robert Jordan, was denied an opportunity to interview for a police job because of his high test scores. But he said that that did not mean Mr. Jordan was a victim of discrimination.
Judge Dorsey ruled that Mr. Jordan was not denied equal protection because the city of New London applied the same standard to everyone: anyone who scored too high was rejected.
Mr. Jordan, 48, who has a bachelor's degree in literature and is an officer with the State Department of Corrections, said he was considering an appeal. ''I was eliminated on the basis of my intellectual makeup,'' he said. ''It's the same as discrimination on the basis of gender or religion or race.''
Jesse Jackson Accused Of Propositioning Men
Shouldn't surprise me.
FULL STORY
A former employee of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. at the Rainbow Push Coalition has filed a bombshell wrongful termination and discrimination complaint against the civil rights leader with the City of Chicago's Commission on Human Rights.
The complaint, filed sometime last year by Tommy R. Bennett, a regular on the Tom Joyner Radio show and member of Barack Obama's LGBT Leadership Council, includes shocking allegations about Jackson's behavior toward the openly gay staffer including an allegation that the civil rights leader propositioned him.
FULL STORY
A former employee of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. at the Rainbow Push Coalition has filed a bombshell wrongful termination and discrimination complaint against the civil rights leader with the City of Chicago's Commission on Human Rights.
The complaint, filed sometime last year by Tommy R. Bennett, a regular on the Tom Joyner Radio show and member of Barack Obama's LGBT Leadership Council, includes shocking allegations about Jackson's behavior toward the openly gay staffer including an allegation that the civil rights leader propositioned him.
Quote of the Week
“If you’re not a race driver, stay the hell home. — Don’t come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you’ve got feathers on your legs or butt. — Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won’t climb up there and eat that candy ass.”
Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Dale Earnhardt Sr.
What You Can Do
Once someone realizes the grave nature of our current situation the first question asked is "what can we do about it"
It's a very good question, one that nobody seems to have a satisfactory answer to. The only thing I ever hear is educate people on the Truth, which is an idea which drives this blog so I agree with this, but it certainly isn't the only thing we can do.
Like everyone else who understands how that world really works and has a firm grasp on the reality of our situation I need to do something, I can't sit around and do nothing, so I work very diligently trying to be the most informed that I can and in turn inform everyone around me. Now I want to provide real actions that can be taken, some are so miniscule that I'm sure many will think they are too minor to even consider. The hardest part is that you might not even see the fruits of your endeavours and that is a hard hard thing. To work tirelessly and never see the benefits of your labor is difficult and often depressing.
But we all can agree that something must be done if our White Western Society is to survive and one day flourish. We can't in good conscience sit back and watch our enemies rule over us. So I will be adding to this series as time permits and ideas arise. They are things that will help, all of them relatively minor, but they will push the pendulum back from tyranny towards freedom and that is what it's all about.
You can think it's pointless, that these actions are to small and will be futile, but you cannot say that nobody has given you steps to take. An idea which has captivated my mind since I was a child is the fact that our Founding Fathers risked EVERYTHING for the CHANCE of freedom, it really was live free or die with them, there were no guarantees of their success or even survival, but they fought because it was the right thing to do, because they would rather die on their feet than live on their knees.
I write, and do these things because I don't want to be a slave, I want a light at the end of this tunnel, I'm young I don't want to live under marxist rule and want to leave a better more prosperous future for my progeny than I had.
If we fight we have a chance, if we don't than there is no chance. So stay tuned, stay passionate and remain vigilant. More to come.
It's a very good question, one that nobody seems to have a satisfactory answer to. The only thing I ever hear is educate people on the Truth, which is an idea which drives this blog so I agree with this, but it certainly isn't the only thing we can do.
Like everyone else who understands how that world really works and has a firm grasp on the reality of our situation I need to do something, I can't sit around and do nothing, so I work very diligently trying to be the most informed that I can and in turn inform everyone around me. Now I want to provide real actions that can be taken, some are so miniscule that I'm sure many will think they are too minor to even consider. The hardest part is that you might not even see the fruits of your endeavours and that is a hard hard thing. To work tirelessly and never see the benefits of your labor is difficult and often depressing.
But we all can agree that something must be done if our White Western Society is to survive and one day flourish. We can't in good conscience sit back and watch our enemies rule over us. So I will be adding to this series as time permits and ideas arise. They are things that will help, all of them relatively minor, but they will push the pendulum back from tyranny towards freedom and that is what it's all about.
You can think it's pointless, that these actions are to small and will be futile, but you cannot say that nobody has given you steps to take. An idea which has captivated my mind since I was a child is the fact that our Founding Fathers risked EVERYTHING for the CHANCE of freedom, it really was live free or die with them, there were no guarantees of their success or even survival, but they fought because it was the right thing to do, because they would rather die on their feet than live on their knees.
I write, and do these things because I don't want to be a slave, I want a light at the end of this tunnel, I'm young I don't want to live under marxist rule and want to leave a better more prosperous future for my progeny than I had.
If we fight we have a chance, if we don't than there is no chance. So stay tuned, stay passionate and remain vigilant. More to come.
Amazing Free Climber
This is an amazing video, I couldn't pass up posting it. The will and strength it takes to do this is phenomenal. Watching this is an inspiration to me even though I am not into climbing, the principles which drive White people like this to be the best at what they do and tackle magnificent tasks is what makes us great and so long as we don't lose our will than we will always have great men.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Dave Ramsey The Financial Charlatan
Dave Ramsey is famous for telling people to get out of debt. Sound advice for most people. Although telling people it's a good idea to get out of debt, selling books and putting on seminars doesn't mean you know anything about economics on any level.
For example, the way anyone gets out of debt from an individual to a country is to spend less than you take in and depending on your time frame you will definitely get out of debt. That's it, that is Ramseys entire claim to fame that he repeatedly tells people this, because sadly most people are to dumb to figure it out on their own.
Now ironically enough this is quite similar to how to lose weight, you burn more calories than you consume. The theory is super easy, in practice it's more challenging. Now because I put that reality in words does that make me an expert dietician or doctor? No it means I understand the very basic premise of losing weight. Now I could be like Dave Ramsey and market myself as an expert on the subject of weight loss, giving people medical advice etc etc, but I won't do that, because even though I understand how to lose weight I am not going to market myself as a revolutionary who came up with a super easy concept so that I can make millions selling things to people who clearly have trouble saving money.
I listened to Ramsey probably 8 or so years ago, I was much younger and had yet to form my own opinions on the subject of economics. I vividly remember him downing gold at every opportunity saying that it was a horrible "investment", and that real estate and mutual funds were the way to go to make money. Now this was around 2003 or 2004, on the cusp of the bubble in real estate was well as the stock market. Gold was around 300 dollars per ounce.
So let's fast forward 8 years. Housing hasn't made gains in 8 years and is continuing to slide, the stock market has gone sideways for a decade now, while Gold is up from 300 per ounce to 1500. That is a %500 increase in 10 years.
Now Dave is right, gold is not an investment, people get this wrong. Gold is money. and during a time when the Federal Reserve is printing 10's of trillions of paper dollars it is the time to be in commodities, anything really that is produced at a slower rate than paper currency will go up vs that currency, it is supply and demand.
Dave's philosophy is that "cash is king" guess what cash may have been king when it was backed by gold until 1971, but since then it has been in steady freefall. It has lost over 95% of it's purchasing power in 100 years while gold has maintained it's purchasing power for thousands. So let's show you why Dave is wrong on gold.
Dave recommends mutual funds which have made no progress in a decade, which is bad enough, doubly so when you consider Gold has made double digit gains every single year in the last decade. You may say "well the DJIA has gone from 8,000 to 12,000 in only 3 years" but priced in what? Worthless paper dollars, using this metric Zimbabwe in the height of it's hyper inflation had the best nominally performing stock market in the history of the world, but the people were plunged into poverty. So price the Dow in terms of Gold
As you can see the market continues to plunge in terms of real purchasing power even since 08. The Dow has gone from a high of almost 44:1 with gold to now just 8:1. It's pathetic. What's more pathetic is that 100 years ago the ratio was 5:1 so in 100 years it has gone up 62.5% barely half a percent per year. Simply abysmal.
So the stock market in terms of real money has only gone up at an average rate of .6% per year for 100 years, what about housing, the other investment recommendation of Ramsey. Consider a house that would've sold for $50,000 10 years ago when gold was $250, it would've taken 200 ounces to buy the house. Fast forward 10 years and today the house would probably be $100,000 (at the peak it would've been 200k) but today take the same 200 ounces of gold and you can afford a house that is $280,000 dollars. So Gold has handily beat the price of homes which despite Ramseys claims do not whatsoever keep pace with inflation. Had you heeded sound advice 10 years ago you would've gone from living in a 50,000 dollar house to a nearly 300,000 house and not had to work a minute extra.
But sadly people continue to listen to Dave Ramsey even though he clearly knows nothing about investing or economics which in an of itself doesn't bother me, but he shouldn't act like he is an authority on the subject because his advice is on par with Jim "buy bear stearns" Cramer.
Government Shutdowns, Budget Cuts and the Land of Morons
Is this going to please the "tea party"? Cutting an entire 1% from the budget, that is extreme. I mean we will have this 14+ trillion dollar national debt paid off in no time! What retards fall for this dog and pony show? I've had multiple people talk to me about it as though it's really major or "a step in the right direction", it's laughable. The government has to finance nearly 400billion dollars per month in new debt and these idiots think cutting 60billion matters?
It doesn't matter, it's not a step in the right direction it is a huge ruse so that the "tea party" candidates can tell the voters "see we did as promised we fought hard and cut spending" and sadly that will be good enough for most of them.
Let's look at the cuts though, put them in easy to relate to terms.
Say you have a credit card with an unlimited credit limit. and you go out and take on 50,000 dollars in new debt every year, you are living large for years on end until your financial advisor steps in and says "look you really need to cut back you will never be able to pay all of this back" so do you say "well I'll live within my means now"? No, instead you decide that instead of taking on 50,000 in new debt next year you will only take on 49,500! Problem solved, you cut your spending all right.
That is literally how absurd these cuts are, and when you look at them in relation to the big picture it becomes mind blowing, not just how minute to non existent the cuts are, but how dumb the people are who think it's even noteworthy. Taken the above example if you were going from taking on 50,000 dollars in new debt per year to 49,500 would you consider this a feat worth bragging about as though you had really accomplished something? Or would you not even mention it because it's so absurd and would make you look like an even bigger failure?
It doesn't matter, it's not a step in the right direction it is a huge ruse so that the "tea party" candidates can tell the voters "see we did as promised we fought hard and cut spending" and sadly that will be good enough for most of them.
Let's look at the cuts though, put them in easy to relate to terms.
Say you have a credit card with an unlimited credit limit. and you go out and take on 50,000 dollars in new debt every year, you are living large for years on end until your financial advisor steps in and says "look you really need to cut back you will never be able to pay all of this back" so do you say "well I'll live within my means now"? No, instead you decide that instead of taking on 50,000 in new debt next year you will only take on 49,500! Problem solved, you cut your spending all right.
That is literally how absurd these cuts are, and when you look at them in relation to the big picture it becomes mind blowing, not just how minute to non existent the cuts are, but how dumb the people are who think it's even noteworthy. Taken the above example if you were going from taking on 50,000 dollars in new debt per year to 49,500 would you consider this a feat worth bragging about as though you had really accomplished something? Or would you not even mention it because it's so absurd and would make you look like an even bigger failure?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wal-Mart CEO Warns Of "Serious" Inflation
U.S. consumers face "serious" inflation in the months ahead for clothing, food and other products, the head of Wal-Mart's U.S. operations warned Wednesday.
The world's largest retailer is working with suppliers to minimize the effect of cost increases and believes its low-cost business model will position it better than its competitors.
Still, inflation is "going to be serious," Wal-Mart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said during a meeting with USA TODAY's editorial board. "We're seeing cost increases starting to come through at a pretty rapid rate."
Along with steep increases in raw material costs, John Long, a retail strategist at Kurt Salmon, says labor costs in China and fuel costs for transportation are weighing heavily on retailers. He predicts prices will start increasing at all retailers in June.
"Every single retailer has and is paying more for the items they sell, and retailers will be passing some of these costs along," Long says. "Except for fuel costs, U.S. consumers haven't seen much in the way of inflation for almost a decade, so a broad-based increase in prices will be unprecedented in recent memory."
Consumer prices — or the consumer price index — rose 0.5% in February, the most since mid-2009, largely because of surging food and gasoline prices. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, rose a more modest 0.2%, though that still exceeded estimates.
The scenario hits Wal-Mart as it is trying to return to the low across-the-board prices it became famous for. Some prices rose as the company paid for costly store renovations.
"We're in a position to use scale to hold prices lower longer ... even in an inflationary environment," Simon says. "We will have the lowest prices in the market."
Major retailers such as Wal-Mart are the best positioned to mitigate some cost increases, Long says. Wal-Mart, for example, could have "access to any factory in any country around the globe" to mitigate the effect of inflation in the U.S., Long says.
Still, "it's certainly going to have an impact," Long says. "No retailer is going to be able to wish this new cost reality away. They're not going to be able to insulate the consumer 100%."
The world's largest retailer is working with suppliers to minimize the effect of cost increases and believes its low-cost business model will position it better than its competitors.
Still, inflation is "going to be serious," Wal-Mart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said during a meeting with USA TODAY's editorial board. "We're seeing cost increases starting to come through at a pretty rapid rate."
Along with steep increases in raw material costs, John Long, a retail strategist at Kurt Salmon, says labor costs in China and fuel costs for transportation are weighing heavily on retailers. He predicts prices will start increasing at all retailers in June.
"Every single retailer has and is paying more for the items they sell, and retailers will be passing some of these costs along," Long says. "Except for fuel costs, U.S. consumers haven't seen much in the way of inflation for almost a decade, so a broad-based increase in prices will be unprecedented in recent memory."
Consumer prices — or the consumer price index — rose 0.5% in February, the most since mid-2009, largely because of surging food and gasoline prices. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, rose a more modest 0.2%, though that still exceeded estimates.
The scenario hits Wal-Mart as it is trying to return to the low across-the-board prices it became famous for. Some prices rose as the company paid for costly store renovations.
"We're in a position to use scale to hold prices lower longer ... even in an inflationary environment," Simon says. "We will have the lowest prices in the market."
Major retailers such as Wal-Mart are the best positioned to mitigate some cost increases, Long says. Wal-Mart, for example, could have "access to any factory in any country around the globe" to mitigate the effect of inflation in the U.S., Long says.
Still, "it's certainly going to have an impact," Long says. "No retailer is going to be able to wish this new cost reality away. They're not going to be able to insulate the consumer 100%."
Sarah Palin: America’s Sweetheart No More?
Sarah Palin’s standing with the American public has undergone a stunning reversal of fortune, according to two recent polls.
Just two and a half years ago, Sarah Palin’s star was ascending to the political heavens. A solid 53% of Americans held a favorable opinion of Mrs. Palin, while only 28% had a negative view.
But according to a March 3 Bloomberg News poll, only 28% of Americans now hold a positive view of the former Alaska governor, while a stunning 60% see her in an unfavorable light.
And a March 16 Washington Post-ABC poll found Palin’s negative ratings fell to a nadir of 37% among Republicans and right-leaning independents.
So how do we explain the stunning turnaround of this immensely ambitious political wunderkind?
Following John McCain’s surprise selection of Sarah Palin on August 29, 2008 and her well-received acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, the political unknown from Wasilla notched an impressive favorability rating of 53% (all figures I cite are from the Gallup poll, unless otherwise noted).
But as the campaign lurched toward the November election, stories began to circulate about a simmering discord between the McCain-Palin campaign staffs. “She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone,” complained a top McCain adviser just days before the election. “Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party.”
Following the GOP’s sweeping losses on November 4, Palin’s favorability ratings still registered 48%, a respectable number considering the predictable miscues of the grueling campaign.
Soon shaking off the post-election blues, Palin’s first move was to establish SarahPAC, which would eventually raise $1 million for conservative candidates around the country. Throughout 2009, Palin’s favorability ratings cruised along in the acceptable low to mid 40s range.
Palin’s heralded book Going Rogue came out on November 17. Even though the autobiography would eventually sell over 2 million copies, it also raised questions about the former candidate’s conservative credentials – even her character.
Going Rogue highlights Palin’s endorsement of the controversial Title IX quota program. It reveals her predilection for gender-baiting clichés like “I’ve been living in a man’s world all my life.”
The autobiography even suggests a mean streak. When then-boyfriend Todd told his friends that Sarah didn’t know how to kiss, Palin’s judgment was harsh as it was swift: I “learned a lesson about guys that day: even the good ones can act like jerks.”
As if women never gossip about their mates’ sexual prowess!
Throughout the year Palin appeared at endless Tea Party rallies around the country. On February 6, 2010, Palin keynoted the inaugural Tea Party convention in Nashville, TN, cementing her position as the charismatic leader for the burgeoning movement.
But in mid-2010, the apparently unstoppable train suddenly took a pro-feminist turn.
During a May 15 speech at a Susan B. Anthony conference, Palin unveiled the term “Mama Grizzly,” and invoked the words “feminism” and “feminist” no less than a dozen times. This provoked predictable attacks from the N.O.W. blowhards — and raised conservative eyebrows as well.
Palin’s response was to accuse her critics, including her female detractors, of chauvinism – a stance that began to wear thin in the eyes of many.
The cracks in Mrs. Palin’s formidable reputation began to show themselves in the Gallup poll taken after the November 2 elections. While she garnered a steady 40% favorability rating, for the first time ever her unfavorable numbers spiked to 52%.
Perhaps the decisive turning point, though, was the day that Palin decided to take on Barbara Bush. First Ladies occupy a revered spot in the American iconography, but the tone-deaf Palin apparently didn’t understand this.
When the former First Lady remarked that Palin might prefer to stay in Alaska rather than throw herself into the hurly-burly of national politics, Palin rebuked Mrs. Bush – and her family — as a group of elite “blue bloods.”
Wrong move, Mrs. Palin.
Then came Palin’s “blood libel” gaffe on January 12. And in February, Palin insinuated former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum was a “Neanderthal.”
Manhattan Institute scholar Heather MacDonald has ridiculed the “feminist strain” of the Mama Grizzlies and notes that Palin “is living up to her most skeptical assessment of her.” But the real reason for her plummeting support is that many Americans are confused about who Sarah Palin is and what she really stands for.
Is Mrs. Palin the tireless spokesperson for a recrudescent Silent Majority? Is she a have-it-all, do-it-all Super Mom? A dazzling, but ephemeral Media Maven?
Or is she an old-school, quota-embracing, male-bashing feminist who also happens to be pro-life? Is she a Shake-and-Bake liberal whose political resumé includes support for the ill-fated Bridge to Nowhere and a record-breaking $6.6 billion state operating budget in 2007?
Until Mrs. Palin takes steps to reconcile these apparent contradictions, these questions will continue to be grist for the political mill.
Just two and a half years ago, Sarah Palin’s star was ascending to the political heavens. A solid 53% of Americans held a favorable opinion of Mrs. Palin, while only 28% had a negative view.
But according to a March 3 Bloomberg News poll, only 28% of Americans now hold a positive view of the former Alaska governor, while a stunning 60% see her in an unfavorable light.
And a March 16 Washington Post-ABC poll found Palin’s negative ratings fell to a nadir of 37% among Republicans and right-leaning independents.
So how do we explain the stunning turnaround of this immensely ambitious political wunderkind?
Following John McCain’s surprise selection of Sarah Palin on August 29, 2008 and her well-received acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, the political unknown from Wasilla notched an impressive favorability rating of 53% (all figures I cite are from the Gallup poll, unless otherwise noted).
But as the campaign lurched toward the November election, stories began to circulate about a simmering discord between the McCain-Palin campaign staffs. “She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone,” complained a top McCain adviser just days before the election. “Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party.”
Following the GOP’s sweeping losses on November 4, Palin’s favorability ratings still registered 48%, a respectable number considering the predictable miscues of the grueling campaign.
Soon shaking off the post-election blues, Palin’s first move was to establish SarahPAC, which would eventually raise $1 million for conservative candidates around the country. Throughout 2009, Palin’s favorability ratings cruised along in the acceptable low to mid 40s range.
Palin’s heralded book Going Rogue came out on November 17. Even though the autobiography would eventually sell over 2 million copies, it also raised questions about the former candidate’s conservative credentials – even her character.
Going Rogue highlights Palin’s endorsement of the controversial Title IX quota program. It reveals her predilection for gender-baiting clichés like “I’ve been living in a man’s world all my life.”
The autobiography even suggests a mean streak. When then-boyfriend Todd told his friends that Sarah didn’t know how to kiss, Palin’s judgment was harsh as it was swift: I “learned a lesson about guys that day: even the good ones can act like jerks.”
As if women never gossip about their mates’ sexual prowess!
Throughout the year Palin appeared at endless Tea Party rallies around the country. On February 6, 2010, Palin keynoted the inaugural Tea Party convention in Nashville, TN, cementing her position as the charismatic leader for the burgeoning movement.
But in mid-2010, the apparently unstoppable train suddenly took a pro-feminist turn.
During a May 15 speech at a Susan B. Anthony conference, Palin unveiled the term “Mama Grizzly,” and invoked the words “feminism” and “feminist” no less than a dozen times. This provoked predictable attacks from the N.O.W. blowhards — and raised conservative eyebrows as well.
Palin’s response was to accuse her critics, including her female detractors, of chauvinism – a stance that began to wear thin in the eyes of many.
The cracks in Mrs. Palin’s formidable reputation began to show themselves in the Gallup poll taken after the November 2 elections. While she garnered a steady 40% favorability rating, for the first time ever her unfavorable numbers spiked to 52%.
Perhaps the decisive turning point, though, was the day that Palin decided to take on Barbara Bush. First Ladies occupy a revered spot in the American iconography, but the tone-deaf Palin apparently didn’t understand this.
When the former First Lady remarked that Palin might prefer to stay in Alaska rather than throw herself into the hurly-burly of national politics, Palin rebuked Mrs. Bush – and her family — as a group of elite “blue bloods.”
Wrong move, Mrs. Palin.
Then came Palin’s “blood libel” gaffe on January 12. And in February, Palin insinuated former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum was a “Neanderthal.”
Manhattan Institute scholar Heather MacDonald has ridiculed the “feminist strain” of the Mama Grizzlies and notes that Palin “is living up to her most skeptical assessment of her.” But the real reason for her plummeting support is that many Americans are confused about who Sarah Palin is and what she really stands for.
Is Mrs. Palin the tireless spokesperson for a recrudescent Silent Majority? Is she a have-it-all, do-it-all Super Mom? A dazzling, but ephemeral Media Maven?
Or is she an old-school, quota-embracing, male-bashing feminist who also happens to be pro-life? Is she a Shake-and-Bake liberal whose political resumé includes support for the ill-fated Bridge to Nowhere and a record-breaking $6.6 billion state operating budget in 2007?
Until Mrs. Palin takes steps to reconcile these apparent contradictions, these questions will continue to be grist for the political mill.
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